To honor one of our founding ABMA members, John Kirtland, we are pleased to announce an award in his name.

The John M. Kirtland, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to an individual who has demonstrated special achievement in the field of behavior management, by setting a new standard for animal welfare.  The recipient of this award knows the importance of sharing their knowledge, insight, and passion.  They do so through publications and presentations and also by providing support and mentoring for tomorrow’s industry leaders.

The John M. Kirtland, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award will be given only when there is a qualified nomination, it will not necessarily be a yearly award.  The award recipient must embody the spirit of the award.  In order to nominate a candidate for the award, the nominator must develop a written proposal stating how the candidate has helped animal welfare, educated peers by sharing their knowledge, and how they have provided mentoring and support.  The nominator must also get five signatures in support of their nomination.  The signatures must be from the following organization members:  one present board member, one present program council member, one past or present board member, and two members in good standing.  The completed nomination form must be submitted by June 15^th of the year prior to the conference.  This will allow the Board of Directors to discuss all candidates and decide on the honoree during the midyear meeting (in October), so the award can be presented at the annual conference (in the spring).

Submit the John M. Kirtland, Jr Lifetime Achievement Award nomination form.