Meet the first-ever 'Veterinarian of the Year'

LANSDALE, Pa. -- Dr. Joseph Rossi may be the "Veterinarian of the Year", but he says the life-changing work at North Penn Animal Hospital is truly a team effort.

"This hospital wouldn't be here without the staff and their attitudes and how they all go above and beyond," he said.

Rossi founded North Penn Animal Hospital in 1996 to bring family-oriented care to animals in the Lansdale area. Over the years, loyal pet owners sought Rossi and his team's expertise in reproduction, surgery, dentistry and more.

Twenty-year patient-pet owner, Bill Burland, recently nominated Rossi for the Westminster Kennel Club's (WKC) first "Veterinarian of the Year Award'. As a finalist, Rossi received an outpouring of online votes from fellow veterinarians and patients.

"That overwhelming response is complete validation of what kind of practice this is," said Burland.

Rossi was chosen from a pool of masterful veterinarians across the country to receive the award, which was the result of a partnership with WKC and Trupanion. As a result, a $10,000 donation to MightyVet, an online educational resource, will be made in his name.

"I still can't believe it," said Rossi, "That that many people took the time to nominate me and to vote for me."

But patient-pet owners and co-workers have no hard time believing it.

"You can rely on any information he gives you and he's available for whenever you need him," said Christine Barone of the Bulldog Club of America.

With Rossi's leadership, North Penn has become a trusted institution where employees tend to stay forever.

"It's because of Dr. Rossi and the culture that he has created here," said Medical Director Erika Perin. "You can see his compassion for animals and it just comes through to us."

In the future, Rossi hopes to continue his practice and encourage more veterinarians to join the field. He looks to his team as a source of inspiration to carry on through the difficult parts of the job.

"No matter how bad the day is, if I look around and see how much passion my staff has for the animals, it makes me smile," he said.

To learn more about North Penn Animal Hospital, visit their website.