On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, The Stephen & Christine Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) will honor the Bronx Zoo’s Hornbill Professor Pantalones, the Rescue Cat Wednesday, the Shih Tzu Mingming, and the Wire Fox Terrier Tammi Terrell

Press Release

New York, NY – May 8, 2024 – The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC), the world’s largest veterinary teaching hospital and Level 1 Veterinary Trauma Center, will host its 16^th Annual Living Legends Luncheon on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at the University Club of New York. This year’s honorees will include Professor Pantalones, a great hornbill from the Bronx Zoo; Wednesday, a rescue cat; Mingming, a Shih Tzu; and Tammi Terrell, a Wire Fox Terrier.

“Our world-class veterinarians save lives every day in our multi-specialty hospital,” said Helen M. Irving, RN, MBA, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. “From wildlife conservation efforts through our partnership with local zoos, rescue animals who would otherwise not have a chance for survival, and beloved pets who recover from life-threatening illnesses, Living Legends is our opportunity to honor some of the most remarkable patient stories throughout the year. We want to thank the tireless dedication of our compassionate and talented veterinary team, our patients’ families, and ongoing support from our donors who make this lifesaving work a reality.”

The four Living Legends awards will go to Professor Pantalones, treated by Daniel Spector, DVM, DACVS-SA, Director of Zoological Relations and Specialist in Surgery; Wednesday, treated by Django Martel, DVM, DAVDC, Specialist in Dentistry; Mingming, treated by Mariel Covo, VMD, Resident Veterinarian in Internal Medicine; and Tammi Terrell, treated by Douglas Palma, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), Department Head of Internal Medicine and Dr. Richa Dheendsa, DVM, Resident Veterinarian in Internal Medicine.

Their stories are included below:

• Professor Pantalones, a Great Hornbill at the Bronx Zoo – Originally from Southeast Asia and now residing at the Bronx Zoo, Professor Pantalones underwent groundbreaking surgeries to affix a custom, 3D-printed prosthetic casque. The casque, a distinctive concave protrusion above the beak, plays an important role in social structure and behavior, as well as in sound magnification. When Professor Pantalones started to develop early changes to his beak, the Bronx Zoo staff brought him to AMC for a CT scan, which showed an abnormal area that was likely cancerous or precancerous. AMC’s Dr. Daniel Spector, in collaboration with his AMC and Bronx Zoo colleagues, decided to remove the tumor to enhance his quality of life. The team at AMC performed a CT scan, obtained CT-guided biopsies, and created a custom prosthesis and surgical cutting guide to assist Dr. Spector in the surgery, with assistance from colleagues at the University of South Florida and Northwell Health. In total, Professor Pantalones underwent three surgeries (one at AMC and two at the Bronx Zoo) to remove the tumor and affix the 3D-printed prothesis. He is now disease free and back at the Bronx Zoo living happily with his new casque.

• Wednesday, a Rescue Cat Funded by The Emma and Georgina Bloomberg AMC to the Rescue Fund – Wednesday was found on the street by AdvoCat Rescue having suffered an unknown trauma. Her jaw had been broken and healed in such a way that the jawbone fused to her cheekbone, preventing her from opening her mouth. AdvoCat Rescue found a foster home for Wednesday, where she was able to get enough nutrition by lapping up bits of food with her tongue. AdvoCat applied for and received a grant from the Emma and Georgina Bloomberg AMC to the Rescue Fund to cover the cost of oral surgery. One of many charitable funds at AMC, AMC to the Rescue subsidizes specialty care to rescue animals whose health is an obstacle to their adoption. Dr. Django Martel operated successfully, surgically detaching the fused bone and allowing Wednesday to open and close her mouth normally. She is now happily enjoying life in her forever home.

• Mingming, a Shih Tzu – Mingming first came to AMC with an ulcerated intestinal mass that was causing her to be anemic. After initial hope that a series of blood transfusions could stabilize her for surgery, AMC clinicians realized her blood was incompatible with the blood on hand at AMC. Dr. Mariel Covo suspected that Mingming might have a rare blood type called “Dal-negative,” which turned out to be the case, but she needed surgery to remove the bleeding intestinal mass. Despite not having any compatible blood available, Mingming’s owner elected to go ahead with the delicate surgery to remove the cancerous tumor. The surgery was successful, but just a few months later, Mingming developed an autoimmune condition called IMHA, which caused her to become anemic and sick again. Fortunately, she did not need another blood transfusion and responded well to immunosuppressive therapy. Now, over two years later, Mingming is thriving and has not had a recurrence of her cancer or IMHA.

• Tammi Terrell, a Wire Fox Terrier – A few years ago Tammi Terrell developed an autoimmune condition called IMHA and eventually went into remission. However, in January 2024, she collapsed and returned to AMC. She was hospitalized for 25 days with a condition called PIMA and needed an emergency splenectomy. The surgery was overseen by Dr. Douglas Palma and performed with amazing speed – it took only 11 minutes to remove Tammi Terrell’s spleen – which was particularly important since Tammi Terrell’s condition left her with a dangerously low red blood cell count, and she has the very rare Dal-negative blood type, like Mingming, that made her a poor candidate for a transfusion. Although Tammi Terrell was discharged days later, she soon returned with a urinary tract infection, which spread to all her major organs. In need of blood donors, that’s when Mingming came to the rescue. With Mingming’s owner eager to help another dog in need, and despite the risk to Mingming’s own health, she was able to donate a small, but vital, amount of compatible blood, which kept  Tammi Terrell alive until more donors could be found. Three blood transfusions over three days sustained Tammi Terrell, while the IM team worked tirelessly to bring her infections under control and return her to good health. 

The Living Legends Event co-chairs include Donna Acquavella, Tina Pendergrast Santi Flaherty, Laura Garner, Michael Heaner, Nancy M. Kissinger, Sharon Amsterdam Koplin, Emilia Saint-Amand Krimendahl, Elaine Langone, Bobby Liberman, Marianne Mebane, Kane Nussbaum, Katharine Rayner, Elizabeth Gore Ross, Nicole Seligman, Ann R. Tisch, and Janet York.

All proceeds from the Living Legends Luncheon will support AMC’s mission to provide compassionate and collaborative care to animals and to lead the advancement of veterinary medicine through innovative clinical research and education.

AMC is currently undergoing a $125 million transformational expansion with the recent opening of the state-of-the-art Denise and Michael Kellen Institute for Surgical Care in January 2024. Later this year, the Animal Medical Center will see the opening of the newly expanded Emergency Room, Intensive Care Unit and Medical-Surgical Unit, with expected project completion in 2025.

About the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center Hospital of New York City
We are the world’s largest veterinary teaching hospital with NYC’s only level 1 trauma center. Our team of 130+ veterinarians work across over 20 specialties to provide world-class medical care, and we are here for pets and their families 24/7. We are proud to have served the people and pets of New York, and beyond, for over 110 years. More at: www.amcny.org. Follow on Instagram @amcny, on X @amcny, Facebook at The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, LinkedIn, and YouTube @TheAnimalMedicalCenter.

AMC Media Contacts:
Shin-Jung Hong, ShinJung@nicholaslence.com | Cell: 617-413-7880
Pia Fischetti, Pia@nicholaslence.com | Cell: 516-287-5815