Breaking Down Pet Stereotypes
and Behaviors
Profiling is the act of predicting behaviors based on a person’s ethnicity, gender or color. The cognizant you would never consider jumping to such irrational conclusions. But it sneaks into our lives on an unconscious level. We do this with not only with people but also with animals. All snakes are scary and dangerous. Pit bulls and Rottweilers are aggressive and shouldn’t be allowed around children. Golden retrievers are hands down the best breed for a family and all calico cats, though they may look cuddly, are actually untrustworthy and one whisker away from coming unglued. Sounds pretty ridiculous when said out loud doesn’t it?
Breaking stereotypes of animal behavior and understanding their actions has been a passion for my guest, veterinarian, Dr. Gary Weitzman, President and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society. His voice may sound familiar; he co-hosted The Animal House, a nationally distributed weekly program on public radio that explored the latest in animal science, pet health and behavior, and wildlife conservation. He is fluent in cat and dog speak having written three books published by National Geographic, the first called “Everything Dogs,” and two books on animal behavior called “How to Speak Dog” and “How to Speak Cat” with a fourth due out in November 2017 on animal medicine, care and behavior.
BIO:
Gary Weitzman joined the San Diego Humane Society as their president in 2012. He’s a licensed veterinarian with more than 25 years of animal welfare experience. He is committed to collaboration to find solutions to do more for animals and their people. A significant focus for the San Diego Humane Society is a movement called “Getting to Zero” which involves a comprehensive plan to save the life of every healthy and treatable animal in San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition shelters.
Prior to his current role, Gary was the president of the Washington Animal Rescue League, where he led a large, urban, shelter through a period of unprecedented growth. During his tenure there, he guided the organization to become a national resource for disaster and puppy mill rescues and a resource for other animal shelters nationwide.
Gary served in the U.S. Air Force and owned an animal hospital in Burlingame, CA. He earned a double BA in Biology and English from Colby, a Masters in Public Health from Boston University and got his DVM from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
He is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA), and presently serves on the board of the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) and the Hill’s Shelter Advisory Board. He has three books published by National Geographic, the first called “Everything Dogs,” and two books on animal behavior called “How to Speak Dog” and “How to Speak Cat” with a fourth due out in November 2017 on animal medicine, care and behavior. For six years, he co-hosted The Animal House, a nationally distributed weekly program on public radio that explored the latest in animal science, pet health and behavior, and wildlife conservation.