Welcome to Vetstreet
Published on August 10, 2011
As a veterinarian with more than 30 years of experience, I know how desperate people are for expert, accurate information to help them better care for their pets.
It’s amazing how difficult such information is to find on the Internet.
That’s not to say you can’t find a lot of information on caring for pets — you can. It’s just that the majority of it is wrong, for any number of reasons.
Getting Accurate Veterinary Information
Sometimes when searching for helpful advice on the web, you come across someone selling the proverbial snake oil, a worthless or possibly dangerous remedy for a pet’s illness or behavior problem. Other times the issue is that the site offers long-outdated advice or trades in urban myths. How can someone who’s not a veterinarian figure out which sites offer accurate, clinically proven information and which do not?
This is something we veterinarians deal with every day. Pet owners walk into our offices with reams of printouts and figure that if they have read something on the web it must be true. And though veterinarians love to work with well-informed pet lovers who do their homework, we’re not that fond of spending our time countering the nonsense. If only there were a site we could recommend, that we knew offered information written and reviewed by experts and — always — based on the best thinking and practices of modern veterinary medicine.
The situation has bothered me for a long, long time.
Why I Picked Vetstreet as My Internet Home
I’m more than a practicing veterinarian. I’m also the veterinarian for Good Morning America and The Dr. Oz Show, and I’m the author of more than 20 books on pet care. People call me “America’s Veterinarian” and ask me for pet advice whenever they recognize me. I don’t mind. I’m always working to share the best advice, whether to one person in an exam room or millions on TV. My life and work are inspired by what I call “The Bond” — the idea that animals are good for people in countless ways. (And vice versa!)
Despite my high profile, I’ve long wanted to do even more for pets and people, which is what brings me to Vetstreet.
You can imagine how many offers I get as the Good Morning America veterinarian. Countless internet start-ups have asked me to dance, yet few got past the first do-si-do. And not one has ever managed to get me interested enough to start courting. That’s because none of them were doing what I wanted to see: a focus on pets and the people who love them, and on accurate, expert health information written or reviewed by veterinarians, trainers, and other true pet care experts.
Now I’m no pushover for a strong sales pitch. My decision to join Vetstreet was long in the making. I knew the people who ran the company, knew that they were — and are — folks I trust. They are straight shooters with a love of people, pets, and the veterinary profession. And when I met the editorial team, I was impressed by their vision, abilities, and commitment. The information on Vetstreet isn’t just someone’s opinion, nor is anyone trying to sell anything that doesn’t work or that pets don’t need. Vetstreet brings the experts, every day and in every way.
I believe in Vetstreet, which is why I am here. It is also why my dog trainer daughter, Mikkel Becker, is here as well. We are animal lovers above all. And the next generation is already on the same path: My granddaughter’s first “words” were a bark. (Proud grandfather that I am, I have it on video.)
And now I welcome you to the Vetstreet family. Our aim is to become your No. 1 resource on the Internet for all things animal, a place not only to do research but also to share the benefits of The Bond with other animal lovers.
Healthy, happy pets mean healthier, happier people. Join me here on Vetstreet to find out how you can both thrive … together.