2026 Veterinarian of the Year: Dr. Wayne Boillat

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” For 2026 Veterinarian of the Year Dr. Wayne Boillat of Pacific, MO, the answer has been the same for as long as he can remember: a veterinarian. For him, there was never another path; “it was always one-minded and focused.”

He grew up surrounded by rolicking Irish Setters, which his mother bred and showed. It wasn’t until he went off to college and then veterinary school that he was without a dog in his household. Two short years after graduating, however, he and his wife moved into their first house, and in 1992, they got their first Golden Retriever, the beginning of a 30-plus-year commitment to the breed. Since then, they have consistently had many Goldens, along with a cat to keep them in line. They currently have six, ranging from one to nine years old, and he affectionately refers to them as his “golden girls.” Together, they compete in obedience, agility, tracking, rally, dock diving, scent work, and hunt trials. More recently, they’ve dipped their toes into the conformation ring as well. 

Throughout his journey to become a veterinarian, he was most shaped by his teachers in high school and the professors he had in college and veterinary school. Their immense dedication to their profession and students was his motivation at the time, which translates to him now as a practicing veterinarian. Post-graduation, he is shaped by the people he works with daily, from the reception team to technicians to fellow doctors to management. Their dedication to the patient and client is number one. “Seeing the team you surround yourself with pulling the rope in the same direction, you want to be a part of the team, and that is a driver currently.”

Additionally, the concept of a “why” has been central to Dr. Boillat since veterinary school, and it has evolved throughout his career. In vet school, it was the puzzle of it all: you have a patient in front of you, something is wrong, but they can’t tell you verbally, so you must figure out what it is. As a practicing veterinarian, his why turned to the profound human-animal bond which he is exposed to every day. That has been his driving force since. His daily “why” has now shifted to the question, “How do I strengthen or how do I lengthen this human-animal bond between my patients and the clients who own them?” It’s this sense of purpose that he carries with him every day that set him apart and moved so many to nominate Dr. Boillat for the 2026 Veterinarian of the Year Award.

VOTY

Dr. Boillat’s client-first and excellence-driven mindset is much of what makes him so beloved. He is steadfast in his research, constantly finding new ways to help patients, and dedicated to supporting his patients and clients every step of the way. When nominations opened, the Westminster team received a plethora of stories and testimonials of Dr. Boillat’s unwavering support for the canine community. Throughout the process, however, he had no idea anyone had submitted anything at all. It wasn’t until he was contacted and informed he was a regional finalist that Dr. Boillat learned of his nominations. He is especially honored when considering the award was initiated by the people around him, colleagues and clients, both.

“The number of people who shared stories, statements, and recommendations is humbling, honoring, and makes me proud of the profession I’m within, but it’s also mind-blowing. Looking back, these are all individuals that I have touched or have touched me in a manner that inspired them to take time out of their own schedules to nominate me. I am simply rendered speechless.”

Immensely humble, research-forward, and committed to going above and beyond for his patients, Dr. Boillat embodies The Westminster Kennel Club’s commitment to canine health and companionship.

Those who nominated him described a veterinarian who not only solves medical problems, but invests deeply in every family who walks through his doors. Their stories speak not only to his professional expertise, but to his dedication, humility, and willingness to serve his community above all else.

“Not only is he an amazing and knowledgeable vet, but he is compassionate. He explains everything thoroughly and completely so you know all of your options. I have never seen him without a caring smile. Many performance dog lovers go to Dr. Boillat. He’s always seeking knowledge and is up on current developments and shares them with us.”

“Many breeders and pet owners can thank Dr. Boillat for healthy litters, life-saving diagnoses, and the unwavering compassion he shows every single day. His dedication goes far beyond his profession—he treats every animal with extraordinary care, patience, and kindness, while supporting worried families with genuine empathy and understanding. His knowledge, commitment, and heart have made a lasting impact on countless animals and the people who love them. He is truly one in a million, and his selfless devotion deserves to be recognized and celebrated.”

“Dr. Boillat consistently goes above and beyond for his patients. He gets to know the humans as well as the pets. Dr. Boillat asks about our kids, gets down on the ground with our pets, and explains everything in a way we can all understand. He is truly the best vet around!”

