Dr. Ernie Ward
Veterinarian, author, entrepreneur, and advocate for healthier pets, stronger veterinary teams, and better clinical care.
For more than three decades, Dr. Ward has worked across clinical practice, media, publishing, technology, and global veterinary leadership. He is best known for helping bring pet obesity, nutrition, senior pet care, and veterinary wellness into everyday clinical conversation.
A veterinarian first
Dr. Ernie Ward is a veterinarian, author, entrepreneur, speaker, and longtime advocate for pets and the people who care for them. His career has connected exam rooms, veterinary teams, media, publishing, technology, and global professional service with one practical goal: better everyday care.
From founding the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention to advancing clinical conversations around obesity medicine, senior pet care, nutrition, and responsible innovation, Dr. Ward has spent his career translating large health challenges into tools, language, and systems veterinary teams can use.
Four areas of work. One mission.
Two organizations, a forthcoming Wiley clinical reference, and work on responsible AI share one goal: helping pets and the people who care for them live longer, healthier lives.
Advocacy & Education
Association for Pet Obesity Prevention
Founded in 2005, APOP gives pet owners and veterinary teams practical tools for weight management and client education, plus the annual pet obesity prevalence survey it has run since 2007.
Visit APOP →
Clinical & Professional Standards
World Pet Obesity Association
WPOA advances clinical definitions, education, and professional tools for diagnosing, classifying, and managing obesity in companion animals.
Visit WPOA →
Forthcoming
A resource for clinical obesity
A multidisciplinary Wiley clinical reference, in development, introducing a practical four-tier classification framework for obesity assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring in dogs and cats.
About the book →
Responsible AI
Guardrails for AI in veterinary practice
Helping the profession decide how AI should enter veterinary practice, with a focus on clinical judgment, patient safety, workflow, and ethics.
A career across veterinary medicine
Dr. Ward’s perspective is grounded in work he has done firsthand: owning a veterinary hospital, training teams, building companies, advising emerging technologies, and developing practical tools for everyday veterinary care.
Experience rooted in practice
Dr. Ward built and ran an award-winning veterinary hospital for more than two decades, work that shaped two of his books on veterinary teams and the client experience.
Working beyond borders
Dr. Ward serves in international leadership and advisory roles, including chair of WSAVA’s Strategic Advisory Committee, the WSAVA Financial Advisory Committee, the Morris Animal Foundation Scientific and Animal Welfare Advisory Boards, the Grey Muzzle Organization, and Mission Rabies.
Building tools for practices
As co-founder and Chief Veterinary Officer of VetFamily US, a group purchasing organization serving thousands of clinics, Dr. Ward has long supported independent practice ownership, home diagnostics, and connected pet-health devices.
Tackling the toughest topics in vet med
Since 2016, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, have co-hosted The Veterinary Viewfinder Podcast, an award-winning weekly conversation on the issues shaping veterinary medicine. From practice culture and leadership to clinical controversy, client communication, technology, and the future of care, the podcast brings candid, practical conversations to veterinary professionals.
Learn more about Veterinary Viewfinder
Boundaries Aren’t Selfish—They Keep You in Vet Med
Why does taking PTO or leaving on time feel like letting the team down? Ernie and Beckie unpack the guilt veterinary professionals carry when they step away, and what clinic leaders can do about it.
A trusted voice
Dr. Ward brings a practical, experienced voice to veterinary conferences, media interviews, panels, and industry conversations. His work connects clinical care, communication, team culture, business leadership, and the future of pet health.
- Speaker of the Year, VMX and WVC conferences
- Lectures across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia
- Named #6 on Consult Clarity’s 50 Essential Thought Leaders in Veterinary Medicine, globally
- 2018 Veterinary Journalist of the Year
- Briefed the U.S. Congress on veterinary drug policy, 2024
- Resident veterinarian, the Rachael Ray Show (2007–2014)
Books, columns, and clinical references
Books by Dr. Ward: The Clean Pet Food Revolution, Chow Hounds, and Better You, Better Dog, Better Life, along with Creating the Veterinary Experience and Creating the Veterinary Appointment, practical guides to veterinary team training and the client experience.
Practical thinking on practice, leadership, and care
Opening Shots · Today’s Veterinary Business
Dr. Ward’s long-running Opening Shots column for Today’s Veterinary Business answers real questions from veterinary teams on practice management, leadership, communication, culture, and the changing realities of veterinary work.
Dr. Ward has written for the veterinary profession since 1999, including more than 50 articles for Veterinary Economics on practice management, leadership, client communication, and team training.
Help pets and people live healthier lives.
For interviews, speaking engagements, collaborations, or questions about Dr. Ward’s work, email is the fastest way to get in touch.