Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Melissa Bain honored with 2016 Bustad award

2016 Bustad Award winner Dr. Melissa Bain with AVMA CEO Dr. Ron DeHaven (left) and AVMF Board Chair Dr. John Brooks (right). (Photo courtesy of AVMA)Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, MS, was awarded the 2016 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year award during the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Veterinary Leadership Conference held recently in Chicago.

In a release from the AVMA, Bain, a frequent dvm360 contributor and speaker at the CVC conferences, says she is humbled and honored to receive the award, given to recognize the outstanding work of veterinarians in preserving and protecting human-animal relationships. The award is cosponsored by the AVMA, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) and Pet Partners, an organization dedicated to improving people's health through positive interactions with therapy animals.

“I love nurturing the relationships between people and their pets,” she says. “Understanding an owner's struggles when faced with their pet's behavior issues and helping them find a way to live a happier, healthier life together is extremely gratifying. It is heartbreaking to see a well-loved pet euthanized or relinquished to a shelter due to behavior issues.”

Her colleague and mentor-human-animal bond pioneer and previous Bustad Companion Animal Award winner Benjamin L. Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB-nominated Bain for the award.

“Dr. Bain is an unquestionable leader in integrating the essence of the field of human-animal interactions-in all its ramifications-with veterinary clinical behavior, animal welfare and the mental health of veterinarians,” says Hart.

Bain is board-certified in veterinary behavior and animal welfare and is the chief of service of the Clinical Behavior Service at the University of California–Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also past president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

The Bustad award is named in honor of the late Leo K. Bustad, an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of human-animal interactions who inspired so many in promoting the mutual benefit of each species to the other-the human-animal bond.

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