Meet Dr. Ernie Ward
“The most important reasons for living are the relationships we cultivate with ourselves, each other, our planet, and the animals we share our lives with.”
Dr. Ernie Ward
Dr. Ernie Ward has devoted his career to improving the lives of animals through clinical practice, education, writing, and innovation. Whether addressing pet obesity, guiding veterinary teams through best practices, supporting pet owners with trusted advice, or reimagining care for aging animals, his work is united by a single goal: to elevate the standard of care for animals everywhere by bridging science, compassion, and innovation.
“For over three decades, I’ve been on a mission to elevate quality of life, not just for myself and my family, but for the pets and people I serve. I’ve never believed that veterinary medicine should stop at diagnosing and treating disease. True care means preventing illness, optimizing health, and rethinking what ‘wellness’ really means. To me, wellness isn’t the absence of illness; it’s the presence of vitality.
This passion has fueled my ongoing study of human and veterinary physiology, nutrition, preventive care, and longevity. Healing and well-being require more than prescriptions, they demand a thoughtful blend of medicine, nutrition, emotional support, and holistic insight. I live by a simple philosophy: be it, do it, share it.
The most important reasons for living are the relationships we build and cultivate with ourselves, each other, our animals, and our planet.”
About Dr. Ernie Ward
Dr. Ernie Ward is a veterinarian, educator, and advocate whose work has helped shape the modern veterinary profession and medicine. From pioneering senior pet care to reshaping how veterinarians approach nutrition, surgery, and preventive care, his work has influenced veterinary teams and pet owners worldwide.
In the mid- to late-1990s, Dr. Ward introduced groundbreaking long-term drug monitoring protocols, developed veterinary staff training programs, and was among the first in general veterinary practice in the US to adopt CO₂ laser surgery. He became a national voice for senior care programs and protocols, and created improved standards for routine surgical care, promoting pre-anesthetic blood testing, IV fluid therapy, and proactive pain management for spays and neuters. His advocacy for extended-duration vaccination protocols, beginning in 1999, led to lectures across North America and Europe and a widely used training video and guidebook on veterinary immunology.
Dr. Ward is the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), established in 2005 to confront the growing epidemic of overweight pets through research, education, and industry change. He also founded the World Pet Obesity Association (WPOA), an international organization dedicated to improving the standards of care for companion animals with clinical obesity. His foundational work in veterinary clinical obesity has helped ignite a global conversation about companion animal nutrition and the importance of a healthy body condition in animals.
As an author, he has written or co-authored:
- Veterinary Clinical Obesity: A Multidisciplinary Approach, forthcoming (Wiley, 2026–2027)
- Canine Osteoarthritis and Chronic Pain, chapter, forthcoming (Wiley, 2026)
- Chapter in Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team (Wiley, 2021)
- The Clean Pet Food Revolution (2020)
- Better You, Better Dog, Better Life (2019)
- Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Obesity textbook chapter (2016)
- Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) (2014)
- Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter (2010)
- Creating the Veterinary Appointment (2003)
- Creating the Veterinary Experience (1999)
Dr. Ward’s influence extends far beyond the exam room, where he is a passionate proponent of veterinary wellness for pets, clients, and clinic teams. He has long used media to reach pet owners directly; his viral video demonstrating the danger of hot cars for pets, filmed from inside a sweltering car, drew international coverage and was translated into multiple languages.
Through his award-winning podcast, The Veterinary Viewfinder, national media appearances, and ongoing speaking engagements, Dr. Ward continues to advocate for a smarter, more sustainable, and more compassionate future for veterinary medicine.
The rest of the story
Beyond the exam room and the conference stage, Dr. Ward is a multiple Ironman finisher and USA Triathlon coach, and a surfer and paddleboarder along the North Carolina coast. Before veterinary medicine, he played in the indie band The Violets, which once charted on College Music Journal with a song called “I Hate the Grateful Dead.” That same restless curiosity runs through everything he does, a lifelong student of physiology, nutrition, and longevity for pets and people alike.
He lives on the Carolina coast with Laura, his wife and partner in the work, their two daughters, two dogs (Ginny included), and Girlna, the pandemic rescue cat who, the family will tell you, rescued them right back.
