# Mark L. Cushing

> Mark L. Cushing is the founder and CEO of Animal Policy Group, a lawyer and political strategist, and the author of Pet Nation. His career connects government relations, animal welfare, educational institutions and the cultural and economic consequences of Americans treating pets as family.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Animal Policy Group, LLC
- **Organizations:** Animal Policy Group, LLC, Veterinary Virtual Care Association, Lincoln Memorial University, Lewis & Clark Law School, University of Oregon School of Law, Tonkon Torp, Winstead Sechrest & Minick
- **Education:** Honors graduate with distinction; studied medieval and Renaissance history, Stanford University, JD, Willamette University College of Law
- **Known for:** Founded Animal Policy Group., Authored Pet Nation, published by Avery/Penguin Random House., Received the 2023 VIS Veterinary Innovation Award.

## Career timeline

- **1975** — Stanford graduating class, as identified by Stanford magazine.
- **Early career; dates not specified** — Taught history and coached basketball at a Jesuit preparatory school in Los Angeles before law school.
- **Early career; dates not specified** — Practiced business litigation in Oregon before moving into government relations and corporate leadership.
- **2004** — Official biography dates his animal-sector specialization to 2004.
- **2005** — His first-person 2020 account dates the congressional microchip-coalition assignment to 2005.
- **2010** — By this year, he said all his professional time was devoted to the pet sector.
- **2017** — Began the Politics and Policy column at Today’s Veterinary Business.
- **2018** — Literary agent Kitty Cowles approached him in May about the book that became Pet Nation.
- **2020** — Avery published Pet Nation on September 8.
- **2023** — Received the VIS Veterinary Innovation Award.
- **2026** — Remained on the Veterinary Virtual Care Association board following the appointment of Jessica May as president.

## Achievements

- Founded Animal Policy Group.
- Authored Pet Nation, published by Avery/Penguin Random House.
- Received the 2023 VIS Veterinary Innovation Award.
- Co-founded the Veterinary Virtual Care Association.
- Guided successful accreditations for veterinary colleges.
- Served as adjunct faculty at multiple law schools.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Jessica May succeeded him as board president at the Veterinary Virtual Care Association; he remained a board member.
- **2026-02** — Published Arizona to Florida to Toronto and Back, describing January conference travel.
- **2025-02** — Published Can We Make It Easier to Have Dogs?, discussing housing and workplace barriers to pet ownership.

## Links

- Website: https://www.marklcushing.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklcushing/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/cushingapg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark.l.cushing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marklcushing

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mark-l-cushing
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22