Veterinarian and veterinary behavior consultant in practice since 1984, Dr. Stefanie Schwartz earned her undergraduate degree in Psychobiology/Animal Behavior from McGill University before completing her veterinary degree and graduate thesis in Ethology (the study of animal behavior) from the University of Montreal. Dr. Schwartz is a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. She is inspired by her patients and sustained by her own 5 cats (Hershel Walker, Gracie Allen, Teddi Honey, Angelica Darling, and Eden Serene), and 2 dogs- a Saluki (Aliya Celeste) and a Boston Terrier (Georgyanna Punkin). A native of Montreal, Canada, Dr. Schwartz lives in Massachusetts with her daughters Julia and Alana. 

Affectionately called "Dr. Cookie" by many of her clients due to her tendency to spoil her patients with pet treats (to reinforce desirable behavior, of course!), Dr. Schwartz is so strongly associated with this endearing nickname that Dr. Cookie^® is now her trademark. 

The award-winning author of many books, book chapters, and dozens of scientific journal articles, Dr. Schwartz continues to contribute new knowledge to the field of veterinary behavior. Her goal is to preserve and enrich the bond between pet and owner by resolving undesirable behavior patterns in companion animals. She treats dogs and cats primarily but also is successful with pet rabbits, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, ferrets, captive wild animals, horses, farm animals, and birds. Dr. Schwartz is Director of Behavior Services at VCA South Shore Animal Hospital in So. Weymouth, Massachusetts, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine of Tufts University, and active in many professional organizations. Dr. Schwartz is a guest lecturer at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. She also consults with veterinarians across the US and beyond as the resident behavior specialist for Antech Diagnostics Inc., the largest veterinary laboratory in the country, in a free service to the veterinary community in an effort to help them with behavior cases. 

"One can measure the greatness and the moral progress of a nation by looking at how she treats her animals."  

Mahatma Gandhi

Last modified on
Tuesday, September 19, 2006