AVTE2026 Keynote: Dr. Rustin Moore
When nearly 500 horses were stranded after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it was a veterinarian from Louisiana State University who coordinated their rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming. That veterinarian is now the Dean of the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine.
And this July, he's your keynote speaker in Portland.
Dr. Rustin Moore, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS, has spent his career at the intersection of animal health, human wellbeing, and community. He's led colleges, served on the boards of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, The Wilds, and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and he's built a body of work around a question your students ask constantly without using those words: Why does this relationship between people and animals change us?
His newest books, Unleashing the Bond (June 2025) and Unlocking the Bond (February 2026), dig into that question with the depth it deserves. A third book, Restoring the Bond, arrives later this year. If you want to read ahead before Portland, start at rustinmooredvm.com.
What Dr. Moore brings to our theme of Trailblazing Together isn't just credentials. It's a lived argument for why belonging, community, and shared purpose aren't soft concepts. They're what keeps people in this profession and keeps students coming back to your programs. That's exactly where this community needs to spend time together.
Registration for AVTE 2026 is open. Portland, July 31–August 2.
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