Dr. Irene was born in Auburn, CA. She is the middle child in the family of five children. Dr. Irene and her husband started their own family and now have two daughters. Dr. Irene started her schooling at Sierra College, then transferred to Sac. City college and eventually graduated from UC Davis in 1972. After some traveling around the states, Dr. Irene decided crazy California was home. She loves the Sierra Foothills and sought an area that had no local vet services. Dr. Irene’s interests involve the outdoors—camping, canoeing the rivers and lakes, playing tennis and softball (retired now), and working outside on her property.... She currently has a dog Howie; who she rescued at six months old and is now 14 years old, Foxy fat cat; also 14 years old and a bed potato, a dozen chickens and the field mice that live with them. [citation]