The Soul Of All Living Creatures
Vint Virga, D.V.M. is a leader in veterinary behavioral medicine and consults with zoos and wildlife parks. He has appeared on ABC, Nat Geo, PBS and Wild TV. Dr. Virga joined Tim in this episode to talk about his recently released book, The Soul Of All Living Creatures. Tim asked about the premise of the book and how he came to write the book. Tim also asked Vint about the differences in writing a book to get his message out compared to appearing on television. If you really want to better understand the strong bond and connections we have with animals, you’ll definitely want to listen to this interview.
BIO:
For over twenty years, Dr. Virga has been a distinguished practitioner and leader in veterinary medicine, recognized for his insights into our relationships with animals. His expertise spans the animal kingdom from dogs and cats to wild species such as leopards, gibbons, wolves, and giraffes. As the founding president of Veterinary Healing Arts, he has worked extensively with dogs, cats, and their human families on behavioral issues of concern to them and currently serves as a consultant to zoos and wild animal parks on the behavioral well-being and management of animals in their care.
A recognized expert on animal behavior and a prominent advocate for nurturing the human-animal bond, Dr. Virga has appeared as a featured guest on ABC World News, PBS Nature, and National Geographic Explorer. Outside of clinical practice, he has served as an advisor to leading U.S. corporations, professional associations, and animal welfare organizations; a veterinary liaison to the U.S. congress; and an expert on legal and legislative issues concerning animal health and welfare. He is distinguished for his insights into the parallels between human and animal behavior – making animal behavior meaningful, relevant, and easy to understand.
As a writer, Dr. Virga has been awarded two MacDowell Fellowships and a George and Kate Kendall Fellowship. His writing portrays a unique sensitivity and compassion toward humans and animals alike. Dr. Virga’s first book, The Soul of All Living Creatures, will be published in July 2013 by Crown / Random House. He is currently working on his second book.
Dr. Virga received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis and completed his clinical residency in behavioral medicine at Cornell University. He is board-certified in veterinary behavior and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.
Dr. Virga lives in southern New England with his wife, daughter, and two Norwegian forest cats.