Veterinarian Overview
As the owner (along with my wife, Inger) of For the Love of Pets, I get to wear many hats. My days vary from seeing patients, doing surgery, meeting with community members who desire our support, monitoring the financial health of a business that employs 9 people and developing new and better ways to serve my clients and their pets. My activities are seldom boring and often challenging. I was raised in Mendocino, California and thoroughly enjoyed coastal past times such as surfing and hiking in the woods. I developed an interest in science and animals early, creating a large collection of bones and zoological artifacts that I still enjoy. I attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, earning a Bachelors degree in Biology in 1989. My college interests included neurobiology, especially regarding barnacles and the neuropeptides that regulate their simple nervous systems. Realizing that these studies would require long hours in dark, lonely laboratories, I switched my interests back to more conventional animals and applied to veterinary school at UC Davis, completing my Doctorate in 1994. Professionally, my first position was in Woodland, California where I practiced until 2000 when my family moved to Grass Valley and I started working at For the Love of Pets. We purchased the practice in 2006. Here, I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming part of the community and creating long term relationships with my clients and their pets. I love that first visit with a new puppy or kitten, helping people learn to keep their new companion healthy and looking forward to years of enjoyment. This comes full circle with challenging times such as at the end of life, when I can be there for my clients and make a distressing time as good as it can be. I enjoy working with children, and have appeared many times at local schools to talk about animal care and veterinary topics.
