The pet-lovers behind the names:
Gina Spadafori
Executive editor Gina Spadafori has been writing primarily about pets and their care for almost 30 years as a syndicated columnist and author. The first edition of her top-selling book "Dogs For Dummies," was given the President's Award for the best writing on dogs and the Maxwell Medallion for the best general reference work, both by the Dog Writers Association of America.
Along with co-author Dr. Paul D. Pion, a top veterinary cardiologist, she was given the CWA's awards for the best work on feline nutrition, best work on feline behavior, and best work on responsible cat care for the top-selling "Cats For Dummies." The book was also named one of the 100 best feline moments in the 20th century by Cat Fancy magazine. With internationally recognized avian specialist Dr. Brian L. Speer, Gina has also written "Birds For Dummies," one of the best-selling books on pet birds ever written. Her books have been translated into many languages, including French, Serbian, Danish, Japanese, Korean and Russian. Gina has also headed one of the first and largest online pet care sites, the Pet Care Forum, America Online's founding source of pet-care information.
In 2007, she formed a partnership with Dr. Becker and the two have written more than a dozen books together since.
Gina lives in Sacramento on a suburban microfarm with dogs, cats and poultry and is working on moving so she'll have enough room for her horse.
Christie Keith
Christie Keith, director of social media, is an experienced journalist with a primary interest in animal health issues. In addition to her work as the online and social media coordinator for PetConnection, she oversees editorial and community content and policy for the PetHobbyist.com group of pet Web sites. She is also the online pet-care columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle's Web site, writing the Your Whole Pet column twice monthly.
She is the past director and editor of America Online's Pet Care Forum, past director and editor of America Online's HIV/AIDS Forum, past director and editor of the Veterinary Information Network's pet owner website, and the founding editor of VeterinaryPartner.com. She has also been a contributing editor to The Bark magazine and is a consultant to Maddie's Fund.
Christie has bred and shown Scottish Deerhounds under the Caber Feidh kennel name, and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Scottish Deerhound Club of America, and past President of the Northern California Deerhound Club. She has bred group and best in field winning hounds.
She lives in San Francisco with Rawley, a Scottish Deerhound, and Kyrie, a Borzoi.
David Greene
Associate editor David Greene coordinates articles for the weblog, writes a twice-weekly news wrap-up and assists in covering pet and veterinary conferences. He is a veteran writer, journalist, trainer and consultant as well as the author of the blog, BlahBlahGinger.
When he's not working for PetConnection or hopscotching around the country as the founding principal of Greene Means Go Consulting, David spends his time west of Boston, rooting for the Red Sox with his wife and their two longhaired dachshunds, Cami and Harry.
The Pet Connection team
The PetConnection team provides top-quality information on pets to many different media platforms, including a weekly Pet Connection feature is distributed to newspapers internationally by the Universal Uclick as well as television, including "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show," Web sites, radio, magazines and our weblog. Here are the experts behind the bylines:
Dr. Tony Buffington | Dr. Robin Downing| Dr. Michael Dryden | Dr. Laurie Hess | Dr. Tony Johnson
Dr. Nancy Kay | Dr. Richard LeCouteur |Dr. Susan Little | Dr. Timothy C. McCarthy | Dr. Fred Metzger
Dr. Jacqui Neilson | Dr. Gregory K. Ogilvie | Dr. Jon Plant | Dr. Narda Robinson
Ericka Basile | Mary Cvetan | Phyllis DeGioia | Ingrid King
Therese Kopiwoda | Arden Moore | Liz Palika | Kim Campbell Thornton
Dr. Tony Buffington
Dr. Tony Buffington serves as professor of veterinary clinical sciences at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center. A graduate of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, he is also board-certified in veterinary nutrition. Dr. Buffington's research focuses on idiopathic cystitis in cats, and his other clinical interests include obesity, evidence-based medicine and effective medical communications. He has authored more than 100 scientific publications, 30 book chapters, and with Dr. Sarah Abood and Cheryl Holloway, the "Manual of Veterinary Dietetics." He has received the Mark L. Morris Lifetime Achievement Award in Veterinary Clinical Sciences, the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Hill’s Award for Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare, and the Bourgelat Award of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. Tony lives in Worthington, Ohio, with his wife of 39 years, a 19-year old cat named Stormy and a “few” bicycles, which he enjoys.
