Dr. Lewis was born and raised in Morristown, NJ.   For her undergraduate education she ventured to Madison to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in both Bacteriology and Genetics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison (2002).    Her journey then took her to Stillwater, Oklahoma where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oklahoma State University in 2006.

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Prior to focusing on her passion to help owners with their pets' behavior challenges, Dr. Lewis worked as a general practitioner veterinarian for 12 years.  While in general practice Dr. Lewis found herself focusing on pain management in arthritic dogs and cats.  To further expand this knowledge, in  2011 she completed a 220 hour certification  course in Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy (VSMT) through the Healing Oasis.   Through this intensive 5 month certification program she significantly strengthened her knowledge in making neurological and mobility assessments in addition to learning the techniques and science behind spinal manipulative therapy (aka animal chiropractic). 

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During her time in general practice Dr. Lewis always made time to make a pet more comfortable in the exam room or during their hospital stay.  Before  fear-free became commonplace, she employed ways to improve stress in pets such as: performing exams outside in the summer, using a large variety of food treats and toys,  performing exams on the floor,   but most importantly taking cues from the pet when they were stressed and uncomfortable.

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As the popularity of pet transports grew from overpopulated shelters, Dr. Lewis started to notice the increase in pets with significant emotional baggage.    Unfortunately given the nature of a typical veterinary appointment there wasn't adequate time to investigate and address the the challenges these dogs and their new families were struggling with.   It was at that point that Lewis Veterinary Behavior Solutions was formed.   

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It is important to Dr. Lewis to help families understand why their pets behave the way they do.    Once their pet's underlying emotional state is understood  it is only then we can develop an individualized management and treatment plan.   

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Dr. Lewis believes in only using non-aversive, force-free science based techniques.  See FAQ as to why she feels so strongly about using these methods.  She has attended a variety of conferences and training seminars with some of the world's renown veterinary behavior professionals such as the late Dr. Sophia Yin, Dr.  Lisa Radosta, Dr. Debra Horwitz, and Dr. Gary Landsberg .

 

Dr. Lewis is passionate about continued learning.  She is a graduate of  the Applied Clinical Behavior Medicine Course of the North American Veterinary Post Graduate Institute, both the general course offered in 2018, and the advanced courses in 2019 and 2022, taught by Dr. Karen Overall, BA, MA, VMD, PhD, DACVB and  Dr Kersti Seksel, BVSc (Hons) MRCVS MA (Hons) FANZCVS DACVB DECAWBM FAVA.  

Other recent continuing education experiences include: Clicker Expo 2021, 2022 , Lemonade Conference 2020, Control Unleashed Conference 2021, Terry Ryan's Chicken Camp 2022. 

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Dr. Lewis is a member American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, Dane County Veterinary Medical Association, and Force Free Trainers of Wisconsin. 

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