Some people search their whole lives to find a career that they love or a job that makes them happy but I am not one of those people. I truly feel that I was born to be a veterinarian and thank God and my family every day for helping me fulfill my destiny. I could never imagine a day without animals or my life without such a rewarding career.
I was born in Buffalo, NY, home of Buffalo wings and blizzards but my father was transferred to Saginaw, MI when I was 10. We had one family dog when I was growing up, a Cairn Terrier named Muffin. She had many illnesses throughout the years, including parvovirus and pancreatitis and we spent a lot of time in the vet’s office. My dad was the first person to say that I should be a veterinarian because it always seemed that I cared more about animals than people.
I went to the University of Dayton for my undergraduate degree in Biology and it was during my sophomore year at UD that I decided to become a veterinarian. I worked for a local vet clinic, where I realized that I was really happy spending my days with animals and their families. The following summer, I fostered 5 Labrador Retriever puppies from 5 days old until 6 weeks old and learned what it was like to be a vet and a mom at the same time. I kept one of those puppies and she just passed away last summer at the age of 10. Putting her to sleep was one of the hardest things I ever had to do as her mother and her veterinarian.
I was accepted to Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996 and graduated with my DVM degree in 2000. Veterinary school was extremely difficult and exhausting but it showed me how dedicated you needed to be for this career. I spent many nights and weekends buried in books or caring for sick animals at the clinic. I moved back to Dayton after graduation in order to be close to family and was lucky enough to be hired at the best vet clinic in Dayton. I have worked at Twin Maples since graduation and plan on staying here for many years to come.
After spending my day caring for our client’s pets, I go home to my own animal family, which includes my 2 year old pit bull mix Tucker, my 8 year old Yorkie – the princess of the family, Zoie; and my 5 cats – Monkey, Chocolate chip, Twix, Phil and Kyle. I have 2 sons, Ben and Alex, who love animals as much as I do and named our 2 cats – Chocolate chip and Twix. They say we have our own little zoo and I frequently find them examining our pets and telling me when something is wrong with them.
I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful job and such talented and devoted people to work with. Although being a veterinarian can be very stressful and sad at times, the benefits greatly outweigh the difficulties and I truly love my profession. Even though our office closes at 7pm, in this profession, we truly live our job and it follows us home every day. I go to bed every night thinking about the patients and clients that I have seen that day and wondering how I can help them be happier and healthier.