Dr. Robin Downing
Dr. Robin Downing is director of The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, the first comprehensive pain prevention and management practice for pets in Northern Colorado. She is a certified veterinary acupuncturist, a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner, a certified Tui Na practitioner (Chi Institute), is certified in canine medical massage and animal chiropractic. She is one of a handful of veterinarians to hold the Diplomate credential in the American Academy of Pain Management, the United States' largest interdisciplinary human pain management organization.
In 2009, Dr. Downing became the first and only veterinarian to earn the designation Certified Pain Educator from the American Society of Pain Educators. Dr. Downing was the 1995 Colorado Veterinary Medical Association's Up and Coming Veterinarian of the Year, the 1996 Association for Women Veterinarians' Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of the Year, and in 1999 she received a regional Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from Working Woman Magazine. In 2000 she was named the Hill's Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award winner, and 2001 the World Small Animal Association presented Dr. Downing the Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare Award as Small Animal Veterinarian of the Year.
She is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois.
Dr. Michael Dryden
Dr. Michael Dryden is a professor of veterinary parasitology at Kansas State University. He received his DVM from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and his Ph.D. in veterinary parasitology from Purdue University. An internationally recognized expert in flea and ticks, he is well-known by his nickname, Dr. Flea.
He is active in several professional associations, including the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists and the Entomological Society of America, and he is a founding member of the Companion Animal Parasite Council.
He is the author or co-author of more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. He has lectured in 21 countries, presenting more than 750 invited seminars at national and international meetings. His current research efforts are directed towards flea and tick biology and control, investigating urban wildlife as vectors of parasitic diseases and diagnosis and control of gastrointestinal parasites.
Dr. Dryden has been awarded the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence for contributions that significantly advance our knowledge of animal health, and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. Recognizing his contributions to the education of future veterinary dermatologists he was awarded the Veterinarian of the Year by Ceva Animal Health.
Dr. Laurie Hess
A board-certified avian specialist, Dr. Laurie Hess cares for birds and other exotic pets, such as rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, smaller rodents and reptiles. She also treats less commonly kept exotic species such as sugar gliders, hedgehogs, fennec foxes, wallabies, prairie dogs and pot-bellied pigs. She not only treats sick exotic pets, but also advises owners about preventive care,, including proper diets, environment and behavior.
A graduate of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Dr. Hess has been head of the Avian & Exotic Pet Service at the renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City. In 2010, she opened the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Bedford Hills, N.Y., one of only two American Animal Hospital Association accredited all-bird/exotics animal hospitals in the country.
Dr. Hess has lectured widely and has published numerous articles and book chapters on birds and other exotic species. In the late 1990s, she completed groundbreaking nutrition research on the importance of pelleted diets in birds. She is a senior editor of the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, has served as president of the international Association of Avian Veterinarians iand is an active member of several professional associations, including the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. She is an expert veterinarian on the Animal Planet series, “Little Pets 101,” and has numerous other media appearances to her credit.
Dr. Tony Johnson
Dr. Tony Johnson is a clinical assistant professor at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and a consultant and a popular contributor to the Veterinary Information Network. Dr. Johnson is graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University and is a board-certified specialist in emergency medicine and critical care. Before joining the faculty at Purdue, he served as head of emergency services at Indiana Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Center in Indianapolis. He is an extremely popular lecturer at veterinary conferences worldwide.
He and his wife, Gretchen, who is also veterinary emergency and critical care specialist, live with his son, Connor, and a large family of "pets with missing parts."
Dr. Nancy Kay
Dr. Nancy Kay is a board-certified specialist in internal medicine who has published in several professional journals and textbooks. She lectures professionally to regional and national audiences, and one of her favorite lecture topics is communication between veterinarians and their clients. She is the author of the book, "Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life."
A graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Kay is a staff internist at the VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County in Rohnert Park, Calif., where she founded and helps facilitate a client support group. Dr. Kay has lectured extensively on the topic of communication between veterinarians and their clients.
Dr. Kay was selected by the American Animal Hospital Association to receive the 2009 Hill's Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award. The Dog Writers Association of America has twice honored Dr. Kay with awards for her writing. She was a featured guest on the popular National Public Radio show, "Fresh Air with Terry Gross."
Dr. Kay and her husband, who also a veterinarian, have three children. The family lives in Sebastopol with dogs, cats, birds, horses and goats.
Dr. Richard A. LeCouteur
Dr. Richard A . LeCouter, a board-certified specialist in internal medicine, is a professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis,.
