Thomas Edling, DVM, MSpVM, MPH

Chief Veterinary Officer and Animal Ethicist

Biography

Thomas Edling (Tom), DVM, MSpVM, MPH is the Chief Veterinary Officer and Animal Ethicist for American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization. He previously served for two years as the Chief Veterinary Advisor for American Humane’s iconic “No Animals Were Harmed®” program, which oversees the protection of nearly 100,000 animal actors each year on film and television productions.

With more than a quarter century of high-level veterinary experience, Dr. Edling worked with American Humane to provide critically important public education messaging designed to prevent the relinquishment of pets, and, following a number of high-profile airline incidents involving pets, has served as a Scientific Advisory Committee member to improve the safety and welfare of animals in air transport.

With a special interest in avian and non-traditional companion animal health and animal ethics, Edling has researched, published, and lectured extensively, and since 2008 has served as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Edling worked for several years in his role as President and CEO of Edling Consulting, LLC, to advise and create humane solutions for the pet industry. As Vice President of Veterinary Medicine for Petco Animal Supplies for 15 years, Edling developed vital programs in public health, working with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Pet Advocacy Network (PAN), National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) and other federal and state organizations.

Edling received his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He went on to earn a Master of Specialized Veterinary Medicine (MSpVM) degree from North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine while concurrently completing a residency program in Companion and Wild Avian Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Edling received his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is currently in a Master of Study (MSt) program in Practical Ethics at University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.