Helping animals has been my life’s passion. When I was 13 years old, I adopted my first dog, Coco, after many years of begging my parents. It was quickly apparent that Coco was very ill. My mom warned me that she might not make it. Not willing to accept that fate for my new best friend, I began researching her symptoms online. I asked my veterinarian to prescribe her a different antibiotic, and after taking the new medication, she quickly recovered. From that point on, being an excellent veterinarian was my mission. This led me from Texas to New York to pursue an undergraduate degree at Cornell University in animal science and back to Texas A&M University for veterinary school.

After graduation, I began practicing in Austin, Texas, for a major corporate pet hospital. I relocated with that practice to “America’s finest city,” San Diego. I instantly fell in love with the pet-centric culture of San Diego. After gaining much valuable experience, I decided I wanted to enter into a private practice setting to provide a more personalized experience for my clients and their pets. I became the medical director at a boutique pet clinic in Coronado. This eye-opening experience showed me what dedication to excellence in this field can do for pet health and nurture long-lasting relationships with pet parents. During my tenure there, I attained AAHA accreditation for the clinic—a feat only achieved by 15% of veterinary practices—and became Fear Free certified.

I am grateful to be able to work as a partner with my clients to ensure that their pets live long and healthy lives. I strive to provide every pet and pet parent with the quality of care that I would expect for my own dog, Radar.

Education:
University of California, Davis, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
California Polytechnic State University, Bachelor of Science, Animal Science

Born and raised on a ranch in Louisiana, I began working with and learning from animals before I could even walk or talk. Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of species as a zookeeper, marine mammal trainer, and veterinarian. Each experience taught me more as I performed and practiced positive reinforcement training techniques and veterinary medicine on reptiles, birds, dolphins, rhinos, and more. As a small animal practitioner I implement these same concepts with my patients and educate veterinary clinic staff and pet families about the importance and success of Fear Free in veterinary medicine. I am also passionate about integrative medicine, and am certified in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture.

In my free time, I enjoy water skiing, hiking, and traveling. I have 2 incredible senior rescue pups, and a very special horse who takes me on beautiful trail rides. Each year I am lucky to spend time in the Adirondack wilderness of upstate New York to enjoy lake life and time with family in the forested outdoors. It is there that I participate in sailboat races on a tiny Sunfish, and hone my water skiing skills. If you’ve never explored that part of the world, I highly recommend it!