Originally from Northern California, my love of animals started at a young age. One of my fondest grade school memories is when I was selected to be the school liaison for the SPCA. I accompanied Blueberry, the service dog, to different classrooms and helped teach about animal welfare. I remember obsessively watching BBC nature shows narrated by David Attenborough. Most of my vacations were spent with my grandparents on Sanibel Island, chasing lizards and small alligators like a young Crocodile Hunter.
I left the west coast for undergraduate studies at Hamilton College in upstate NY where I received a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. After a brief stint in a Zoology program at Arizona State University, I went back east to Boston and earned a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Following Tufts, I completed a 1 year Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, and then a 1 year Fellowship in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care also at U of Penn.
After many years on the east coast, I returned to general practice in San Francisco. In 2006 my wife and I moved to her hometown on eastern Long Island. I have been living here since with my wife, two daughters and a Southern hound named Sam (my sole source of male companionship).
In my free time, I adhere to a healthy body/healthy mind mantra. I love being outside and am an avid obstacle course runner and endurance runner. I have completed numerous Warrior Dashes, Tough Mudders, and Spartan races, including two 24 hour World’s Toughest Mudders – a 30 mile Ultra Beast Spartan, and 8 hour Toughest Mudder. I also enjoy spending the day at the beach with my wife and daughters, and still get excited when I find horseshoe and hermit crabs with my daughters.
