Dr. Cheryl Monteiro earned a Bachelor's of Science in Biology from Tufts University in 1989 and a Master's degree in Animal Science from the University of Rhode Island in 1992, where her research focused on pain management. She graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. While attending veterinary school, she received the Caleb Dorr Award for scholastic achievement and a Memorial Scholarship for collegiate citizenship and academic excellence. She worked in a small animal private practice in New York before moving to Connecticut. Dr. Monteiro and her husband, Dr. Lawrence Monteiro, share their home with a cat, chinchilla, and periodically a puppy from Guiding Eyes for the Blind [citation].