Dr Gary Richter was born in New York City and raised in Miami, Florida. From a young age he had an interest in veterinary medicine, especially wildlife medicine. He volunteered at the Miami Zoo, worked in small animal practice as an assistant, and worked for the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine as an undergraduate. He earned his Bachelor's, Master's, and DVM from the University of Florida, graduating with a DVM in 1998 with honors.

After graduation, he moved to California to work in emergency and general practice before purchasing a small animal practice, which he owned for sixteen years. During that time, he started his holistic education and started a second practice, Holistic Veterinary Care, which he works in to this day.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr Richter co-founded the Veterinary Cannabis Society, has consulted in the formulation of pet cannabis products and natural supplements for pets, is the founder of a startup developing a wearable biometric device for pets, and is a consultant for Hemopet Labs. He has also written and lectured extensively on allopathic and holistic veterinary topics.