Myrna Milani, BS, DVM

Myrna Milani earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Capital University (Columbus, Ohio) and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Her interest in and study of the relationship between humans and animals as it affects the health and behavior of both led her to write seven books for the general public:

Additionally, Dr. Milani has written a behavior- and bond-based veterinary text, The Art of Veterinary Practice A Guide to Client Communication (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995), the script for an audio tape, Understanding Your Cat’s Behavior, for the general public for Proof in Advance Education Corporation, as well as scripts for the internationally broadcast “Pet Care Minutes,” sponsored by Merck Pharmaceuticals and the American Veterinary Medical Association. She also wrote the monthly “Mind of the Dog” column for Cornell University’s DogWatch newsletter for the general public, and the monthly “Golden Triangle” column for Veterinary Forum about owner, animal, and veterinarian interactions. Her essays appear in The Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior (2004) and The Encyclopedia of the Human-Animal Bond (2007), both published by Greenwood Press and edited by Marc Bekoff. Since 2003 she has written a bi-monthly bond- and behavior-based column on client communication for The Canadian Veterinary Journal. Additionally she serves on the inaugural editorial board of the Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative (www.habri.org), an organization dedicated to making research and other relevant material on the bond available free of charge to scholars and the public.

Dr. Milani’s other professional activities include presenting material at professional meetings sponsored by the Illinois and New Hampshire state veterinary associations, Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association, Midwestern Veterinary Conference, North American Veterinary Conference, Student American Veterinary Medical Association Symposium, International Society of Anthrozoology, Association of Animal Behavioral Professionals, International Association of Animal Behavioral Consultants, Tuft’s Center for Animals and Public Policy, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and the New England Federation of Humane Societies. Topics explored include feline behavior, the physiological, behavioral, and bond factors associated with companion canine aggression, the role of human and animal emotion as it relates to companion animal health and behavior, feline elimination problems, and the fundamentals of ethology for animal-care professionals.  She served as keynote speaker at the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation’s “Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine” program at Purdue University and the Sheba Symposium on Feline Health and Behavior in Vienna, Austria, and as plenary speaker for the International Society of Anthrozoology. In 2009, she was awarded the Lilly Lectureship for the advancement of veterinary and public understanding of the human-companion animal bond. She has taught Animal Behavior, Wildlife Ecology and Bioethics on the college level, and courses in companion animal behavior and the bond for the general public.

In addition to doing private behavior/bond client consultations primarily on a referral basis, she serves as a consultant to non-profit and for-profit organizations regarding animal-related issues. As a function of her previous work as a spokesperson, she discussed canine and feline care and behavioral problems with thousands of owners and professionals at shows and events, including those in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit, Dallas, Miami, and New York City (Madison Square Garden). She has been interviewed regarding various aspects of the human-animal bond on numerous television shows including “Today,” “Regis and Kathy Lee,” “Good Morning New York,” and the “NBC Nightly News.” Her television credits also include an hour show on feline behavior for ESPN. The author also has contributed to articles published in the “Miami Herald,” “Los Angeles Times,” “Chicago Tribune,” “Christian Science Monitor, API and Reuters news services papers, plus “Parenting,” “New Woman,” “Dog Fancy,” “Cat Fancy,” “DogWorld,” “The Whole Dog Journal,” “Prevention,” and other magazines. In addition to supplying information for articles in “Prevention,” she has served as a source of bond- and behavioral information for other Rodale Press publications such as their pet magazine and health books for the general public, and assisted Bulldog Productions in compiling the background for the Rodale-sponsored, award-winning PBS series, “Pets in the Family” on which she appeared in two segments. Her radio work runs the gamut from three-hour listener call-in marathons in San Francisco and Indianapolis, to in-depth discussions of specific behavior or bond-related topics. In keeping with the times, her work has expanded to include on-line interviews, blogging, and podcasting. Her blog and podcasts have been named one of the top 50 written by veterinarians and one of the top 100 for pet owners by the staff of Veterinary Technician Schools Online.

The author has spoken to a wide variety of public and professional organizations on different aspects of animal behavior and/or the human-animal relationship, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians, trainers, behavioral consultants, shelter and rescue group personnel, breeders, and the general public. She enjoys a close working relationship with veterinarians nationwide who call her regarding behavioral/ bond problems and who refer clients to her. Additionally, the eclectic nature of her studies of the human-animal bond have led her to develop a network of trainers, breeders, psychologists, sociologists, ecologists, ethologists, shelter personnel, wildlife experts, law enforcement officials, and other professionals with whom she routinely shares personal observations and material. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the International Society of Anthrozoology, the International Society of Applied Ethology, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, the the American Society of Veterinary Behavior, the Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement, and past president and current member of the New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Milani is the founder and owner of TippingPoint Inc., an organization devoted to the advancement of our understanding of the interaction between animal health, behavior, and the human-animal relationship. She lives in Charlestown, New Hampshire.