I grew up on a farm in Lancaster County, PA. My grandfather was a large animal veterinarian and my father, also a veterinarian, opened a small animal practice when I was a child. My youth was filled with creatures; from farm calls, to working at the clinic, to caring for many family pets. Animals have been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. 

I received my bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware and my doctorate from Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine. I went on to complete a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists in Maitland, FL. I have since practiced emergency and critical care medicine in Atlanta and Tucson as well as general practice in my home state of Pennsylvania. 

I met Ingrid shortly after my first move to Tucson more than 20 years ago and without her the vision of CACTUS would not have become a reality. I am so grateful to have such an accomplished, determined and dedicated partner in Ingrid and the unwavering support of my entire family to share in this exciting endeavor.

I was raised in Tucson, AZ and grew up with many animals in the home and deeply embedded in the local hunter/jumper horse community. I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, traded extreme heat for extreme cold, and graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. After completing a residency in small animal surgery at the University of California, Davis I stayed in academic medicine for 10 years.

Being a professor was a wonderful opportunity to influence the future of veterinary medicine but it was the outreach opportunities that I participated in, along with students, that sustained my passion for veterinary medicine. Jessica and I have been friends for 18 years, she was one of my veterinarian role models prior to applying to veterinary school due to her compassion for all living creatures . Founding CACTUS with such a capable partner and with the ongoing support of my amazing family has been a dream come true.

I grew up under a mother with a strong back east farm background: horses, ponies, livestock. My father always favored the quiet beauty of cats and their independence. My school yard friends were dog lovers, my sister is an admirer of reptiles. All of this diversity while growing up in the Sonoran desert. A place that demands you to respect its animals. 

I studied at the U of A in animal sciences, and I’m a real estate agent that specializes in equestrian properties and room to run and roam for both humans and animals alike. I’m an equestrian, servant of cats, devoted dog mom, and chicken tender. My love and appreciation of animals runs so deep that like me, my young children instinctually share my passion and want to save every animal they’ve met and every animal they haven’t. My heart has belonged to animals as long as I can remember, and I’m truly honored to be able to help advocate for them