He was graduated from the Veterinary School at the University of Sydney. After a year in private small animal practice in Sydney, he completed an internship and iesidency in Surgery at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Dr. LeCouteur then completed a residency in neurology and neurosurgery at UCD. He then completed a Ph.D. in Comparative Pathology at UCD, with spinal cord injury as this area of study.
He served as a faculty member at College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences at Colorado State University before returning to Sydney to establish a Specialty Practice in Neurology and Neurosurgery. In 1995, accepted his current position at UCD.
Dr. LeCouteur is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology), and a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Neurology. He currently is Past Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and serves on the Board of Directors of the North American Veterinary Conference.
Dr. Susan Little
Dr. Susan Little, a board-certified specialist in feline practice, is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. She is part owner of two feline specialty practices in Ottawa, Canada, and a popular speaker at veterinary conferences around the wold.
She serves on the board of the Winn Feline Foundation and is a feline medicine consultant for the Veterinary Information Network. In 2010, Dr. Little was the recipient of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association's Small Animal Practitioner Award. She is currently editing a new textbook, "The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management," to be published in 2011.
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Endoscopy became main focus of his practice and his primary expertise. Dr. McCarthy pioneered the application of many minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that are now or are now becoming the standard of care. He has lectured extensively nationally and internationally, has published numerous articles, and is editor of the definitive work on endoscopy in small animal practice. Dr. McCarthy received the 2010 American Veterinary Medical Association's practitioner research award. He is now on the staff of the Cascade Veterinary Referral Center in Tigard, Ore.Dr. Timothy C. McCarthy
Dr. Timothy C. McCarthy, a board-certified surgeon, was born in Seattle, on an old farm on the Mercer Island waterfront when the island was still totally wild. He grew up on a farm in Roseburg, Oregon, with cats, dogs, horses, goats, cows, snakes, turtles and an endless variety of other critters. A graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences at Colorado State University, Dr. McCarthy worked as a small-animal surgeon in California before moving to Portland, where he was the first board-certified surgeon in private practice in Oregon.
Dr. Fred Metzger
Dr. Fred Metzger is a graduate of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in canine and feline care. He is an adjunct professor at Penn State University and serves on the practitioner advisory boards of "Veterinary Economics" and "Veterinary Medicine" magazines. Dr. Metzger owns the Metzger Animal Hospital, a five-doctor general and referral practice in State College, Penn.
Dr. Jacqui Neilson
Dr. Jacqui Neilson is a board-certified specialist in veterinary behavior and is the owner of the largest private veterinary behavioral referral practice in the United States, the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Ore.
A graduate of the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Neilson relocated to the Pacific Northwest where she practiced general small animal veterinary medicine for two years before pursuing specialty training in a Clinical Animal Behavior residency at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Upon completion of the residency and the board certification process, she moved back to Portland where she established the Animal Behavior Clinic and still practices today.
In addition to treating behavioral problems in cats and dogs in her clinical practice, Dr. Neilson also is an educator, researcher, author and consultant. Her non-invasive clinical research is centered on feline elimination preferences. She is an instructor at Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine and has authored multiple journal papers and book chapters. She is co-author of the best selling veterinary text, Blackwell's 5 Minute Veterinary Consult, Clinical Companion Canine and Feline Behavior. She lectures frequently at veterinary conferences throughout the world.
Dr. Neilson is passionate about animals and is very involved in the animal community. She serves on various non-profit boards including the nationally recognized Oregon Humane Society and the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon. She has served as president of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.
When she is at home she enjoys the company of her husband, two dogs and cats.
Dr. Gregory K. Ogilvie
Dr. Gregory K. Ogilvie, a board-certified internist and oncologist, is director of the Angel Care Cancer Center at California Veterinary Specialists, president of the Special Care Foundation for Companion Animals and is on the University of California Veterinary Medical Center-San Diego's Clinical Advisory Board. At the Angel Care Cancer Center, he cares for patients and their families, teaches interns, residents, veterinary students and has an active cancer research program. He was named the AVMA's Veterinarian of the Year.
Prior to his move to Southern California, Dr. Oglivie was a professor, internist, head of medical oncology and director of the Medical Oncology Research Laboratory, Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. During this 16-year-period at CSU, he also spent one year on sabbatical teaching and developing new, innovative cancer therapies at the medical school and the Laboratoire Nutrition, Croisance et Cancer at the Université François Rabelais in Tours France. Dr. Ogilvie lectures to thousands of veterinary students, physicians, graduate veterinarians and scientists each year.
