Dr. John Iovino, DVM

Dr. Iovino is part of our team of experts behind The Wildest’s Ask a Vet tool. He graduated from from Boston University, then completed his pre-veterinary course work at Harvard. He later graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. His main interests include education, preventative care, renal disease, nutrition, behavior, and exotics. On his days off, he enjoys hiking in the Cascade Mountains in Portland, Oregon. He has a 10-year-old Terrier mix, Tracy, as well as a ball python named Leslie, a bearded dragon named Ron, two Red Foot tortoises (Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa Saperstein), and an African Side Neck turtle named Anne. It’s safe to say the Parks and Recreation cast is well represented in his home.

What inspired you to work with animals?

I would say that the desire and inspiration to work with animals started very early.  I think wild animals were sort of the trigger. I remember as a kid being fascinated that something like a cheetah can run up to 70 mph, and so the interest in animals grew from there. My first boss came to my middle school when I was 15 and I remember her talking about being a veterinarian and afterwards, I went up to her and asked her if I could help. 

Kinship’s purpose is to help everyone “pet parent like pros.” What does that mission mean to you?  

For me, helping everyone “pet parent like pros” involves helping people find the most accurate and up-to-date information and resources that they can with regards to their pet so that they can make the best decisions for the benefit of everyone's well-being.  

What keeps you motivated to help pets (and their parents)?

What motivates me the most is probably to ensure that I can do my part in keeping the human-animal-bond strong between pets and their owners. Animals are a huge part of many people’s lives in all forms and helping to keep pets healthy keeps that bond strong in our society, and it no doubt benefits us as a whole. 

What is your best piece of advice to pet parents?  

I think my best piece of advice is have fun, be engaged with your pet, and be as prepared and educated as possible.  

What’s the wildest part of your job?

I would say in every job I’ve done as a vet, never knowing what’s going to come your way in terms of problems or cases that need help feels wild at times. So that keeps things challenging, engaging, and energetic.