In this issue ... John Sherman Award winner Sarah Ostrin, register for our Oct. 17 Virtual CE Event, CRI technician grant, grant deadlines, survey, and more!

President's Message

Celebrating Our Veterinary Technicians — Especially Sarah Ostrin, Our 2026 John Sherman Award Recipient!

Dear Colleagues,

The week of October 18-24, 2026 celebrates National Veterinary Technician Week. This year’s theme is Credentialed Veterinary Technicians: Endless Compassion, Expert Care; Celebrating the Soul of Veterinary Medicine. This couldn’t be more well said. Our veterinary technicians are the soul and foundation of veterinary medicine, and I want to say Thank You to each and every one of you for all that you do. A week just isn’t enough time to celebrate your achievements and necessity in this medical field, especially in physical rehabilitation. 

We of the AARV board are proud to celebrate and recognize Sarah Ostrin as the 2026 John Sherman Award Recipient. Her career achievements have transformed the role of the veterinary technician in physical rehabilitation, and she is most deserving of this honor in our field. Please join us in congratulating Sarah during the 2026 AARV Fall Virtual Continuing Education Event on Saturday, October 17th. Registration is open through October 10th. I look forward to seeing you there!

With much gratitude,

Julie Servaites, DVM, CVA, CCRP, GDVCHM

president@rehabvets.org

TECHNICIAN CORNER

Celebrating Sarah Ostrin: Our 2026 John Sherman Award Recipient and a Champion for Rehabilitation Technicians

by Nancy Couillard, RVT, CCRTech, VTS (Phys. Rehab), COCM, CCMT

Technician Liaison

The AARV is proud to celebrate Sarah Ostrin, MSCR, BS, CVT, VTS (Physical Rehabilitation), CCRP, as the recipient of the 2026 John Sherman Award, sponsored by Paw Prosper. This recognition is a wonderful reflection of Sarah’s years of dedication to veterinary rehabilitation, education, leadership, and advocacy for veterinary technicians.

Sarah has been an integral part of the rehabilitation community for many years, with extensive clinical experience, teaching and mentoring, research involvement, and professional leadership. Through her involvement with both the APRVT and AARV, Sarah has consistently worked to strengthen opportunities for technicians and promote their important role within the veterinary rehabilitation team. Her contributions to education, research, professional organizations, and mentorship have helped shape the growing role of rehabilitation technicians within our profession.

AARV Members: Register Now for the 2026 AARV Virtual Continuing Education Event!

Saturday, October 17, 2026

9:00 AM to 1:30 PM CST

Online

The AARV Board is pleased to introduce our speakers and schedule for our 2026 Fall Virtual CE Event, coming up on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm Central Time.

This event is free to all AARV members and will provide 4 hours of RACE approved CE.

The series will have lectures focused on physical rehabilitation of the neurological patient and an overview of intraarticular injection therapies, as well as the presentations of two AARV research grant winner abstracts. Our meeting will conclude with an exciting round table discussion of intraarticular therapies and multimodal approaches to osteoarthritis.

Thank you to this year's sponsor PetVivo.

AARV members: We have emailed an invitation to this event to all current AARV members. Please RSVP from your email invitation or by logging into your member account and going to the Calendar of Events page. 

If you are not a current member, we encourage you to join AARV to take advantage of this opportunity! We will send you the registration link after processing your membership.

Registration will close on October 10 or when the event reaches capacity. Please register today!

AARV 2026 Fall Virtual CE Program Agenda

Meet the Speakers

Tari Kern, DVM, CCRP, CVMA, CVSMT, Residency-trained in Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation  

Dr. Kern is the practice founder and medical director of the rehabilitation and integrative medicine practice, Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine in Rochester Hills, Michigan. She has lectured on a variety of rehabilitation topics at national and state veterinary conferences. Dr. Kern has been an active and integral member of the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians Board of Directors, serving as Treasurer since 2019.

