Dr. Michelle Bourjaily was born and raised in sunny Miami, Florida. Her passion for animals started from a very young age and her family always took a big interest in rescuing homeless animals. They had anywhere from 4-7 rescue dogs at a time, and especially liked to adopt the animals that had been at the shelter for the longest. For her undergraduate studies, she attended the University of Florida where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition. After a couple of years working as a veterinary assistant in Miami, she went on to pursue her veterinary degree at Ross University in St. Kitts, West Indies, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She spent a year at Kansas State University for her clinical studies and then accepted a position as a small animal medicine and surgery intern in New York City. She fell in love with the city and decided to stay and work in a small animal private practice. After about 4 years, she transitioned over to shelter medicine, where she provided care for rescued, homeless, abandoned, neglected and abused animals. She continued to develop a diverse set of skills and acquired a love for teaching and mentoring, which led her to seek a management position. In this new role, she developed leadership and team management skills, often inspiring young veterinarians and technicians to practice with the highest level of medical standards, in addition to, ensuring client satisfaction. Throughout Michelle’s career, she has gained valuable experience in many areas of veterinary medicine including wellness and preventative care, complex medical and surgical case management, emergency and critical care, and behavioral medicine. Being Fear Free certified, Michelle approaches all her patients in the most soothing and comforting manner to help prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety and stress. She takes a special interest in internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, ophthalmology and behavioral medicine. During Michelle’s free time, she enjoys spending time at the beach, hiking, running, biking, cooking, traveling, dancing and spending time with her furry companion, Essie, a small one-eyed Havanese. Special Interests: Internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, ophthalmology and behavioral medicine [citation].