Profile
Dr. Jennifer Betz was born and raised in Florida where she earned her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of South Florida in 1993. She graduated from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine with her DVM degree in 1997. Dr. Betz owned and operated a private small animal practice in Sandy, Oregon for 20 years. Her professional interests are in orthopedic and soft tissue surgery as well as veterinary forensics.
During her career as a private practitioner, she worked concurrently as a Federal Employee for the Department of Health and Human Services, NDMS, on the National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT), where she was instrumental in the relief efforts during Hurricane Sandy’s Aftermath. Dr. Betz also works as a professional responder for the ASPCA National Field Response Team (NFR), Formerly (FIR), working on large scale anti-cruelty cases such as dog fighting, cock fighting, hoarding and puppy mills. Dr. Betz has provided veterinary care to displaced animals during hurricane disasters, Katrina, Sandy, Irma and Maria. In her spare time, she often volunteers her skills providing veterinary medicine and surgery in underdeveloped countries with different organizations such as Veterinary Ventures, CANDI, Animal Balance, SPCAI and AVMF. She is currently the Veterinary Medical Director for the Dogs of Chernobyl program with the Clean Futures Fund and is acting member of the board. She is the founder and board member president of Visiting Veterinarians International.
Dr. Betz obtained her Masters degree in Veterinary Forensics from the University of Florida in August of 2019. Dr. Betz is also an instructor for the National Animal Cruelty Investigation School through the University of Missouri, Law Enforcement Training Institute. She is an active member of the Oregon Veterinary Emergency Response Team (OVERT), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), and the Portland Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA). In her personal life she enjoys hiking, restoring old cars, skeletal articulations and competing in Dock Dogs and Extreme Air Dogs competitions with her Yellow Lab, Sidney and her Golden Retriever, Roxy.
Dogs of Chernobyl : Beyond the Russian Invasion. The impact the Russian occupation of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant had on the Dogs of Chernobyl Program
Chernobyl is the site of the world’s worst industrial accident in history. Today there are over 300 dogs that reside at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant that are largely the descendants of the dogs left behind after the accident. This will be an oral/slide show presentation documenting the sterilization project of the Dogs of Chernobyl before the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the effects of the capture and occupation of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant by Russian forces on the dogs, and the subsequent tribulations of managing a feeding and sterilization program amidst an active war, Recent publications on the topic and future projects discussed.