Veterinarian Overview
I started dreaming of being a veterinarian at the age of 7. I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida among the beaches and the seagulls, but one horseback riding lesson later, I was hooked. Horses were my passion growing up, but I loved all animals. I am guilty of bringing home the stray cat now and then and promising my parents it followed me home. When my family moved to central Ohio, I was able to realize my dream of having a horse (two in fact!), and I competed in 4-H all through high school and in IHSA in college. I even focused my Girl Scout Gold Award project on helmet safety. I have always had animals around the housedogs, cats, chickens, horses, a goat named Edger and I have loved every minute of it.I went to a small college in northwest Georgia named Berry College for undergraduate and earned my BS in Animal Science. I returned to Ohio for veterinary school, earning my veterinary degree at The Ohio State University. Wanting to get away from the cold winters, I returned to Florida and began my career as a mixed animal practitioner, working with many different species. I even had the opportunity to work with elephants, camels, and alpacas that were part of a traveling circus! I found that my favorite aspects of veterinary medicine though are being witness to the strong human-animal bond and helping to keep people and their animals together.After meeting my husband, George, and living in Florida for a couple years, we knew we wanted more from our environment. We decided on Portland because I have some family here, and we love that we can get to all of our favorite outdoor places for day trips. George and I have 4 dogs, 3 cats, 2 horses, and a fish! They keep us busyhiking, riding, and playing at the coast. I do like to dabble in tennis and when its rainy, we love to visit the wineries and breweries and taste what Oregon has to offer!
