Founding Committee
Ernie Ward, DVM
Dr. Ernie Ward, “America’s Pet Advocate,” is an award-winning veterinarian and internationally-known speaker, media personality, author, and consultant. He founded the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention and is currently co-owner of two veterinary companies. His most recent book, The Clean Pet Food Revolution, tackles sustainability and the environmental impact of pet food and the benefits of plant-based pet diets. Dr. Ward is also creator of the popular veterinary podcast, Veterinary Viewfinder and the YouTube channel Off Label Veterinary News.
Crystal Heath, DVM
Dr. Crystal Heath is a resident of Berkeley, California and a graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Heath is a veterinarian working in shelter medicine and high quality high volume spay neuter. She is a member of the Animal Care Commission for the City of Berkeley. She has a lifelong love of animals and enjoys volunteering in rural communities and providing veterinary services to needy populations.
Don DeForge, VMD
Dr. DeForge is the Immediate Past President of the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics. Dr. DeForge is Chair of The Global Veterinary Ethics Congress. This organization addresses connections between Ethics and the Human-Animal Bond. It collaborates with major US veterinary organizations resulting in the establishment of a consortium which is collaborative, synergistic, and enlightening. He is the Medical Director of the Silver Sands Veterinary Network in Connecticut. Dr. DeForge is a consultant in Advanced Medicine and Oral Surgery and is the Oral Consultant at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Ct. where he performs oral procedures on multiple species of the Animal Kingdom. Find out more here.
Daniela Castillo, DVM
Daniela Castillo is a Mexican Veterinarian born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico who is very passionate about animal rights, wildlife and environmentalism. Her dream as a child was always to help animals with her own hands.
Currently she works performing High Volume High Quality Spay and Neuter surgeries and practicing shelter medicine for several non-profit organizations. She also does pro-bono work for a farm animal sanctuary in the San Fernando Valley.
Dr. Castillo visualizes and works for a future world where all animals are free of pain and a cruel and unnecessary death. She envisions a world where Veterinarians will be the main defenders of these simple rights for animals.
Sherstin Rosenberg, DVM
Dr. Sherstin Rosenberg is the Executive Director of Happy Hen Animal Sanctuary, and has testified as an expert witness in several animal cruelty cases involving large commercial animal agriculture operations. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) at the University of California at Davis in 1998 and her undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1991. In 2017 she was awarded the “Humane Veterinary Award” from the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA). Dr. Rosenberg has been the full time staff veterinarian at Happy Hen Animal Sanctuary since 2014, caring for the nearly 250 resident pigs, cattle, goats, sheep, turkeys, chickens, and ducks.
Melanie Donofro, DVM
Dr. Melanie Donofro is a graduate of Auburn University’s Animal and Dairy Science Program and College of Veterinary Medicine. During her education she studied Swine Production, Beef Cattle Production and various other large animal production training. She has served on the Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine and alumni board of Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Donofro is a board member of the local humane society where she is an advocate for rescuing, rehabilitating and adopting out stray or unwanted pets. Once she learned about VSD being used to kill large numbers of pigs and poultry, she became very passionate about stopping this inhumane method of killing food animals.