The GOAT Named Oreo Captures Attention for PVM at Annual Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry

A black and brown goat faces the camera and is wearing a gold and black Purdue-themed jersey — Oreo the GOAT, owned by Small Animal Hospital Clinical Services Coordinator Tami Lind, made a stunning appearance on behalf of PVM at the Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry. (Purdue University photo/Joshua Clark)

Purdue Veterinary Medicine joined in the festivities as the annual Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry earlier this month celebrated alumni and friends who have shaped Purdue Agriculture’s legacy and will help define its future. In particular, this year’s event on February 7 at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds provided an opportunity to highlight the longstanding partnership between the College of Agriculture and College of Veterinary Medicine.

Prior to the main Ag Fish Fry program that Saturday, attendees had the opportunity to explore “Purdue Ag Avenue,” a pre-event exhibition showcasing departments and programs from across the University, including the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Purdue Veterinary Medicine booth featured information and updates from the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostics Laboratory. But the real show-stopper was the GOAT – actually a true goat, named Oreo, who has become an unofficial PVM mascot and spent time at the PVM booth greeting guests. Oreo is owned by Tami Lind, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC), clinical services coordinator for the Small Animal Hospital.

A man and a woman are crouched down to interact with a goat. The woman is holding her hand out to give the goat a treat — Event attendees took advantage of the opportunity to get up close and personal with Oreo. (Purdue University photo/Joshua Clark)

Also as part of Purdue Ag Avenue, the Department of Food Science offered samples of new, student-developed products — including popcorn seasoning, muffin mix, chili crisps, and jerk seasoning — available exclusively for on-site purchase. In addition, attendees could purchase the popular Purdue-branded hot sauce line, Boilermaker Hot Sauce: Black Edition and Gold Edition.

Then during the main Ag Fish Fry program, Stephanie Mowery, secretary of Purdue Ag Alumni Association, hosted the presentation of the 2026 Certificate of Distinction Awards. As the Purdue Ag Alumni Association’s highest honor, the awards recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to agriculture, forestry or natural resources. The 2026 recipients are Harold Cooper, Larry DeBoer, Barry Delks, Tom Hooper, Jay Hulbert, the late S. Suzanne Nielsen, Karen Plaut and Dan Strahl.

Following the event, many attendees stayed for a Purdue men’s basketball game watch party as the Boilermakers played the Oregon Ducks.

Writer(s): PVM News | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Honors PVM Clinician Paulo Gomes as a Top Co-Author

Dr. Paulo Gomes, clinical associate professor of dermatology in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, recently was recognized for co-authoring one of the most widely read articles of 2025 in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. The publication is an online, open access, international, peer-reviewed journal.

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week a big Paws Up goes to Gabriel Harris, who is a graduate research assistant in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences.

More Time Together

From the moment Brian met Blackie as a playful puppy at a rescue, their bond was undeniable. Over the years, Blackie became more than a pet. That is why, when Brian found Blackie unresponsive in his yard one evening, he refused to give up. Brian drove Blackie an hour and a half to the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital’s Emergency and Critical Care team.

USDA Funding Fuels Purdue Veterinary Medicine Research Seeking Answers to Costly Cattle Production Mystery

A four-year, $650,000 New Investigator Award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) will support research led by Dr. Viju V. Pillai, a faculty member in Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology and pathologist at the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL), aimed at solving a persistent and costly mystery in cattle production. Dr. Pillai’s team wants to answer the question of why so many pregnancies fail before they are even recognized? The project will focus on the earliest stages of fetal–maternal communication and on a little-understood family of proteins called trophoblast Kunitz domain proteins (TKDPs), whose functions in pregnancy remain largely unknown.

In Memory: Dr. Ronald P. Miller (PU DVM ’63)

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community is saddened by the passing of Dr. Ronald P. Miller, of Indianapolis, a member of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s first graduating class, the Class of 1963. Dr. Miller died February 17, 2026, at the age of 89.

In Memory – Dr. Julie Anderson (PU DVM ’78)

A Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumna and beloved veterinarian, Dr Julie Anderson, of Rockville, Indiana, will be remembered at a celebration of life open house to be hosted in her honor by West Central Veterinary Services Sunday, April 27. Dr. Anderson, a member of the Purdue DVM Class of 1978, passed away in December at the age of 71.

Popular Veterinary Nursing Symposium Features Day of Learning and Networking

Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s annual Veterinary Nursing Symposium brought more than 150 veterinary professionals to Lynn Hall recently to gain practical knowledge and insights about a diverse range of topics covering both small and large animals. Veterinary nurses (technicians and technologists), veterinary assistants and veterinary nursing (technology) students participated in the all day lifelong learning program Sunday, March 23. The attendees came from across Indiana as well as Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we are highlighting Dr. Heather Bornheim, who is a farm animal medicine and surgery clinician in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

CPB’s Aryal Lab Members Recognized at 140th Annual Indiana Academy of Science Meeting

Two members of Research Associate Professor Uma Aryal’s lab in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology recently received noteworthy recognition during the 140th Indiana Academy of Science conference hosted in Indianapolis. According to the Indiana Academy of Science, since 1885, its annual conferences have served as the only multidisciplinary scientific meetings that take place in the state. The event on March 22 attracted hundreds of senior and junior scientists from Indiana and across the Midwest.