Brianne Nelson, DVM

Like most veterinarians, Dr. Nelson developed a connection to animals at a young age. Her family always had pets, and she claimed two puppies as her due for her 5th birthday, though she later regretted naming them after her My Little Ponies (“Peachy” and “Butterscotch”). She also had a tendency to collect stray cats and tried very hard to befriend every dog on her street. Later, she became the neighborhood girl who set up agility courses made of paint cans, yardsticks, and other “finds” from the garage for her Shetland Sheepdog to run through. As soon as she was old enough, she started spending all her free time at the local veterinary clinic and regaled her very tolerant family at dinner time with all the interesting things she had seen or learned.

Throughout her studies at the University of Florida, Dr. Nelson was always drawn to understanding the “whys” of behavior. She trained her calico cat to sit, lay down, roll over, come on command, and even fetch (though she was never quite able to convince her cat that the middle of the night was not the appropriate time for a game of fetch). She now enjoys training her two Australian Shepherds, Trapper and Melody, for agility, obedience, rally, and herding. Dr. Nelson finds that training not only strengthens the bond between pet parents and their furry loved ones but also opens the door to additional activities that they can do together. With Dr. Nelson’s knowledge of behavior modification and training, she loves to help our clients tailor their pet’s environment and attitude to optimize pet and family life.

Born and raised in Miami, FL, Dr. Nelson attended a unique magnet school for languages. From 3rd until 9th grade, her math, science, social studies, and language classes were actually taught in French. The curriculum was set up to mirror what an average student in France would be exposed to. As part of that curriculum, she was also involved in exchange programs where a French student came to the U.S. to stay with her for a time and, in exchange, she was able to go overseas and spend time living with that student in France. Dr. Nelson fell in love with languages and was also able to pick up quite a bit of Spanish while living in Miami. She actively looks for opportunities to practice speaking both languages.

In addition to her love of language, Dr. Nelson is passionate about dancing. Although she enjoys all dance styles, she prefers West Coast Swing, an improvisational partner dance that can be danced to almost any genre of music, from Blues to R&B, to Top 40. Dr. Nelson enjoys going to West Coast Swing events, which are entire weekends devoted to workshops, competitions, and shows. She has built many special memories and friendships with others that share the hobby.