Brittany Ludwig, DVM, B.S., CVMRT, CVSMT, CVA, ACVSMR (Canine) - Residency-trained

Dr. Ludwig is currently practicing at Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation of Homer Glen, Illinois, where she has completed her Residency in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Ludwig is the current Legislative Liaison of the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians Board of Directors.

Arielle Pechette Markley, DVM, B.S., cVMA, CCRT, CVPP, DAIPM, DACVSMR (Canine)

Dr. Pechette Markley is the chief veterinary medical officer and co-founder of Fetch Rehab in California, and the director of research with Red Sage Integrative Veterinary Partners in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Pechette Markley is also the co-founder of Canine Sports Science Consortium and the author of multiple sports medicine and rehabilitation focused scientific research and publications.

Juli Goldstein, DVM, CHPV

Dr. Goldstein is the small animal technical services veterinarian for PetVivo Animal Health providing clinical and technical support for veterinarians and PetVivo customers. Dr. Goldstein is also the veterinarian of record for Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, a marine mammal veterinarian for NOAA Fisheries, and a clinical veterinarian with the Cleveland Clinic Florida Research Foundation. Dr. Goldstein has lectured nationally and internationally and has published research findings in several noted peer-reviewed journals and technical reports.

Tom Yarbrough, DVM, DAB, DACVS 

Dr. Yarbrough is a senior research director with PetVivo and has over 30 years of experience as a veterinary surgeon focused on equine surgery. Dr. Yarbrough is a practicing surgeon with Circle Oak Rehabilitation in Petaluma, California and with Summit Veterinary Specialty Center and has authored multiple veterinary publications and research, with a current focus on joint pain physiology and biology of the horse.

Lisa Mason, DVM, CCRT, CVA, CVPP

Dr. Mason is the Owner & Managing Veterinarian of the Florida Veterinary Rehabilitation clinic in DeLand, Florida. Dr. Mason is committed to advancing the field of veterinary rehabilitation through continued education, collaboration, and mentorship. She lectures around the country at national conferences, state VMAs, and local meetings.

Jeffrey Steven Christiansen, DVM, DACVS

Dr. Christiansen is the head surgeon and owner of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions in Satellite Beach, Florida. Dr. Christiansen has several years of experience lecturing at veterinary seminars as well as collaborating with PetVivo for educational and clinical discussions focused on regenerative medicine.

Kristen Hagler, RVT, VTS (Physical Rehabilitation), B.S., CCRP, CVPP, OACM, CBW, VCC

Kristen Hagler is the director of canine rehabilitation services and Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Physical Rehabilitation with Circle Oak Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Petaluma, California. Kristen Hagler has more than 25 years of clinical expertise as well as numerous professional presentations and publications focused on veterinary physical rehabilitation and animal pain management.

Veterinary Technicians: Apply for the CRI Rehabilitation Certification Grant by December 4th!

The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians would like to make available a Rehabilitation Certification Grant for Licensed Veterinary Technicians from Canine Rehabilitation Institute covering 50% of the cost of rehabilitation certification in 2027 through CRI (value of $4,280) to be applied toward Module 2 of certification.

For more information regarding certification, visit the Canine Rehabilitation Institute website at www.caninerehabinstitute.com.

Consideration Requirements

• Be an AARV member in good standing.
• Be a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT, CVT, RVT, AHT).
• Submit an essay (1,000 words max) describing why you feel rehabilitation certification will help your practice and patients.
• Deadline for submission: December 4, 2026.
• Application and submission must be submitted to education@rehabvets.org.
• Submissions will be evaluated by the AARV Board and CRI Administration.
• All submissions will be rendered anonymous prior to voting.

For complete details and instructions about how to apply, please log in to the AARV website and visit the Grant Opportunities web page in the Members Area.

Please note: Applicants must be AARV members in good standing to submit grant applications. If you are not a member, we encourage you to join AARV and apply for a grant. If you have any questions, please contact us at education@rehabvets.org.

