Famous Animal Author, Advocate Dr. Marty Becker Coming to St. John Nov. 20
By Bonny Corbeil
The St. John Animal Care Center has a very special person, Dr. Marty Becker, to introduce to our community this Tuesday, November 20, thanks to ACC board member Bill Dove. There will be a reception and book signing at the St. John Artists’ Association at the Lumberyard from 3 to 5 p.m., where residents will have the opportunity to meet Becker, purchase one of his books and have it personally signed. This event is open to the public.
Following the book signing will be a private reception at Rendezvous by the Sea villa, home of ACC board member Nancy Louis, hosted by the ACC board of directors. This will include drinks and hors d’ouevres for a donation of $25. All proceeds will benefit the good work of the St. John ACC.
Animal lovers should not miss this event. It will be a very special and exciting evening. For more information or tickets call the ACC at 774-1625 or contact any ACC board member.
Don’t know who Dr. Marty Becker is? Well, read on…
As a veterinarian, media personality, author, lecturer, educator, contributor, influencer and recipient of many prestigious awards, Dr. Marty Becker has become known as the “best loved family doctor for pets.” Through education and entertainment, Becker strengthens that special relationship between pets and people he calls, “the bond.”
For more than 10 years, Becker has been the popular veterinary contributor to ABC’s Good Morning America. More recently, he started appearing on Good Morning America Weekend. He has also taped special features called the GMA Pet Clinic, which are one-minute vignettes on topics such as giving medications, stopping bleeding and taking a pet’s temperature.
Becker has also hosted a nationwide PBS pledge special produced by Detroit Public Television called “The Pet Doctor With Marty Becker.” Additionally, he has appeared on Animal Planet, and is a frequent guest on many national network and cable TV and radio shows.
Becker’s syndicated column, Pet Connection, is carried internationally by the Universal Press Syndicate. Becker has been a contributing editor for Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy and has written for Reader’s Digest. He was also the chief veterinary correspondent for Amazon.com.
Becker serves as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He also served as the practice leadership editor for Veterinary Economics magazine, a position he held for almost 15 years.
As an author, Becker has a record few can match. He is co-author of the fastest-selling pet book in history, “Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul.” With famed human obesity expert, Dr. Robert Kushner of Northwestern University, Becker wrote the top-selling “Fitness Unleashed: A Dog and Owner’s Guide to Losing Weight and Gaining Health Together!” Teaming up with Gina Spadafori, he authored two best-sellers, “Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet (a New York Times best-seller) and “Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet.” Most recently, Becker and Spadafori released three new books, “Why Do Horses Sleep Standing Up,” “bowWOW” and “meowWOW.” In addition, his “The Healing Power of Pets: Harnessing the Amazing Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy” was awarded the prestigious Silver Award in the National Health Information Awards.
Becker has been featured on several television stations and in publications including the New York Times, Reader’s Digest and Newsweek. He has lectured at the Smithsonian Institute and at every veterinary school in America. On six continents and in dozens of countries, Becker has been a leader in changing the way we interact with and take responsibility for our pet companions. He is the recipient of several professional honors and awards including the American Veterinary Medical Association’s prestigious Bustad Award, as the Companion Animal Veteran of the Year. Becker has served as the national spokesperson for the AVMA’s inaugural National Pet Wellness Month, a duty he repeated the next year.
Becker devotes his life to his family, which includes his beloved wife of 29 years, Teresa; daughter Mikkel and son Lex; along with the dogs, horses and cats of the family’s Almost Heaven Ranch in northern Idaho.