Educational Background: Dr. Melanie grew up right here in Orange County, graduating from Middletown High School. She attended the University of Liege in Belgium for her veterinary studies, achieving her DVM in 2013. During vet school, she also spent a year at the University of Zaragoza in Spain. Upon returning to the US, she completed the ECFVG certification program to become licensed in NY. In 2018, she completed a course in small animal acupuncture at the Chi Institute.
What made you want to work at an animal hospital? I have always been passionate about caring for animals: my parents knew I wanted to be a veterinarian when they came home to our family dog covered in band-aids when I was 12 years old. I have always had an interest in caring for animals, and been fascinated by medicine, both modern and traditional. I also believe strongly that pets make their humans healthier and happier, and therefore caring for animals is important for keeping our society healthy.
What is your hope with every patient you see? Puppy kisses and kitten snuggles! But really, I aim for a calm, stress-free visit for my patients (which sometimes means splitting elective procedures into multiple visits to make sure we do not go past the stress threshold that they can tolerate), and to address/answer any questions their families have to make sure we are all working together as a team to keep pets happy and healthy.
Who makes up your family at home? I live with my partner, Chris, our dog Beau, our cat Velma, and our flock of chickens.
Do you have a mantra or philosophy that you try to live by? "In a world where you can be anything, be kind."
“I love to be a part of the Otterkill Family because…” I love being part of such a wonderful team of strong, caring women who share my values and goals for high-quality medicine and patient care, all with great kindness and humor, and who I'm truly proud to call my family.
