The Westminster Kennel Club Announces 2024 Veterinarian Of The Year Award Winner

The Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) has named Dr. Treyton Diggs of Boutte, Louisiana the recipient of its third annual Veterinarian of the Year Award. With over 200 nominations from all over the U.S., Dr. Diggs was selected by an expert veterinary judging panel for his values, dedication, and moral compass in animal care. In celebration and recognition of Dr. Diggs’s unwavering commitment to his community, WKC will donate $10,000 in his name to Not One More Vet, an organization working tirelessly to transform the status of the mental wellness of veterinary professionals through education, resources, and support.

“The Westminster Kennel Club is proud to continue its longstanding tradition of prioritizing the veterinary community, in both canine health and professionals’ mental well-being, through its Veterinarian of the Year Award,” said Dr. Donald Sturz, President of The Westminster Kennel Club. “For 35 years, Westminster has supported veterinary students through its veterinary scholarship program. The Veterinarian of the Year initiative, now in its third year, is the perfect extension to supporting veterinary professionals throughout their careers.”

Dr. Treyton Diggs received his DVM from Tuskegee University, and was extensively trained by top Board-Certified veterinary specialists across the country in Small Animal Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Emergency and Critical Care, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Surgery, Dentistry, and Radiology. After completing his studies, Dr. Diggs returned home to Louisiana to the VCA Causeway Animal Hospital family. After five years, he founded Allstar Animal Clinic in 2013, a clinic specializing in soft tissue and orthopedic surgery and canine reproduction.

“I am truly humbled and honored to have been selected for such a prestigious award from The Westminster Kennel Club, which significantly highlights my career and who I strive to be personally and professionally,” said Dr. Diggs. “I share this award with my amazing colleagues who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me in making a difference, and validating the impact of veterinary medicine while simultaneously teaching our children and students that dreams accompanied with dedication, perseverance, and grit can become a reality.”

In addition to dedicating his life to serving and saving animals, Dr. Diggs is committed to giving back to his beloved community, helping establish protocols for The Inner Pup of New Orleans, a low-cost heartworm prevention initiative founded to educate pet owners and make heartworm prevention affordable for low-income

families, and volunteering veterinary services to the Pen Pals Program at Jackson Correctional Institute in Jackson, Louisiana, the only prison-based no-kill animal shelter, where inmates care for and train dogs that are to be adopted. Additionally, Dr. Diggs continues to educate inner city youth about the profession of veterinary medicine, animal behavior, and animal health care. Dr. Diggs is also a celebrated Dog Fancier and Field Trial Judge.

In 2022, WKC launched the Veterinarian of the Year Award initiative to celebrate, recognize, and support the dedicated veterinarians who make a difference in our pets’ lives. The 2024 regional finalists included Dr. Amanda Brumley of Richmond, KY, Dr. Brittany Shumack of Colorado Springs, CO and Dr. Douglas Tack of Chester, NJ.

The 2024 Veterinarian of the Year judging panel included Dr. Michelle Oakley of Yukon Vet, Dr. Joseph Rossi of North Penn Animal Hospital, and Dr. Marty Greer of Veterinary Village, Westminster’s 2023 Veterinarian of the Year Award recipient.

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Posted by Liz on Apr 27 2024. Filed under Current Articles, Featured, The Buzz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.