MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Veterinarian and ABC-TV “Good Morning America” contributor Dr. Marty Becker will bring his popular brand of wit and animal wisdom to Mississippi State University as keynote speaker for the College of Veterinary Medicine’s first ever Nestlé-Purina Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series Oct. 20-24.

"We are thrilled to have Dr. Becker as our keynote speaker,” said Dr. Jennifer Burgess, chair of the lecture series. “We have put together a week-long event that has appeal for anyone who has pets or whose life is touched by animals on farms, at zoos or in the wild.”

Becker is a graduate of the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. During his career as a veterinarian, author and educator, Becker has been a proponent of the special relationship between pets and people, which he describes as “The Bond.” His work on “Good Morning America” and his best-selling books such as “Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul” earned Becker a national reputation as the “best-loved family doctor for pets.”

Becker operates the North Idaho Animal Hospital and the Almost Heaven Ranch in Twin Falls. He has received recognition from several animal health-care organizations, including the prestigious Bustad Award for “Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year” from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Becker will make three presentations Oct. 24 at the Wise Center, home to MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He will speak to veterinary medical students at 8 a.m. in the auditorium. From 2-3:30 p.m., he will sign copies of his latest three books near the Pegasus statue on the second-floor lobby. At 4 p.m., Becker will return to the auditorium to deliver his keynote address on “love’s ability to harness the affection connection between humans and animals.”

The book signing and keynote address are open to the public. Copies of the books will be available for purchase.

During the week, the College of Veterinary Medicine will host a series of lectures concerning the various aspects of the human-animal bond. These presentations are from noon to 1 p.m. and open to the public. Participants are invited to brown-bag a lunch.

The schedule features:

• Oct. 20, Wise Center seminar room -- Dr. Phil Bushby, Marcia Lane Endowed professor of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare, will talk about solving pet overpopulation.

• Oct. 21, Wise Center seminar room -- Drs. Jim Brett, Carla Huston and Hart Bailey, of the CVM Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, and Dr. David Thompson, deputy district director of the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, will lead a panel discussion separating fact from fiction on the perception of factory farming. CVM recruitment and admissions director, Dr. Richard Meiring, will moderate.

• Oct. 22, Wise Center seminar room -- Dr. Sharon Grace, of the CVM Department of Clinical Sciences, will speak about problems that occur when abuse or neglect breaks the human-animal bond.

• Oct. 23, Lindley classroom at Wise Center -- Dr. Jennifer Burgess, of the CVM Department of Clinical Sciences, will use her perspective as a certified pet loss counselor to discuss death and bereavement.

The college is bringing noted artist Carol Lynn Nesbitt-Iyer of Atlanta to exhibit her paintings of animals in the Wise Center foyer. Nesbitt-Iyer, who is a believer in the healing power of art in color and form, demonstrates this philosophy through a unique blended style of pop, folk and realism.

Members of the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association are conducting a drawing for an opportunity to have Nesbitt-Iyer paint a custom pet portrait valued at $300. Individuals may purchase one ticket for $5 or five tickets for $20. The student group also will provide soft drinks and give away a door prize at the lunchtime lectures.

For more information, contact Burgess at (662) 325-3712 or Melissa Montgomery at the MSU Foundation at (662) 325-5170.

Writer: Patti Drapala