My mother likes to tell people that when I was 3 days old I “rode” my first horse. I am pretty sure I was just a little bundled up blob sitting on the back of her horse, but I do not doubt that my love of horses came to be on that day. Dogs and cats were also always a part of my life as a child.
I was born in Augusta, GA, but became an “Army Brat” at the age of eight which afforded me the opportunity to live in California and Germany while I was growing up. In addition to learning another Ianguage and experiencing many different cultures, I was also able to continue to pursue my equestrian endeavors while living overseas as a member of a German riding club.
After high school, I returned to the States to attend college at The Colorado College, where I earned my BA in Biology. After graduation, I moved back to my home state of Georgia to attend graduate school at the University of Georgia, where I earned my M.S. in Zoology in 1990, and my DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. I met my husband, Miloud, while we were both attending graduate school at UGA.
Immediately following my graduation from veterinary school, my husband’s job relocated us to Urbandale, IA, and I began my veterinary career working as an associate veterinarian at a mixed animal practice in Winterset, IA (Home of The Bridges of Madison County- and where the filming of the movie was underway during the first several months of my tenure there). When my twin daughters, Maysa and Kenza, were born in 1997, I decided to take a year-long hiatus from my career to concentrate on raising my girls. Starting in 1998, I resumed my career as a relief veterinarian in small animal medicine. Our youngest daughter, Miah, was born in 1999. We moved to Prior Lake, MN in 2003 where I worked as a part-time associate veterinarian until we relocated to Chapel Hill, NC in 2005, where I continued my career as a small animal relief veterinarian serving practices in the Chapel Hill-Durham area.
Now that my husband and and I are officially “empty-nesters”, I have more time to devote to my career and am pleased to join Dr. Katz’s team as an associate veterinarian after having enjoyed providing my services as a relief veterinarian at her practice. I am very much looking forward to really getting to know the clients and their pets at Lake Pine Animal Hospital. I find client education one of the most rewarding aspects of veterinary medicine, because it affords me the opportunity to help clients feel confident and empowered as their pet’s caregiver, knowing that they are meeting all of their pet’s healthcare needs to the best of their ability.
We have two cats, Tigger and Doodle, and one dog Bibi at home, and three horses that are currently enjoying leisure time in a pasture not far from our home in Chapel Hill.