After earning his Purdue DVM degree in 1991, Dr. Michael Lent worked in private practice in Indianapolis for five years, until his career path took him to Arizona, where he served so successfully that he has been inducted into the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association (AzVMA) Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held Saturday, May 24.
“I was incredibly humbled and grateful to be recently inducted into the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association Hall of Fame,” Dr. Lent said. He was praised for having a robust record of service to the veterinary community that has made him well-known as a veterinarian in the Grand Canyon State. Currently, Dr. Lent is the medical director of the Pantano Animal Clinic in Tucson, where he has worked for the past 27 years. For 20 of those years he owned and operated the clinic with a veterinary colleague, Dr. Jack Quick.
Dr. Lent also has been actively involved in organized veterinary medicine in Arizona at multiple levels. He is a past president of both the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and the Southern Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and served five years on the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. He currently is one of two Arizona delegates to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and is co-chair of the Advisory Board of the National Association for Black Veterinarians (NABV).
In addition, Dr. Lent has been actively involved in animal organizations. He is one of the charter members of the Animal Cruelty Task Force of Southern Arizona, which was founded in 1998 (www.act-az.org). He also served on the board of directors of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona for three years.
Dr. Lent’s honors include being chosen as the AzVMA Young Veterinarian of the Year in 2001 for his work with the Animal Cruelty Task Force of Southern Arizona in helping to raise awareness among members of the veterinary profession and law enforcement about the link between animal abuse and human violence, and in assisting law enforcement in investigations and training. In 2016, he was named the Veterinarian of the Year by the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Lent’s record of service also includes charity veterinary work in Nicaragua with World Vets and for the Indian Health Service and Arizona Department of Health on the White Mountain Apache land. Additionally, he has engaged with his alma mater’s efforts to advance diversity in the veterinary medical profession. Dr. Lent completed the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion certificate program. He also joined the college’s League of VetaHumanz, which is an alliance of veterinary “superheroes” in academia, practice, research, government, and industry who are committed to engaging with under-resourced communities to provide access and support for youth who aspire to careers in the veterinary profession. Dr. Lent’s superhero identity in the League of VetaHumanz is “Polish Falcon.” Click here to view his VetaHumanz web page, which includes his story, struggles, heroes, typical day, and his “why.”
Beyond his accomplishments in the veterinary medical profession, Dr. Lent is a 2020 graduate of the FBI Citizens’ Academy. He also holds the rank of black belt in Krav Maga and is a Certified Instructor with the Federation of Israeli Martial Arts (FIMA). Congratulations Dr. Lent on being inducted into the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association Hall of Fame!