"THE DOCTOR IS IN!"

by Stan Griffin, Deaf Friends International Special Contributor

If there were a "Best In Show" award for veterinarians, Dr. Josephine Deubler would be an odds-on favorite to win it! She has said, "I always got along better with animals than I got along with people."

Coming from a family in which there were five trained veterinarians (all men), she was no doubt inspired by them toward that career. Her road to success was bumpier than the others, however. Society created a hurdle for women in the profession; and beginning in early childhood, Mother Nature chimed in by hampering her with "profound deafness." Despite those barriers, Dr. Deubler prevailed.

She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1938, the first female to do so. While doing graduate work, she became a member of the faculty. In 1944 she was awarded her Ph. D at U.P.S.V.M., the first female to accomplish that feat. When she was admitted to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Deubler was their first woman member.

As a faculty member at U.P.S.V.M., she was involved in over 50 years of research on diseases affecting largely animals in the equine, feline, and bovine families (horses, cats, and cows). Dr. Deubler also was a teacher at the university during that period, retiring in 1987. Given status as Professor Emeritus, she worked in the field of emergency medicine and reportedly went to her office daily.

Dr. Deubler has been in the forefront of change in the field of veterinary medicine. She established Pennsylvania’s Annual Canine and Feline Symposium for dog and cat breeders. It became a model for many similar events established around the country.

During her more than a half-century of veterinary practice, Dr. Deubler has received a multitude of honors. Among them were several given by her alma mater. Their new Genetic Disease Testing Laboratory was named for her. She has received the School of Veterinarian Medicine’s top awards: the Centennial Medal, the Bellwether Medal, and the Veterinary Medicine Alumni Award for outstanding service to the University of Pennsylvania.

The Association for Women Veterinarians named her Woman Veterinarian of the Year and gave her their Distinguished Service Award.

It became obvious early in Dr. Deubler’s career that her favorite animal was the canine (dog). She began showing on the dog show circuit in 1938; her first animal was a Dandie Dinmont terrier. As a breeder and exhibitor, she became nationally known. By the 1960s, she was judging dog shows (becoming licensed in 1962). For over 25 years, Dr. Deubler has been show chairman for the Bucks County (Pennsylvania) Kennel Club (largest outdoor show in the U.S.) and the Montgomery County Kennel Club (world’s largest terrier show).

The prestigious Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show held in Madison Square Garden (New York City) is probably the ultimate gathering of canines. In 1998 Dr. Deubler received a high honor there. She was chosen to judge the "Best In Show" category (the ultimate event of the proceedings), the first veterinarian to receive that assignment.

When it came time to award the medal, Dr. Deubler admitted "It was very hard to choose." The crowds at Westminister tend to be very vocal, cheering loudly for their favorites. Being hearing impaired actually proved to be an unexpected advantage. It allowed her to remain detached from the rowdy fans, concentrating on the job at hand. In her words, "Whatever honors I’ve had, this has to be the greatest."