I was born and raised in Pinckney, Michigan. I was fortunate to grow up on a horse farm, which sparked and nurtured my love for animals. It was only natural that the husbandry that went into caring for our farm animals evolved into a desire to be a veterinarian.

I received both my Bachelor of Animal Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from Michigan State University. After graduating, my husband and I moved back to Pinckney to be close to the family farm. I have worked as a small animal veterinarian in general private practice since graduating. I enjoy working up complex internal medicine cases, but I feel the most appreciated when performing euthanasia. The gratitude I receive from thankful families during such a heartbreaking time has actually been the most rewarding part of my job. Death is an inevitable part of life and I believe that all pets deserve to pass peacefully and with dignity.

When I graduated from vet school, I rewarded myself by adopting my very own puppy. I had many family pets growing up, but Emma was the first pet I was solely responsible for. Sadly, I diagnosed her with cancer on her 12th birthday. My husband and I had a difficult discussion regarding her quality of life and what markers we would use to determine when the appropriate time for euthanasia would be. The day came a lot sooner than we expected. Emma lay between my husband and me, and we both hugged her tightly and shed tears while I administered the euthanasia solution. As painful as it was, I’m extremely proud of the way we let her go. I consider it a privilege to help families provide the gentle, peaceful goodbye they seek for their faithful companion as I did with Emma.

When I’m not working, you can often find me helping out at the family farm and spending time with my five horses, Hope, Hombre, Tailor, Everett, and Lucy. I am passionate about riding and I compete in the sport of dressage. I also enjoy traveling, camping, and hiking with my husband and our two boxers, Izzy and Olive. We also have a rescue cat named Smudge.