Submit Your Grant Applications Before the Deadlines!

by Britt Carr Benson, DVM, CCRT, DACVSMR

Education Liaison

The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians (AARV) strives to improve animal physical rehabilitation through clinical research and collaboration within and outside the Association. Thus, the AARV has established a competitive annual awards program. The purpose of this program is to add to the evidence base for veterinary rehabilitation by providing grant funds to highly meritorious applications. We encourage individuals to submit grant proposals that advance the science of canine and/or equine rehabilitation.

To learn more about grant opportunities, members may log in to the AARV website and visit the Grant Opportunities web page in the Members Area, or click on the links below to find out more information about the different types of grants currently offered:

• Educational Grant from Academy of Animal Sport Science - $3,745 value (Submission Deadline: November 1, 2026)

• Educational Grant from Healing Oasis Wellness Center - $2,542.50 value (Submission Deadline: December 1, 2026)

• Rehabilitation Certification Grant for Licensed Veterinary Technicians from Canine Rehabilitation Institute - $4,280 value (Submission Deadline: December 4, 2026) See above for more details.

• Two Research Grants from Purina and AARV - $2,500 each (Submission Deadline: January 15, 2027)

• ACVSMR Resident Research Grant - $5,000 (Submission Deadline: January 15, 2027)

Please note: Applicants must be AARV members in good standing to submit grant applications. If you are not a member, we encourage you to join AARV and apply for a grant.

Grant submissions must follow grant guidelines and deadlines as outlined. Grant submissions will be voted upon by the AARV Board of Directors. A grant may not be awarded during an award cycle, if the AARV Board of Directors deems the applications are insufficient. Members who have won a grant cannot apply for another grant in the same year. Research grant winners must be available to present their findings at conferences and/or online events as stipulated in the grant guidelines. AARV reserves the right to publicize the awarding of the grant and the research results on our website and other media platforms.

If you have any questions, please contact us at education@rehabvets.org.

Veterinarians: Take This Survey About Treatment Approaches for Chronic Pain in Dogs

We are conducting a survey to investigate current chronic pain management practices of veterinarians in the United States and Canada. We hope to use these data to guide continuing education and understand potential ways to improve veterinary pain management. 

The survey can be accessed here:

https://forms.gle/nTzszSbyuahbLFiD8

The survey takes approximately 7-10 minutes to complete. Please only submit one set of answers per individual, though sharing the study link with peers is welcome and encouraged!

Participation is voluntary and no incentives are provided. Your answers and submitted information will be anonymous and confidential. 

If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact the primary researchers by email at jordanfarrell@live.com.

Jordan Gibson, DVM

Theresa Wendland, DVM, DACVSMR

AARV Members: Review Your Profile in Our Rehabilitation Professional Directory

Professional AARV members have the opportunity to be included in our Find a Rehabilitation Professional directory. The directory is searchable and available to the public.

AARV Members: Please take a few minutes to log in to the new website, review your profile in the member directory, and check out the member-only pages on the website.

To become an AARV member, go to the Join AARV page, choose your membership level, complete your member profile, and join online.

If you have questions about logging in or renewing your membership, please contact us at aarv@rehabvets.org.

Student Members:

Check Out the Student Section of Our Website!

by Britt Carr Benson, DVM, CCRT, DACVSMR

Education Liaison

Please see the student section of our website to view the benefits for student members. Membership is free to students enrolled in accredited veterinary, veterinary technician/nurse, and physical therapy programs.

To see a complete list of our current externship opportunities, visit our website, log in as a member, and go to the member-only Student Job Shadowing/Externships page.

Do you have a student club at your university that is interested in learning more about rehabilitation and sports medicine? See the Student Information page for instructions about how to register your club. We can help arrange a rehab lecture in your school for registered student clubs. Contact education@rehabvets.org for more information.

Check Out Our Sponsors Page for Discounts!

Did you know …

Many of our sponsors offer discounts on products as well as reductions on future course tuition and continuing education classes.

Visit the AARV Sponsors page for more information.

