Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists Receives Commendation from Mayor Michael Bloomberg; New York City's Premier Veterinary Specialty Facility Celebrates Open House With Evening Reception And Gala Dinner.

NEW YORK -- Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists and 24-Hour Emergency Care (FAVS), New York City's newest state-of-the-art specialty facility celebrates open house at Union Square Ballroom on Tuesday, March 28, 2006, and receives a special commendation from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, presented by Jane Hoffman, president of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals. Veterinarians from around the region will enjoy the evening's festivities, including a cocktail reception, gala dinner and exciting continuing education (CE) session featuring Dr. Dennis Chew, professor of internal veterinary medicine at The Ohio State University and a renowned researcher, clinician and author.

Mayor Bloomberg's commendation notes, "Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists is one of the top animal hospitals in our City, providing high quality care to our City's pets 24 hours a day...and is a leader in the field of veterinary medicine. For their excellent work in treating our City's four-legged residents, I salute the entire team at FAVS and wish them continued success in their life-saving endeavors." On behalf of the Alliance and Mayor Bloomberg, Hoffman added, "We are most pleased to recognize the specialists, technicians and staff of Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists for their dedicated work and mission of care for the animals of New York City. As a provider for the health and safety of companion animals, Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists has demonstrated its leadership by establishing the most extensive specialty care services under one roof, a tremendous resource for the benefit of all animals."

"We are excited to welcome this incredible community of veterinarians and friends to celebrate our facility's open house," said Larry Cohen, DVM, Group Vice President, Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists. "Our ongoing commitment is to provide much-needed specialty services so our community of referring veterinarians can benefit from this extension to their practices. In addition to increasing the scope of services for our referring partners and their patients, our 24-hour emergency care services also provide an effective safety net for our city's animals," he added.

Guests will also hear an educational presentation by the much sought-after guest speaker Dennis Chew, DVM, DACVIM, who will discuss an Update in Nephrology and Urology. The CE session is just one in a series of ongoing lectures offered by FAVS as a resource for local veterinarians. These sessions cover a wide range of important topics and new developments in veterinary medicine and practice management by the most prominent professionals in their areas of expertise.

Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists, New York City's newest specialty-only and 24-hour emergency center, is a unique animal facility specializing in referral and emergency care. Located in the heart of lower Manhattan, FAVS offers a full spectrum of medical and surgical services, including emergency and critical care, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, and soft tissue, orthopedic, and neurological surgery. Specialized diagnostic equipment, including digital radiography, fluoroscopy, endoscopy, and computed tomography (CT scan) are onsite.

For more information about Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists, please visit the Web site at www.fifthavevetspecialists.com.