After several years in small-animal practice and a lengthy stint in industry work, I recently began working as a contributing technical editor for Veterinary Medicine.

As many of you now know, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine professor Dr. James R. Richards died on April 24, after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle accident.

Many of you have asked us to post Veterinary Medicine's full content online, so in 2007 we're happy to oblige. Beginning this month, you can read Veterinary Medicine both in print and online at vetmedpub.com.

You've no doubt noticed that this month's issue has a new look—the culmination of months of discussion and dozens of mock-ups.

Undoubtedly, the major social issues confronting veterinary medicine today revolve around animal welfare--farm animal welfare; the legal status of animals, including the concept of guardianship; and the efficacy of alternative medicine modalities.

A few years ago, our veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians learned that centrifugation of fecal samples was the superior test for diagnosing gastrointestinal parasitism.

In recent months, several rapid-fire and unfortunate developments have occurred in the avian influenza situation.

On March 1, 2006, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released the second iteration of the Canine Vaccine Guidelines, which includes a number of important updates and additions to the initial version published just three years ago.

This month, we all benefit from Dr. Karen Tobias' dedication to teaching and bettering the standard of care in veterinary medicine.