Selected career highlights
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia (1992)
- Founder and President, Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) (2005–Present)
- Founder, World Pet Obesity Association (WPOA) (2022–Present)
- Host and founder, The Veterinary Viewfinder podcast (2016–Present); Vetty Award winner (2021)
- Author and co-author of multiple books and clinical references, including The Clean Pet Food Revolution and Chow Hounds
- Chair, WSAVA Strategic Advisory Committee (2025–Present)
- Board of Directors, Mission Rabies (2017–Present)
- Veterinary Journalist of the Year (2018)
- Created a viral pet-safety video on the dangers of hot cars, viewed more than three million times (2012)
- Certified personal trainer, USA Triathlon coach, and multiple Ironman finisher
Boards & charitable service
- Chair, WSAVA Strategic Advisory Committee
- Member, WSAVA Financial Advisory Committee
- Scientific Advisory Board, Morris Animal Foundation
- Animal Welfare Advisory Board, Morris Animal Foundation
- Board of Directors, Grey Muzzle Organization
- Board of Directors, CATalyst Council
- Board of Directors, Mission Rabies
- Scientific Committee & Practice Management Chair, Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC)
- Advisory Board, Wedgewood / Blue Rabbit
Full professional history
1989–1992
- Winner, Snickers New Music Search, Southeast U.S. Region, with The Violets (1989)
- Named one of the “100 Best Unsigned Bands in the U.S.” by College Music Journal (1990)
- Reached #19 on the College Music Journal charts with “I Hate the Grateful Dead” (1991)
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia (1992)
1993–2000
- Founded Seaside Animal Care, a small animal practice (1993)
- First national publication in Veterinary Economics (1999)
- First international veterinary publications (UK and Japan, 1999)
- National Practice of Excellence Award, Outstanding Small Animal Clinic (1999)
- Developed and published long-term drug monitoring guidelines for dogs and cats (1999)
- Published veterinary staff training textbook and video, Creating the Veterinary Experience (1999)
- Contributed to the development of the National Senior Pet Care Guidelines (2000)
- Appointed to the Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board (2000)
- Founding member, VetPartners (formerly AVPMCA) (2000)
2001–2010
- Launched national campaign on long-term drug monitoring (2001)
- Authored over 200 client education handouts for LifeLearn’s veterinary library (2002)
- Appeared on King of the Jungle, Animal Planet (2003–2004)
- Speaker of the Year, North American Veterinary Conference (2004–2005) and Western Veterinary Conference
- Featured in the first national Iams commercial (2005)
- Founded the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) (2005)
- Released additional veterinary staff training resources (2006)
- Completed multiple triathlons, including Ironman and Escape from Alcatraz (2007–2008)
- Resident veterinarian, The Rachael Ray Show (2007–2014)
- First veterinary articles published in Chinese and Taiwanese journals (2009–2010)
- Author, Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter (2010)
- Featured Pet Expert, AVMA WebMD (2010)
2011–2020
- Featured expert contributor for Vetstreet and Veterinary Practice News (2011)
- Founder and board member, International Veterinary Senior Care Society (2011)
- Wellness Editor, dvm360 and Veterinary Economics (2011)
- Continuing Educator of the Year, Western Veterinary Conference (2012)
- Created a viral public-safety video on the dangers of hot parked cars for pets, filming himself in a sweltering car, which drew international media coverage (2012)
- Chair, Program Committee, Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC) (2013–Present)
- Senior Veterinary Editor, Pet Health Network (2013)
- Certified Veterinary Food Therapist (2013)
- CATalysta Award, recognized for feline advocacy (2013)
- Advisory roles with The Grey Muzzle Organization and Cat-Friendly Practice Council (2014–2018)
- Co-author, AAHA Weight Management Guidelines (2014)
- Ran for North Carolina State Senate (District 8), a campaign driven in large part by his advocacy for stronger animal-protection laws, including the regulation of commercial dog breeding (2014)
- Adjunct Professor, Beijing University (2015)
- Founder, Project 25: Pet Life Extension Initiative (2015)
- U.S. patent holder, Smart Bowl Feeding System (2016)
- Co-author, Veterinary Clinics of North America: Obesity in Small Animals (2016)
- Host and founder, The Veterinary Viewfinder podcast (2016–present)
- Columnist, Dogster Magazine, The Vet Is In (2017–2023)
- Board roles with Mission Rabies and Veterinary Sports Medicine Institute (2017)
- Co-founder, Wild Earth Pets and VerticalVet (2017–2018)
- Veterinary Medical Lead, Basepaws pet genetics (later acquired by Zoetis)
- Veterinary Journalist of the Year (2018)
- Co-author of Better You, Better Dog, Better Life and The Clean Pet Food Revolution (2019)
- Keynote speaker, SAVMA Symposium at the University of Georgia, honored for outstanding contribution to the veterinary profession (2019)
- Scientific Advisory Board, Morris Animal Foundation (2022–2024)
2020–Present
- Founder and President, Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) (2005–Present)
- Founder, World Pet Obesity Association (WPOA) (2022–Present)
- Chief Veterinary Officer and Co-Founder, VerticalVet (2018–Present)
- Scientific Committee and Practice Management Chair, Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC) (2013–Present)
- Chair, WSAVA Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) (2025–Present)
- Member, World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Financial Advisory Committee (2024–Present)
- Board of Directors, Morris Animal Foundation, Animal Welfare Committee (2024–Present)
- Animal Welfare Advisory Board, Morris Animal Foundation (2022–Present)
- Board of Directors, Grey Muzzle Organization (2014–Present)
- Board of Directors, CATalyst Council (2024–Present)
- Board of Directors, Mission Rabies (2017–Present)
- Advisory Board Member, Wedgewood / Blue Rabbit (2023–Present)
- Co-founder, Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown, mobilizing more than 2,900 veterinary professionals to petition the AVMA to end ventilation shutdown as a method of farm-animal depopulation (2020–Present)
- Co-author, Veterinary Clinical Obesity: A Multidisciplinary Approach, forthcoming (Wiley, 2026–2027)
- Author, “Canine Osteoarthritis and Chronic Pain,” chapter in a forthcoming Wiley title (2026)
- Contributing author, Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team (Wiley, 2021)
- Vetty Award winner, Podcast, Veterinary Viewfinder (NAVC/VMX, 2021)
- Columnist, Opening Shots, Today’s Veterinary Business (Present)
- Named #6, Consult Clarity’s 50 Essential Thought Leaders in Veterinary Medicine
- Bridge Club Bright Mind Award, “Industry Influencer,” Veterinary Viewfinder podcast (2026)
