With over 20 years of specialty surgery experience, Dr. Shields is well accomplished in orthopedic, general, soft tissue, and neurologic surgical procedures. She is also qualified to perform minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopy and arthroscopy. Dr. Shields is a UCSB graduate with a degree in Biologic Sciences. She received her veterinary degree from the University of California, College of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California in 1997 where she graduated with academic honors (Phi Zeta). She completed her one-year internship and a three-year residency in Small Animal Surgery at California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles, California and became Board Certified in Surgery in 2002. Prior to building and supporting the surgery department at AVS, Dr. Shields was part of the busy surgery team at Animal Specialty and Emergency Center in Los Angeles for 6 years and Veterinary Specialty Center in Tuscon, Arizona for 4 years. She is grateful for the support of local veterinarians and enjoys collaborating with them through continuing education, case review, and evaluating radiographs and other diagnostic tests. Outside of work, Dr. Shields enjoys running, cooking, hiking, creating ceramics, and spending time with her family, which includes her husband, son, and pets [citation].