Marty Becker

Marty Becker was born and raised in potato country on a small family farm in Southern Idaho. They had dairy and beef cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, and, of course, dogs and cats. Their cats were mostly feral and lived in the shadows of the haystacks and farm buildings. Until about the time of the Beatles’ invasion of the USA and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, all of the Becker dogs – two Labrador Retrievers and a Toy Manchester Terrier – were outdoor-only dogs.

He went to veterinary school to become a dairy practitioner, but after listening to an amazing introductory talk from Dean Leo Bustad about the human-animal bond, he switched to a companion animal focus the first hour of the first day of veterinary school. Dean Bustad took a special interest in him, and he not only got a great veterinary medical education at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, but Marty became privy to and partners with his pioneering work with the human-animal bond and the human-animal health connection.