Mark Cushing

Mark is the CEO and Founder of the Animal Policy Group, LLC, based in Scottsdale, AZ, Portland, OR, and Washington, DC. APG’s clients represent a wide-range of veterinary and pet health interests.

Mark focuses his practice on providing high-level strategic advice, state and federal lobbying, regulatory and policy services and consulting to animal health and veterinary clients with needs at any level of government, and universities and industry groups throughout North America. Since 2004, Mark has specialized in animal health, animal welfare, veterinary and veterinary educational issues, developing a cutting-edge practice across these sectors. He currently leads several industry coalitions and initiatives. Mark has guided successful AVMA accreditations for a growing list of veterinary colleges, including new veterinary school accreditations.

Mark is a frequent speaker at veterinary medicine and other animal policy conferences. He is a previous adjunct professor of law at the 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.

Most recently, Mark is the author of Pet Nation, a book being released by Penguin Random House on September 8 that illustrates an inside look at the forces behind how our pets become treasured members of the family. Pet Nation focuses on the last 20 years and how pets have gone from living in the backyard to sleeping on our beds, and now show up outside of the home 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.