LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Wag!, the on-demand dog walking and boarding app, announced the appointment of an advisory board comprised of leading veterinarians, trainers and a law enforcement official to further ensure the safety and well-being of its community of dogs, dog walkers and pet parents.
Heather Rothenberg, PhD, who recently joined Wag! in the newly created role of Vice President of Trust & Safety, will oversee the council. She has in-depth experience managing safety strategy and policy for several organizations including Uber and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The advisory board will play a key role in continuing to improve the company's screening process for walkers and sitters, advance dog safety protocols, and create educational content for pet parents, walkers and sitters.
"The care and safety of your dog is not a responsibility we take lightly," said Wag! CEO Hilary Schneider. "With the appointment of our advisory board and Heather Rothenberg's broad expertise, we have assembled some of the best talent to ensure we're always forward-thinking when it comes to the safety of the pets, walkers and pet parents who use the Wag! platform."
Wag!'s advisory board includes:
- Diane Levitan, VMD: Practicing veterinary medicine since 1991, Dr. Levitan is a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist who has built four veterinary practices and introduced many new concepts into the field of veterinary medicine, such as creating the first hospital in the world where families could stay overnight with their pets, pioneering the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for animals, and creating a traveling CT scan company. In 2009, she started a not-for-profit organization, Helping-Promote Animal Welfare (Helping-PAW), which has aided thousands of pets and pet owners on Long Island by providing high-quality and affordable sterilization services to homeless and companion pets and subsidized care for pets whose owners are on government assistance.
- Ann Eliopulos, DVM: As a graduate of the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Eliopulos has been actively involved in emergency medicine, shelter/rescue medicine, and general practice. She has been part of the veterinary profession in many capacities for 36 years, including being a faculty member at a teaching hospital in Denver where she taught and mentored many Colorado State fourth-year veterinary students. With 10 years of experience as a medical director, she has helped grow a general practice into what is now one of San Diego's premier veterinary and urgent care facilities.
- Robert Cabral, dog trainer: Cabral has evaluated and trained thousands of shelter dogs to ensure re-homing through his nonprofit, Bound Angels. His theories and techniques are used by animal shelters throughout the U.S. in dealing with difficult dogs and helping to make them more adoptable. Over the last 10 years, Cabral has trained most every breed and temperament of dog. Through his private practice in the Los Angeles area, he has trained family pets and titled competitive obedience, protection and sport dogs.
- Mike White, retired law enforcement agent: White is widely recognized worldwide as one of the most experienced, senior experts in private client security services, executive protection and special event security. His 26-year U.S. Secret Service career included responsibility for all protective measures for the U.S. President, First Lady, First Family, and White House Complex, as well as service on the elite Presidential Protective Division for the last five U.S. Presidents. Today, as the head of Hillard Heintze's private client and family office services practice, he serves as a trusted security advisor to private clients and their families across the United States and the world.
For more information and to learn more about Wag!, visit: www.wagwalking.com.
About Wag!
Wag!'s mobile app gives pet parents more flexibility to manage everyday life and instant access to experienced and trustworthy dog walkers in their communities. Wag! walks are insured and bonded, and every walker must pass a robust vetting process before being invited to walk dogs on the platform. Wag! walkers have completed more than 5.3 million miles of dog walks – the equivalent distance to walking around the earth a combined 201 times and burned an estimated 719 million calories. Wag! donates proceeds from every walk to the Rescue Bank and has provided than 5 million meals to shelter dogs across the United States.
SOURCE Wag!
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