Announcing the 2024-25 VIN Veritas Award Winners

DAVIS, Calif., Nov. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) is delighted to present the 2024-25 VIN Veritas Award to the Copper Hepatopathy Action Group which includes: (in alphabetical order) Drs. Sharon Center, John Cullen, Keith Richter, David Twedt, Joe Wakshlag, Penny Watson, and Cynthia Webster.

 Established in 2020, the VIN Veritas Award recognizes those who speak out for truth and accuracy in science despite facing controversy or resistance. To understand the importance of the work of this year's VIN Veritas Award recipients, it is first necessary to dive into the world of dietary copper, an essential nutrient for animals, including dogs. Though critical to animal health, excess dietary copper is stored in the liver where it can cause severe damage.

According to the Veritas Awardees, it is past time to revisit whether the current copper guidelines in pet foods in the United States reflect the biological requirement or exceed the tolerance limit in dogs.

When the copper guidelines were last set in the 1990s, the common form of copper used in pet food was copper oxide which has low bioavailability. Over time, companies began using other forms of copper with higher bioavailability, but the copper guidelines were not changed to compensate.

By the early 2000s, researchers noticed an increasing incidence of copper toxicity that they suspected might be related more to dietary exposure than to genetics. In 2017, members of the Copper Hepatopathy Action Group collaborated on a consensus statement on chronic hepatitis in dogs for the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) where they emphasized the need to revisit dietary copper levels. The efforts of these scientists led to further studies, calls for revision of dietary copper guidelines for pet foods (particularly a safe upper limit), and the first retraction (2024) of a scientific paper in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association (JAVMA)'s century plus history. 

Since 2024, members of the group have continued to update the veterinary community on the risks of excess dietary copper with research publications, editorials and oral presentations at major veterinary conferences, with other studies underway.

In consideration of their efforts to forward scientific inquiry and their dogged persistence in shedding light on the formulation of commercial pet foods despite multiple setbacks and institutional disinterest, VIN is proud to award the 2024-25 Veritas award to the members of the Copper Hepatopathy Action Group.

A more complete description of the work of the awardees can be found at: www.vin.com/veritas 

Founded in 1991, the Veterinary Information Network ® (VIN) is a member-supported, online service for veterinarians and veterinary students. With over 110,000 members worldwide, VIN provides advertising-free community, content, tools, resources, and continuing education for the veterinary profession. 

Media contact: Christy Corp-Minamiji, DVM
530-219-5636
[email protected] 

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SOURCE Veterinary Information Network