Dr. Zach Houghtaling is a Pacific Northwest native. He was born in Oregon State and grew up north of Seattle, Washington, near the Puget Sound. He grew up playing baseball and basketball from the age of three to the end of high school and has always been a huge Seattle Seahawks fan.

After graduating from the University of Washington, where he researched aquatic and fishery sciences, he attended Washington State University's Veterinary school. His focus has been on small animal medicine with a special interest in dentistry.

Outside of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Houghtaling is married to his high school sweetheart, Priya, and they have two girl cats, Shasta, a domestic shorthair, and Bindi, a Siamese. Dr. Houghtaling loves exploring the outdoors through hiking and on motorcycles. He has owned five different motorcycles and has ridden in Europe and India. He also loves watching movies, playing video games, and following college football and volleyball.

Since moving to Hawaii after graduating veterinary school, his favorite things about the island have been the comfortable weather, the incredible food, and the breathtaking views.