Dr. Valarie Tynes is a native of Fort Worth Texas. She attended Texas A&M University and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1987. She has worked in private practice, both as an associate, a relief veterinarian and a practice owner. Her special interests have always included animal behavior problems, miniature pigs and other exotic pets. She completed her residency in Clinical Animal Behavior at the University of California at Davis in 2003. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a frequent speaker at professional meetings around the world. She has authored numerous articles and chapters on the care of miniature pet pigs in addition to a variety of other behavior related topics. She is the editor of the recently published book The Behavior of Exotic Pets. She currently provides consulting services for zoos, pharmaceutical companies, veterinarians and pet owners.