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WSAVA President Dr. Larry Dee welcomed the Assembly members after a 17-month hiatus since the last assembly meeting in Mexico City on May 10, 2005. He provided assembly members updates from a very active WSAVA leadership, including the Executive Board and various committees. Highlights included:
• A reconstituted Hereditary Defects Committee under the Chairperson of Dr. Urs Giger from the University of Pennsylvania
• Plans for renewal & re-ratification of the WSAVA Convention for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Proposed revisions to the Congress Standard Operating Procedure and WSAVA Constitution were presented and voted upon – all were accepted
• Dr. Gabriel Varga stepped down as Chairperson of the CE Committee to coincide with his leaving the WSAVA Executive Board, now that his term as Immediate Past-President was over. He will be replaced by Dr. David Wadsworth, WSAVA President Elect.
• Consideration is being given to convert the WSAVA Handbook to a web-based rather than hard-copy resource
• Updates on the various standardization projects were given including the successful WSAVA Hepatic Standards textbook published by Elsevier, the likely completion of the GI Standards project by the next Assembly meeting in Dublin, the renal standardization project which was currently undergoing negotiations with sponsors and expected to start soon, and various other projects under consideration

Additionally, Dr. Terry Lake, WSAVA Honorary Treasurer, reported on the WSAVA 2005 financial statements, the approved budget for 2006, and provided a budget proposal for 2007. Based on a number of unforeseen factors, including the current (but hopefully soon to be corrected) lack of income from the Mexico City Congress, and changes in interest and exchange rates, the Association is faced with a $27,000 deficit. While the WSAVA has a healthy surplus to cover this deficit, Dr. Wadsworth presented a Discussion Paper outlining various funding schemes that looked to broaden non-dues revenue, formalize Congress organizer financial commitments to WSAVA, and contemplate membership dues increases. A lively discussion followed with a final Discussion Paper to be forwarded to member countries for consideration in advance of the next Assembly meeting.

An election of Officers was also held and saw the addition of Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn (following nomination by the Netherlands) to the Executive Board in the position of Honorary Treasurer (see related section further on in this issue of the WSAVA News). Executive Board members are (pictured above left to right) Drs. Terry Lake (Vice President; Canada), David Wadsworth (President Elect; UK), Brian Romberg (President; South Africa), Anne Sorensen (Honorary Secretary; Denmark), Larry Dee (Immediate Past President; USA), Luis Tello (Executive Board Member; Chile), and Jolle Kirpensteijn (Honorary Treasurer; Netherlands).

Read incoming President Dr. Brian Romberg's inaugural President's Message.

The assembly members voted in favour of accepting one new full member associations – the Guangdong Small Animal Veterinary Association (GDSAVA) from China. Additionally, Geneva, Switzerland was chosen as the site for the 2010 WSAVA Congress and three member associations indicated a desire to provide bids for the 2011 WSAVA Congress – Korea, Malaysia, and New Zealand.