The AARV would like to thank all of the rehabilitation professionals who have volunteered to mentor and offer job shadowing/externships to veterinary and veterinary technician students who are interested in rehabilitation. To see a complete list of our current externship opportunities, visit our website, log in as a member, and go to the member-only Student Job Shadowing/Externships page.

If you would like to join our mentor list, please email Dr. Britt Carr Benson, Education Liaison, at education@rehabvets.org. 

Check Out AARV's Articles of Interest!

AARV's searchable Articles of Interest database is on hold due to our website transition. While we are working on developing a new searchable tool, please be sure to see our Articles of Interest PDFs in the Member Area of the website.

Each month, AARV posts Articles of Interest on its website that have been selected by AARV founder Dr. Julia Tomlinson because of their relevance to the field of veterinary rehabilitation. 

To view the Articles of Interest PDFs, visit our website, log in as a member, and go to the member-only Articles of Interest PDFs page.

Our thanks to Dr. Julia Tomlinson for selecting relevant journal articles each month and Dr. Bruce Henderson, AARV Secretary, for preparing the searchable articles.

Check the AARV Calendar for Upcoming Events

Want to learn which courses are coming up at Academy of Animal Sport Science (AASS), Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI), Chi University, CuraCore® VET, Healing Oasis Wellness Center, Northeast Seminars/NC State Veterinary Medicine, and University of Tennessee/Veterinary Academy of Higher Learning? Check the AARV Calendar of Events on our website, which contains upcoming rehabilitation classes and other continuing education events. You can also visit AARV's Training in Animal Rehabilitation page to learn more about these educational programs and find links to their websites. 

Do you have an event to add to the AARV calendar? All calendar posts are now free for AARV members. Please send your calendar event to info@rehabvets.org and be sure to include the name of the event, speaker, topic, date, time, location and URL. Rehabilitation related events/classes only, please.

Connect with the AARV on LinkedIn!

Let's network! Connect with the AARV on LinkedIn by clicking on this link or the LinkedIn logo at right.

Interested in submitting an employment ad or becoming a sponsor? See the Purchase an Ad or Sponsorship page on our website to submit your ad or learn more.

JOB POSTINGS

Employment postings can be found in the Members Area of our website, available to current AARV members.

Current postings include:

• Integrative Veterinarian, New Hampshire
• Veterinary Physical Therapist, Oregon
• Part-Time Rehabilitation Veterinarian, North Carolina
• Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, Oregon
• Certified Small Animal Rehabilitation Veterinarian, California
• Rehabilitation Certified Veterinarian, Ohio

Members: For complete details of job postings, log in to the AARV website using your username and password, then go to the member-only Employment Opportunities page to learn more about each job and how to apply.

To submit an employment ad, visit the Purchase an Ad or Sponsorship page.

Please take a moment to visit our sponsors!

We've learned that some email programs may cut off the end of our newsletter. If you don't see the AARV mailing address at the end of the newsletter, click on "View Entire Message" to see our complete newsletter including special offers from our sponsors.

TIER 1 - PLATINUM: SPONSORS PROVIDING GRANTS & AWARDS

Healing Oasis: 10% discount for AARV members on continuing education seminars.

To redeem the Healing Oasis discount: Contact Healing Oasis for details.

Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI): 10% discount for AARV members on any certification or continuing education course.

To redeem the CRI discount: Use the discount code "AARV10CRI" during registration.

TIER 2 - GOLD: SPONSORS PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Spryng: 15% off Spryng purchases directly though the Spryng website.

To redeem the Spryng discount: Use the discount code "AARV".

TIER 3 - SILVER: SPONSORS PROVIDING MEMBER DISCOUNTS

GingerLead: 50% discount off MSRP for any size order.

To redeem GingerLead discount: Contact GingerLead for details.

My Pet's Brace: 10%-15% discount.

To redeem My Pet's Brace discount: Contact My Pet's Brace for details.

TIER 4 - BRONZE: ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

Partner with us! We offer three opportunities for you to choose from. Find out more by clicking here.

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