Tamara Leopold, affectionately known as Dr. Leo, was born and raised in Virginia Beach. She earned her doctorate from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in 1999 and her undergraduate degree at James Madison University in 1994. After practicing in her home city for a year, she moved to Durham, North Carolina, to be with her new husband as he finished his advanced degree. She then moved back to her home state of Virginia to practice small animal medicine in and around Richmond for the past 19 years. Her special interests are in strengthening the bond between pets and their people and learning new diagnostics and therapies. When not working, she is currently caring for her daughter and son. She enjoys reading, working outside in the yard, going to movies, and visiting with friends [citation].