Dr. Ogilvie graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences at Colorado State University and was in private practice in Connecticut before completing a residency at Tufts University/Angell Memorial Animal Hospital. From there he joined the faculty as a professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine before moving on to his professorship in Colorado
He is co author with Dr. Antony Moore of three books on cancer in animals, and he has written more 200 scientific articles and chapters, as well as more than 120 scientific abstracts and posters. He has been awarded two international patents, more than $10 million in research grants and endowments as a principal or co-investigator, and is the recipient of many awards for his research. He has lectured all over the world.
Dr. Ogilvie is a certified ski instructor and enjoys camping, SCUBA and long distance cycling. He has volunteered as a counselor at the Sky High Hope Camp for children who have cancer and is on the board of directors for Angel on a Leash to benefit children with cancer. His greatest joys are his daughter, Torrie, and his wife, Karla.
Dr. Jon Plant
Dr. Jon Plant is a board-certified veterinary dermatologist with a broad range of experience, encompassing private specialty practice, academia and industry consulting.
After graduating from Oregon State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, he completed his residency training and founded the Animal Dermatology Specialty Clinic in Southern California. In 2005, Dr. Plant returned to Oregon to join the faculty at Oregon State University, where he lectured and performed research in veterinary dermatology for several years.
Dr. Plant founded SkinVet Clinic in Lake Oswego, Ore., in 2009 and also provides consulting services to the veterinary industry. His dedication to providing innovative, cost-effective treatment options for allergic dogs led him to develop RESPIT™, now prescribed by veterinarians across the United States.
Dr. Plant and his wife, Kara, share their home with their daughter, son, and several furry companions.
Dr. Narda Robinson
Dr. Narda Robinson, a veterinarian, medical acupuncturist and osteopathic physician, has taught at Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences since 1997, and is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences with a joint appointment in Biomedical Sciences. She directs the CSU Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine where she leads research projects in acupuncture anatomy, herbal medicine and patient simulator development for acupuncture education. She holds a master's degree in Biomedical Sciences in acupuncture anatomy and education.
She teaches medical acupuncture to veterinarians from around the globe as well as fourth-year veterinary students via the only scientifically based veterinary acupuncture program, "Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians." She now offers another course called "Medical Massage for Animals, open to veterinarians and veterinary technicians, integrating philosophies and approaches from the fields of osteopathy, massage, and structural integration. Dr. Robinson writes a monthly column on complementary medicine for Veterinary Practice News, and has written on natural cat care in Cat Fancy. On the human side, Dr. Robinson serves on the American Board of Medical Acupuncture, the group that oversees board certification testing for physician acupuncturists.
Dr. Robinson lives in Fort Collins, Colo., with several cats and a rabbit. Her long-term partner, Dave, teaches Chinese martial arts. Her parents moved to Fort Collins in 2001, which brings Dr. Robinson great joy and comfort.
Ericka Basile
Ericka Basile is the PetConnection.com's product-review coordinator. A businesswoman with Fortune 500 corporate as well as pet business entrepreneurial experience, Ericka was the founder of Naples Dog Magazine, a regional publication focusing on dogs and their humans in Southwest Florida.
Mentoring shelters and rescue groups in raising funds is a passion for Ericka. Through her Naples Dog publication's Gift Program, she helped her community raise $1.2 million for area charities. She has been an active writer for numerous newspapers and magazines, was a weekly (human) oncology ward pet therapy volunteer, and a correspondent for Adopt-a-Pet TV. Ericka covered the evolution of the DART (Disaster Animal Rescue Team) program, and then became DART- certified.
She and her husband, Andrea, a physician, live in Naples, Fla., with their children, Julia and Nico. The family also includes cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles, birds, a hamster and a bearded dragon.
Mary Cvetan
After a mischievous, affectionate bunny named Zsa Zsa moved into her home, Mary Cvetan felt compelled to spread the news about the pros and cons of living with house rabbits. In 2005, she co-founded the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club, an education and advocacy group, with a local humane society. Today, the group supports three local shelters in educating staff, recruiting volunteers and adopting out hundreds of rabbits each year. Members answer health and behavior questions from rabbit owners seven days a week, and the club has produced more than 60 free seminars featuring veterinarians, trainers, groomers, organic gardeners and other experts.
The owner of Cvetan Communications, a public relations and marketing firm, Mary has gained coverage to promote proper care in a variety of print and broadcast media. She has fostered dozens of homeless rabbits, including the three she adopted: Foo Foo, an elderly Angora; Lucinda Rose, a Mini Lop; and their devoted Bradley, a Holland Lop.
