Dr. Wahl is a native of Southern California. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Zoology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1977. Dr. Wahl was awarded the Summa Cum Laude with highest honors award. His Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine is from the University of California, Davis in 1982. Dr. Wahl graduated in the top three percent of his veterinary class. His post doctoral training in small animal medicine and surgery was completed at the University of Pennsylvania in 1983. Dr. Wahl worked in several private practices and emergency animal clinics prior to opening VCA Laguna Grove Veterinary Hospital in 1987.

 He is owned by a blue and gold Macaw, Cosmo. His hobbies include scuba diving, golf, managing his reef aquarium, and raising tilandsias, bromeliads and orchids.