About this item
In the last 20 years pets have gone from the backyard to sleeping on our beds, then showing up in every corner of America. Pet Nation tells the story of this seismic shift and the economic, media, legal, political, and social dramas springing from this cultural transformation.Since 1998 the pet population in the U.S. has almost doubled -- about two-thirds of the country now owns a pet. No longer left to wander the neighborhood, dogs and cats eat special food, get individualized medical attention, and even fly in the cabin. As founder of the Animal Policy Group, Mark Cushing provides an inside look at the rise of Pet Nation, tracking the myriad ways pets are acquired (a "Canine Freedom Train" runs south to north) , reporting on pet rights legislation (and the unseen problems that come with elevating their status) , pet healthcare (revealing the truth and myths about large scale breeders) , and discovering that despite what many organizations would have us believe, there is a shortage of dogs.
About the Author
Mark is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Animal Policy Group, LLC, based in Scottsdale, Portland and Los Angeles. APG's clients represent a wide-range of pet health, animal welfare and veterinary educational interests. Mark focuses his practice on providing high-level strategic advice, government advocacy, regulatory and policy services to animal health and veterinary clients with needs at any level of government, and universities and industry groups throughout North America. Mark is a frequent speaker at veterinary medicine and other animal policy conferences. He is a former partner of major regional and national law firms and served as an adjunct professor of law at the LMU Duncan School of Law in Knoxville, Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, and the University of Oregon School of Law. He is an Honors graduate with distinction from Stanford University and the Willamette University College of Law.