Phyllis DeGioia
Phyllis DeGioia oversees the PetConnection's free library of pet-care articles and is the book-review coordinator. She has been writing about pets and veterinary medicine since 2000. She is editor of Veterinary Partner, the client education Web site for the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). She regularly writes product comparison articles for Tufts' Your Dog newsletter, and writes now and then for other pet Web sites and publications.
For the past decade, Phyllis has been active in the dog therapy program Pet Pals, which was created by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine for the American Family Childrens Hospital. She also writes pet articles and business marketing material through her company Woofing Dog Editorial.
Phyllis lives in Madison, Wisc., where she caters to the whims of two rescued dogs, Ginger and Dodger, and a totally mellow rescued cat, Dickens.
Ingrid King
Ingrid King is a former veterinary hospital manager who now writes about feline care. During her 12 years in the veterinary industry, King gained an understanding of what pets and their people need in what can often be a stressful environment for both. Her passion for educating pet owners led her to start her own bi-monthly online magazine, News for You and Your Pet, which goes out to subscribers around the world. Her blog, The Conscious Cat, has been called "educational cat nip for the cat lover" and is a comprehensive resource for conscious living, health and happiness for cats and their humans. She also runs the website, IngridKing.com.
She is the author of "Buckley's Story: Lessons From a Feline Master Teacher," a book about the important role animals play in our lives by teaching us universal lessons about opening the heart and living a joyful life.
Ingrid is a Reiki Master Practitioner and owner of Healing Hands, a Reiki practice for pets and their people. A member of the Cat Writers Association, she lives in Northern Virginia with her tortoiseshell cat, Allegra.
Therese Kopiwoda
Therese Kopiwoda is the owner of PetsitUSA, an online directory of professional pet sitters, which she launched in 2003, a few years after opening her own pet sitting business. In addition to the directory service, she helps pet sitters and other pet businesses by providing web design and social media consulting services. Since 2006, she has also been the editorial director for Wishbones for Pets. It is the first program established to help professional pet sitters manage charity drives to benefit their local animal shelters and rescue groups.
As a Certified Pet Tech instructor, Therese teaches pet first aid and CPR to pet owners and pet professionals in Austin. Therese lives with Archie, a border collie, and Lydia, an Australian Shepherd mix.
Arden Moore
Arden Moore is a best-selling author, editor, professional speaker, radio show host, media consultant and behavior consultant. She travels all over North America to help millions better understand why cats and dogs do what they do. Arden unleashes her sage advice spiced with humor as an in-demand TV and radio show guest. In 2010, she founded Four Legged Life, an online pet community.
Each week, she hosts the popular "Oh Behave!" show on Pet Life Radio, the No. 1 pet podcast network that draws more than 1 million listeners each week. She also serves as pet behaviorist for Pet Airways, editor of "Catnip" and editor-at-large of Fido Friendly. Arden shares her Oceanside, Calif., home with two dogs, two cats and an overworked vacuum cleaner.
Liz Palika
Liz Palika has written more than 65 books
Liz is also a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and a Certified Animal Behavioral Consultant. She is the owner of Kindred Spirits Dog Training in Vista, Calif., where she teaches family pet obedience, trick training, carting, noncompetitive agility and therapy dog classes. Liz's goal through Kindred Spirits is to keep dogs in the families and out of shelters by improving communication between dogs and owners. In addition, Liz believes in having fun with dogs; hence, Kindred Spirits emphasizes fun and games with the dogs, too. She also owns the website, LizPalika.com.
Liz and her husband, Paul, share their home with four Australian Shepherds, Riker, Bashir, Archer and Sisko, and three cats, Xena, Squash and Pumpkin. In the backyard there is a variety of turtles and tortoises, including Onyx, a Gulf Coast Box Turtle who's at least 100 years old, and Pearl, a 20-year-old Leopard Tortoise.
Kim Campbell Thornton
Kim Campbell Thornton has been writing about dogs and cats for more than 20 years. Her work appears on MSNBC.com, and she writes frequently for Catnip, Dog World, Popular Dogs and other pet publications. She is also the author of many top-selling and award-winning pet-care books
She is enslaved by three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Bella, Twyla and Harper, and caters to Larry Bird, an African ringneck parakeet who meows. She and her husband, Jerry, founded the Darcy Fund to raise awareness and funds for research into chronic valve disease -- a tribute to their much missed dog, Darcy. The Thorntons live in Orange County, Calif., as rarely as possible, since they are avid world-travelers.
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