A Guelph veterinarian has been honoured by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Bianca Ferenczy, the association's recipient of the 2023 Award of Merit, felt surprised and humbled when she accepted the award in Toronto last week.
"I just felt like everybody in the veterinary community (and) I guess in the animal world in general, we've just been working so hard lately," she told GuelphToday.
"I felt everyone deserves this award. I don't know why I got it."
But don't get her wrong. Ferenczy said she is grateful for the recognition, for an award honouring a vet "who has demonstrated exemplary public service and has made extraordinary contributions to the veterinary profession."
Helping animals and going all in seems to be in her nature. Ferenczy has been providing veterinary care for over 25 years.
The owner and operator of Park Avenue Veterinary Services, which started as a mobile clinic, uses holistic choices, along with traditional, diagnostic and emergency medicine.
"Many people seek out holistic care for their pets when they’ve already tried multiple treatment options," Brittany Tartaglia, a registered veterinary technician on her team said in a news release.
"These cases can often be difficult, but Bianca takes time to carefully analyze these cases and give them the best treatment options possible."
But her work inside and outside her offices help her stand out.
Ferenczy also spends her time volunteering with high school and university students who have an interest in the field.
She also works with animal rescue organizations abroad, providing medical supplies, and has a fund inside her Guelph clinic for those looking to donate to help other local pet owners.
She admits it can be tiring, putting in all the hours she does – "If I'm not at the clinic, I'm always doing something for my practice," Ferenczy said – but if you ask her, she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I just love what I've been doing," she said. "I couldn't imagine having another career.
"I'm blessed to be able to work at something that I love. It's not like work."
