Welcome Dr. Brands!

You may have already met Dr. Michael Brands, who has been our relief doctor for almost 2 years. We’re thrilled he has joined our team permanently as our Monday surgeon! He will also be seeing appointments on select Thursdays and Fridays.

A little more about Dr. Brands:

• Tell us about your pets.
  I'm the proud owner of a 6 year old Whippet named Rumi and the caretaker of a 6 1/2 year old Domestic Bossy Longhair cat named Rhubarb. Rhubarb is the smallest member of our household, but assumes she is in charge and that we're all here to serve her needs. She's the best!
  
  

• How long have you worked in the field?
  I started my first job in the industry as a veterinary assistant almost 14 years ago.

• What inspired you to work with animals?
  I've always loved animals. I spent several years after college in retail management with both PetsMart and Petco. I loved seeing pets on a daily basis and helping pet owners find solutions to their pets' problems. The next career step would've been to a district manager position and my job would switch to a lot more traveling and meetings. That idea didn't appeal to me, so I went back to school to study veterinary medicine and here I am today.
  
  

• What’s your most memorable experience working with animals?
  Among my favorites are performing an exam on a silverback gorilla, bottle feeding a newborn giraffe, playing with a rescued baby chimpanzee, and doing my first spay surgeries on a plastic patio table under a desk lamp in Uganda.
  
  

• Who is your all-time special pet - that “heart” animal that feels more like a soul mate?
  My all-time special pet is definitely my first dog, the world's sweetest Golden Retriever named Chase. I got him my junior year at Purdue University and enjoyed 8 years of his companionship. I lost him to cancer over 10 years ago now, but I still start to tear up when I talk about him.
  
  

• We have intense jobs - what’s your favorite way to de-stress on your days off or after work?
  I'm at the gym at 5am. I also have two young boys at home who I love to play with. They're the best form of unloading from a bad day. My family also loves camping and hiking. We're able to enjoy this beautiful area we live in and unplug from the rest of the world.