“Dr. Boillat is an excellent diagnostician. He works tirelessly to figure out not only the diagnosis but also the why and the best treatment. He will confer with specialists when needed and is very humble. He has helped me with many difficult diagnoses, returning quality of life to my dogs’ lives. I personally do not know another veterinarian more deserving.”

To win the Veterinarian of the Year Award, a veterinarian must first be nominated by peers and patients. Four regional finalists were selected from the list of nominees by a committee of WKC experts and previous VOTY award winners. Then, the winner was selected by individual voters across social platforms and the Westminster website.

Dr. Boillat’s win of the 2026 Veterinarian of the Year Award marks the fifth year for this Westminster Cares initiative, which honors the dedicated veterinarians who make a difference in our pets’ lives, while offering support for challenges these professionals face within the field of veterinary medicine. In recognition of his service, a $10,000 donation has been made in his name to the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission, which is dedicated to help remove barriers veterinarians often face in practice. Through partnerships with organizations that provide mental health resources, financial assistance, and patient care support, the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission helps veterinarians fulfill their calling to care and thrive personally and professionally. 

Beyond the Clinic

As Dr. Boillat remains graciously humble in his win, he continues to work tirelessly at the clinic, but also in his volunteer work. “For forever and a day,” OFA clinics have been offered at the hospitals he’s worked at, so he has years of experience doing hip and elbow, dentition, and thyroid evaluation. There is a misconception that he helps with these clinics to help make a conformation dog, but, to him, that well understates the scope.

“When someone is looking to improve the health of the canine population, health testing is one of the means that they can use to identify individuals who would be best served to perpetuate their breed. When you produce a healthier dog, yes, you may be producing dogs that compete in conformation or performance rings, but the vast majority end up as companions. These breeders have taken every step to try to produce a healthier overall canine population, which benefits everyone who is a recipient of the offspring and beyond.”

In addition to his work perpetuating canine health, Dr. Boillat is also a board member of Duo Dogs, a St. Louis-based non-profit. Duo Dogs has two main focuses. First, they raise, train, and place service dogs for individuals or facilities at no charge to the person receiving the dog. Second, they have “touch teams” that they train, leveraging the human-animal bond to improve the lives of individuals. These are individuals with their own personal dogs who go through a rigorous training program. They then make visits to children’s hospitals, retirement centers, schools, etc. Dr. Boillat’s involvement with Duo Dogs is twofold. He oversees their breeding program, and he is also one of several veterinarians who takes care of the medical and surgical needs of any pets within the organization.

Looking Forward

Dr. Boillat’s advice to aspiring and practicing veterinarians, besides the obvious answer of compassion and empathy, is that the greatest attribute one can possess is the ability to listen to the clientele, communicate well with them, educate them, and take time to get to know the people and pets. The better the bond that you develop with the client and patient, the better you will be able to help them with their needs. “The privilege is on us to be part of their pet’s journey.”

To the many canine enthusiasts who will attend local shows or even Westminster, he says, “Don’t take it so seriously, have fun! At the end of the day, you may not remember each ribbon or award won. It’s about the journey. Take time to enjoy and appreciate all of the effort that your pets put into the things that you’re teaching them, and have fun at the same time. You’ll make mistakes and grow together.”

He also stresses that,

“From a competitive standpoint, sometimes people lose sight that the dogs we work with are truly athletes and, from a training standpoint, we need to make sure they’re well-conditioned, have normal body mass, and that we warm them up and cool them down. To help ward off injury and play with them long-term, we don’t want to lose sight of the physical nature of the things we’re asking them to do. We need to prioritize their health and longevity.

 

Dogs are never on this planet long enough. We need to make the most of it. We must make every day the best day ever. When you can’t give all, give all you can and see your dog’s tail wag and those ears come up. Sometimes that’s the best of the circumstances you can offer, but you wake up and make the next day even better. You can’t take these animals for granted.”

As he looks to the future, “I always treasure the time and opportunity to spend with the girls. Since I am still practicing, I still have the opportunity to see the clientele and pets that I have seen over the years, but there is always excitement for the new client I get to know and help.”