Treyton Diggs Named Westminster Kennel Club’s Veterinarian Of The Year

According to the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 2.2% of veterinarians in America are Black.

Dr. Treyton Diggs was selected as the 2024 Veterinarian of the Year by the Westminster Kennel Club, becoming the first Black Veterinarian as well as the first Louisianan to win the award. Diggs was selected for the honor due to his “values, dedication, and moral compass in animal care.”

As 4WWL reports, Diggs appreciates the honor, but directed the credit to his staff.

“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,” Diggs told 4WWL . “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.”

Diggs graduated from Tuskegee University, one of the few HBCUs with a veterinary medicine school. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent data shows that only 2.2% of veterinarians in America are Black.

Shows like National Geographic’s Critter Fixers, which follows Black vets Dr. Vernard Hodges and Dr. Terrance Ferguson, and Animal Planet’s The Vet Life, featuring Dr. Diarra Blue, highlight the success of Black veterinarians. Despite these positive representations and the national Vet for a Day program by Hodges and Ferguson, which introduces teenagers to veterinary medicine, the statistics for Black veterinarians remain low.

According to Ferguson’s estimate, the pair have helped 63 veterinarians from diverse backgrounds get into veterinary programs. He noted that when he was young, he didn’t have access to when programs such as Vet for a Day.

“When I was young, I didn’t see a Black veterinarian, so I said, ‘You know what? I want to let kids know that it does not matter what color you are, it doesn’t matter if you’re handicapped,” Ferguson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2021. “Whatever your restrictions are, you can become one—even if you don’t see it.’”