Schaumburg, Ill., May 6, 2020 — The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) today honored Dr. Robin Downing as the winner of the 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award.
Named for the late Dr. Leo K. Bustad, former president of the Delta Society and dean of the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the award is one of veterinary medicine’s highest honors, recognizing the outstanding work of veterinarians in protecting and promoting the human-animal bond.
“This is certainly the highest honor in the companion animal world,” said Dr. Downing. “I have always done my best to live my commitment to facilitating, enhancing, lengthening and strengthening the human-animal bond, as affirmed by Dr. Leo K. Bustad, during my entire career as a clinician, an innovative pain specialist, a rehabilitation specialist, a pain researcher and as a clinical bioethicist. This recognition is humbling and amazing all at once.”
Dr. Downing is the founder, owner and medical director of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, and the owner and medical director of the Windsor Veterinary Clinic, both in Windsor, Colo. A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Downing has since earned an M.S. in bioethics from Union College/Mt. Sinai (now Clarkson University) and is currently studying for a doctorate in bioethics from Loyola University of Chicago. She has served as affiliate faculty at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences since 2001.
In 2005, Dr. Downing became only the third veterinarian in the world to become credentialed as a diplomate in the American Academy of Pain Management. She went on to create the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, the first interdisciplinary pain management organization in veterinary medicine, and to help develop the credential of Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner. She is also a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
“Dr. Downing has devoted her career to improving the health of animals and strengthening and prolonging the bond between people and animals,“ said Dr. John Howe, president of the AVMA. “Bestowing her with this award is a fitting tribute to Dr. Bustad, an outstanding educator, scientist, humanitarian and pioneer in the field of human-animal interactions.”