At the 2018 51st American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Annual Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., two outstanding and long-time cattle veterinarians were inducted into the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame (CPVHOF) in front of hundreds of their veterinary peers. Feedlot veterinarian Dr. Delbert Miles, Greeley, Colo., and the late Dr. Leland Allenstein, a dairy veterinarian from, Whitewater, Wis., were recognized for their dedication to the health and well-being of cattle.
“The beef and dairy industries have been fortunate to have had the wisdom, vision and determination provided by the 2018 inductees into the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame,” says Dr. Brent Meyer, cattle technical services for Merck Animal Health. “Drs. Del Miles and Leland Allenstein changed the landscape of production medicine in both the beef and dairy industries. Their legacies will last generations.”
Established in 2011, the CPVHOF honors the traditions of production veterinary medicine and the individuals who have made a lasting impact on the profession. Through early mornings, late nights and harsh weather conditions, veterinarians are a steadfast and essential part of cattle production. The CPVHOF celebrates the rich traditions of cattle production veterinary medicine by honoring the exceptional veterinarians who have made lasting contributions to their profession. The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and Bovine Veterinarian Magazine.
Dr. Delbert Miles – Beef Inductee
Dr. Del Miles received his DVM from the University in 1966, and his Master’s in Veterinary Pathology from Kansas State University in 1970. He then entered into a mixed practice and feedlot consulting business, then became an instructor at Kansas State while working on his graduate degree. He worked for Cutter Laboratories, Great Plains Chemical Company, Miller Feedlots, Inc., and from 1984 to present, Veterinary Research & Consulting Services, LLC.
Miles has a long history with organized veterinary medicine including being past president of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (Consultant of the Year in 1987), an AABP director (AABP Award of Excellence in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 1988; AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year (1997), has been a member of several state veterinary associations as well as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Colorado Cattle Feeders.
The nomination for Miles detailed his leadership and mentorship. He was an early leader in the Beef Quality Assurance program and had a practice motto of “Management over Medicine”, and designed treatment protocols that were cost-efficient but resulted in less stress on sick cattle. Many of the most-recognized feedlot veterinarians call Miles a mentor due to his data-driven decisions in addition to his personal interest in people and the help he provides both veterinarians and clients.
Dr. Leland Allenstein – Dairy Inductee
Dr. Lee Allenstein received his DVM from Iowa State University in 1950. In spite of rheumatic fever with valvular heart lesions and doctor’s orders to pursue a less physically rigorous career of small animal practice, he could not resist the allure of dairy practice he and joined a busy practice in Whitewater, Wis., practicing there for more than 40 years. From 1987-1989, he was an adjunct clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, then was a faculty of associate there from 1990-1995, and was described as a natural instructor. Allenstein passed away in 2011 at the age of 86.
Allenstein's keen interest in excellence and scientific knowledge kept him in close contact with Iowa State and University of Wisconsin Dairy Science department. The continual stream of preceptor students was ever present in his practice. His love for dairy farmers, their families and their cows made him a natural fit on farms visiting with them freely on night visits or returning phone calls without charge on consultation. His ability to garner support of his wife Betty Jo and numerous office staff over the years paved the way in his career. Later, he opportunities to serve as an instructor of clinical dairy practice at the University of Wisconsin and was a member of the Veterinary School Accreditation Committee of the AVMA.
Allenstein was highly commended for his years of service to the dairy industry as evidenced by awards including the Wisconsin Veterinarian of the Year (1973), Iowa State University Stange Award (1978), Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) Meritorious Service Award (1979), University of Wisconsin Honor Award of Distinction (1980), AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year (1982), SCAVMA Clinical Teacher Award (1989), AABP Amstutz-Williams Award (1989), World Dairy Expo Industry Man of the Year (1992) and more. He was a member of and served in numerous veterinary organizations including AABP (president, 1976), AVMA, WVMA, Society for Theriogenology, and more. Allenstein authored more than 350 columns in Hoard’s Dairyman and also served as chief veterinarian for the World Dairy Expo for 30 years.
