From a very young age, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Monica always answered that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She still wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Her father, a WWII, Korea, and Vietnam Veteran was a general surgeon in the Army and then had a second career as staff physician at the University of Maryland. Monica fondly remembers removing lumps from the very patient and obedient family dog, Brunhilda with her father teaching her local anesthetic administration, suture patterns and instrument handling techniques on the couch in the rec room.

Monica graduated from the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in the “illustrious and acclaimed” class of 1991, alongside colleagues Dr.s Renee and John Nolan, Paul Anikis, Pamela Thayer, and Joe Davis. She worked in small animal practices throughout Virginia in Waynesboro, Amherst, Lynchburg, and Roanoke before landing in Clarke County with her husband, Kimber, and joining the Middleburg Animal Hospital in 1996. Once their son, Oliver, was born, in 1999, Monica left private practice to enter public practice at the Fauquier SPCA where she spent 15 years as Veterinarian-In-Charge, practicing medicine and surgery, caring for the shelter animals and providing high quality, low cost spay/neuter services for the general community. Dr. Monica, CVIT, joined her classmates at Piedmont Small Animal in 2017 and is enjoying sharing her integrative approach to Veterinary Medicine with clients and patients.

Monica has always been interested in herbal medicine and began her formal training in 2012, studying under Teresa Boardwine, RH(AHG) in Sperryville, VA, completed certification courses in Foundations of Western Herbal Medicine and Apothecary (medicine making) in 2013, and worked as an intern with Geo Derick Giordano, MSc, RH(AHG). In early 2017, she completed a Graduate Degree in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine at the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies (CIVT), studying under Dr. Barbara Fougere, a world leader in integrative veterinary medicine. She has also joined the faculty of CIVT and now mentors and helps teach classes educating Veterinarians all over the world about veterinary western herbal medicine.

Monica’s passion is using western herbs in an integrative approach to optimize health and wellness, and she established Mojo Medicinals, LLC in early 2017 in Paris, VA to bring the healing power of our plant allies to our 4-legged community. Dr. Monica is also a licensed hemp grower and producer and makes a whole plant hemp extract to provide this important green medicine to her patients.