It's been said there's only one greatest veterinarian in America, and every family has them taking care of their pets. And while all veterinarians have earned the trust, respect and admiration of the pet loving public, Hartz Mountain Corp. is looking to find, honor and reward one uniquely special veterinarian in their annual "Veterinarian of the Year" contest.

If your veterinarian goes to heroic lengths to help animals, if they have a special gift with both pets and people, if they give back to their communities in extraordinary ways go to www.hartz.com and nominate them.

Hartz will select a grand-prize winning veterinarian who will receive $5,000 and two runner-ups who will receive $2,500. If just giving your local veterinarian some well deserved national recognition wasn't enough of a reward for your going online and filling out a brief nominating essay, the individuals who nominate this year's winners will receive $1,500 and $750, respectively.

Past winners have included veterinarians who've worked tirelessly to help animals lost or injured by hurricanes or have founded organizations to provide and promote the benefits of animal companionship for people in need.

Dr. Marty Becker is the author of two new books, "Why Do Dogs Drink Out Of Toilets?" and "Do Cats Always Land On Their Feet?" He celebrates National Pet Wellness Month with a collection of free gifts at Web site www.petconnection.com. Write to him in care of McClatchy-Tribune News Service, 700 12th St. NE, STE 1000, Washington, DC 20005.