Curtis Dewey named dvm360’s 2026 Veterinary Hero in internal medicine
Bottom line
Curtis Dewey, DVM, MS, CCRP, CTCVMP, DACVS, DACVIM (Neurology), has been named dvm360’s 2026 Veterinary Hero in the internal medicine category, one of the honors in the publication’s annual Veterinary Heroes program. dvm360 said the awards recognize veterinary professionals whose work advances patient care, leadership, and the profession, and winners will be honored at Fetch Kansas City on August 30, 2026. Dewey’s selection highlights a career that spans academic neurology, specialty practice, authorship, and integrative medicine, including faculty work at Texas A&M and Cornell, and his current role at Elemental Pet Vets in New York. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, Dewey’s recognition reflects the growing overlap between specialty neurology, teaching, and multimodal care. His background includes a 15-year tenure at Cornell, authorship of Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology, and published work on seizure control, congenital neurologic disorders, pain management, and acupuncture-related mechanisms. That mix of conventional specialty credentials and integrative practice is notable as clinics weigh how to expand neurologic care, rehabilitation, and evidence-informed adjunct therapies for pet parents seeking more options. (chiu.edu)
What to watch: Dewey and the other 2026 honorees are set to be recognized during Fetch Kansas City, scheduled for August 28-30, 2026, with the Veterinary Heroes ceremony on August 30. (registration.dvm360.com)
dvm360 has named Curtis Dewey, DVM, MS, CCRP, CTCVMP, DACVS, DACVIM (Neurology), its 2026 Veterinary Hero in internal medicine, adding another national recognition to a career that has helped shape small animal neurology and neurosurgery. The award is part of dvm360’s annual Veterinary Heroes program, which honors veterinary professionals across clinical and nonclinical categories, and this year’s class is scheduled to be recognized at Fetch Kansas City on August 30, 2026. (dvm360.com)
The recognition also underscores how the Veterinary Heroes program has evolved. dvm360 launched the program in 2021 to spotlight professionals whose work strengthens the field and improves patient care. Dewey is not new to the program: he was previously recognized by dvm360 in 2021 in integrative medicine, suggesting that this year’s honor is less about a single accomplishment than about sustained influence across disciplines. (dvm360.com)
Dewey’s career has been unusually broad for a specialist. According to his Chi University biography, he has served as a faculty neurologist at Texas A&M University, worked at Long Island Veterinary Specialists, spent 15 years at Cornell University, and now practices at Elemental Pet Vets, PLLC, with a focus on integrative veterinary medicine and rehabilitation therapy. The same biography credits him with contributions to major reference texts, including Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology, Fossum’s Small Animal Surgery, and Clinician’s Guide to Canine Acupuncture. (chiu.edu)
His publication record helps explain why he stands out in an internal medicine category that, per dvm360’s program materials, includes internal medicine, oncology, and neurology. Dewey has co-authored studies on adjunctive epilepsy therapies in dogs, ketamine use for status epilepticus and cluster seizures, canine cognitive dysfunction imaging, and stereotactic radiotherapy outcomes for presumptive canine gliomas. He has also published a review on the scientific basis of acupuncture for veterinary pain management, reinforcing his role in bridging specialty neurology with integrative care. (registration.dvm360.com)
There wasn’t much independent expert reaction tied specifically to this 2026 award in the public record, but Dewey’s standing in the profession is visible in how often he appears in educational, specialty, and research settings. Cornell’s coverage of the late veterinary neurologist Alexander de Lahunta included Dewey among the voices reflecting on de Lahunta’s influence, a signal of Dewey’s place within one of the field’s most important academic lineages. His professional bios also point to prior honors, including the 2014 Hill’s ACVECC Jack Mara Scientific Achievement Award and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society’s Outstanding Service to Veterinary Medicine Award. (news.cornell.edu)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this award lands at a time when neurology cases are increasingly complex, pet parent expectations are high, and referral practices are under pressure to offer both advanced diagnostics and broader supportive care. Dewey’s career offers a template for that blend: board-certified specialty medicine, academic teaching, open-access and peer-reviewed research, and a willingness to engage with rehabilitation and integrative modalities. For clinicians, educators, and hospital leaders, his recognition is a reminder that influence in the profession often comes not just from case volume or credentials, but from building tools, evidence, and training pathways that other veterinarians can use. (chiu.edu)
It also says something about where dvm360 is placing emphasis. The program’s criteria highlight patient care, communication, innovation, and community impact, and Dewey’s profile checks all four boxes. In a workforce environment where mentorship and retention remain major concerns, honoring a clinician-educator with decades of cross-setting experience may resonate as much with early-career veterinarians as with specialists. (registration.dvm360.com)
What to watch: The immediate next milestone is the Veterinary Heroes ceremony at Fetch Kansas City on August 30, 2026. Longer term, Dewey’s recognition may renew attention to how neurology, rehabilitation, and integrative medicine are taught, researched, and incorporated into specialty and referral practice. (registration.dvm360.com)