AVMA names Dr. Elizabeth Mackey recipient of 2026 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award

(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) May 7, 2026-The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has honored Dr. Elizabeth Mackey, executive director of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and owner of Mackey Veterinary Services in Watkinsville, Georgia, as the recipient of the 2026 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. It is one of three Animal Welfare and Human-Animal Bond Excellence Awards presented annually by the AVMA and supported by Merck Animal Health.

"I am truly humbled to receive the 2026 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award," said Dr. Mackey. "Dr. Bustad understood that the human-animal bond extends to every species we are privileged to care for, and that bond has guided every chapter of my career-from teaching middle school students to rehabilitate wildlife, to caring for exotic pets in clinical practice, to advancing veterinary medicine for honey bees. I share this honor with the colleagues, mentors, students, and clients who have shaped this journey, and with the animals themselves, whose companionship reminds us every day why this profession matters."

Dr. Mackey's career reflects a lifelong commitment to the human-animal bond across the full spectrum of companion animal species. Before attending veterinary school, she taught life sciences to middle and high school students for more than five years, weaving live animal care into her classrooms and after-school programs. During that time, she also founded a wildlife center in South Carolina to care for injured raptors, birds, reptiles, and mammals, and held public events that taught conservation through non-releasable ambassador animals.

After earning her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006 and completing an internship in avian, exotic, wildlife, and zoological medicine, Dr. Mackey began practicing at small animal hospitals across Georgia. In 2010 she founded Sycamore Veterinary Services, where she cared for dogs, cats, and exotic animals, and in 2018, she opened Mackey Exotic Animal Clinic (now Mackey Veterinary Services) to provide medical care and boarding for birds, small mammals, reptiles and other non-traditional companion animals.

At the national level, Dr. Mackey served on the AVMA's Animal Welfare Committee for six years, including a term as chair, and as an alternate in the AVMA House of Delegates. Within her specialty, she is a past president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) and has held leadership roles with the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, including as laboratory coordinator for ExoticsCon, the joint conference of the AAV, AEMV, and the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. In 2023, she was named executive director of the AAV, an international nonprofit dedicated to advancing avian medicine through education, research, and clinical training, where she continues to serve today.

At the state level, Dr. Mackey served as president of the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) in 2022-2023, after first joining the association as a district representative and Foundation Board member. She spearheaded the creation of the GVMA's popular rabies titer clinic for veterinarians and helped develop the Colleague/Clinic Personnel - Assistance Needed (GVMA CAN) program, an outreach effort that connects veterinary professionals with peer support during personal and professional hardships.

"Dr. Mackey embodies the very best of our profession-an unwavering advocate for animals across every species, a generous mentor to her colleagues, and a tireless leader in service of the human-animal bond," said Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, president of the AVMA. "Whether she is caring for an exotic patient in her clinic, supporting a fellow veterinarian through a difficult moment, or championing the role of honey bees in our shared environment, her work reflects exactly the spirit Dr. Leo K. Bustad stood for. We are proud to celebrate her as the 2026 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year."

To learn more about the Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award, visit https://www.avma.org/about/awards/bustad-companion-animal-veterinarian-year-award.

For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, senior media relations manager, at 847-732-6194 (cell/text) or [email protected].