From a very young age, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Monica always answered that she wanted to be a Veterinarian. She still wants to be a Veterinarian when she grows up. Her father, a WWII, Korea and Vietnam Vet was a general surgeon in the Army and then had a second career as staff physician at the University of Maryland. Monica fondly remembers removing lumps from the very patient and obedient family dog, Brunhilda with her father teaching her local anesthetic administration, suture patterns and instrument handling techniques.
Monica graduated from the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in the “illustrious and acclaimed” class of 1991, alongside colleagues Renee and John Nolan, Paul Anikis, Pamela Thayer, and Joe Davis. She worked in small animal practices throughout Virginia in Waynesboro, Amherst, Lynchburg and Roanoke before landing in Clarke County with her new husband, Kimber, and joining the Middleburg Animal Hospital in 1996. Once their son, Oliver, was born, in 1999, Monica left private practice to enter public practice at the Fauquier SPCA where she has been for 15 years, most of those as Veterinarian-In-Charge, practicing medicine and surgery, caring for the shelter animals and providing high quality, low cost spay/neuter services for the general community.
Monica has always been interested in herbal medicine and began her formal training in 2012, studying under Teresa Boardwine, RH(AHG) in Sperryville, VA, completed certification courses in Foundations of Western Herbal Medicine and Apothecary (medicine making) in 2013, and worked as an intern with Geo Derick Giordano, MSc, RH(AHG). Recently, she completed a Graduate Degree in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine at the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies (CIVT), studying under Dr. Barbara Fougere, a world leader in integrative veterinary medicine. She has also joined the faculty of CIVT and now mentors and helps teach classes educating Veterinarians all over the world about veterinary western herbal medicine. Monica also has a small house call practice providing western herbal consults for dogs and cats, Mojo Medicinals.
Monica is thrilled to return to private practice and join her classmates, Renee and Pam, and old co-workers, Sally and Susan, at the Small Animal Clinic at Piedmont Equine.
