Gary Weitzman
DVM, MPH, CAWA

President and CEO

Gary Weitzman, DVM, MPH, CAWA, joined San Diego Humane Society as president and CEO in 2012. A certified animal welfare administrator, he has served as chair of the board of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and currently serves as president of the California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals). He also continues to serve on the boards of Shelter Animals Count and Project Chimps, a nonprofit sanctuary dedicated to providing lifelong care to former research chimpanzees retired from medical laboratories. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he earned a double BA in Biology and English from Colby College, a master’s in international public health from Boston University and his DVM from Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Gary was the former co-host of the nationally distributed public radio program “The Animal House,” which ran for seven years, and is the author of eleven books published by National Geographic, including “Everything Dogs,” “How to Speak Dog,” “How to Speak Cat,” “The Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior and Happiness,” "The Pet Lover's Guide," "Fetch" and "Pounce," and from National Geographic Kids are “Dog Breed Guide” and “Cat Breed Guide.”