  In the cosmological paradigm, cold dark matter (DM) dominates the mass
content of the Universe and is present at every scale. Candidates for DM
include many extensions of the standard model, with a weakly interacting
massive particle (WIMP) in the mass range from $\sim$10 GeV to greater than 10
TeV. The self-annihilation or decay of WIMPs in astrophysical regions of high
DM density can produce secondary particles including very high energy (VHE)
gamma rays with energy up to the DM particle mass. VERITAS, an array of
atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, sensitive to VHE gamma rays in the 85 GeV -
30 TeV energy range, has been utilized for DM searches. The possible
astrophysical objects considered to be candidates for indirect DM detection are
VERITAS dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) of the Local Group and the Galactic
Center, among others. This presentation reports on our extensive observations
of these targets and constraints of the dark matter physics from these objects,
including the methodology and preliminary results of a combined DM search of
five dSphs.
