Helping people see animals differently.
The Wild One Project brings together veterinary knowledge, storytelling, and education to help people better understand animals and take their needs seriously.
That can begin with a child giving a dog space. A family recognizing a change in their senior pet. Or a conversation about how to watch wildlife without disturbing them. The setting changes. The responsibility to care remains.
Tiffany Ruiz, VMD, cVMA | Veterinarian, author, and founder
Meet "Dr. Wild"
I'm Dr. Tiffany Ruiz, also known as "Dr. Wild". I earned my undergraduate degree at Brown University and my veterinary degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
My career began in small animal practice and expanded into pet nutrition and education. Across that work, I've seen how much changes when people understand the animal in front of them: their behavior, their needs, and the things they cannot tell us in words.
Becoming a mother made that work feel even more personal. I wanted my children to grow up loving animals and knowing how to treat them with care. That means understanding that affection should respect boundaries, that an animal can need space, and that our curiosity should consider their wellbeing.
I wrote Speaking Dog Is My Superpower to help families begin those conversations. Through Wild Wisdom, I'm extending that learning into the natural world, connecting children's curiosity about wildlife with empathy and conservation.
The Wild One Project is the home for all of it.
My hope is that children grow up understanding animals more deeply and recognizing that their own choices can make a difference.
Understand them. Respect them. Protect them.
My mission is to help people understand animals as individuals with needs of their own,
and give families and educators practical ways to turn that understanding into compassionate action.
Curiosity that leads to care
We begin by paying attention. What is this animal communicating? What do they need? How might our actions affect them?
We connect those questions with accessible science, meaningful stories, and things people can do in their own homes and communities. Children are part of that work, with adults beside them to guide and support their learning.
You belong here if you want to understand them better.
Whether you're raising a child with a dog, teaching a classroom, caring for an aging pet, or wondering how to help wildlife, there's a place to begin.