AVSAB Executive Board
We welcome you to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and hope you will consider joining our growing community of veterinarians.
Introducing AVSAB’s Executive Board
Dr. Steven Edwards
AVSAB President
Dr. Karen Becker
AVSAB President-Elect
Dr. Karen Becker has enjoyed practicing Small Animal Veterinary Medicine since graduating in 2003 from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Becker’s main interests in Clinical Behavioral Medicine, including Canine and Feline Fear-Related Aggression,
Generalized Anxiety, and Noise Phobia, blossomed after attending a residency in Small Animal Behavior at the University of Pennsylvania. She now offers comprehensive behavioral consults for dogs and cats who struggle with a variety of behavior issues. She is committed to promoting behavioral wellness in companion animals and to protecting the human- animal bond through education on canine and feline communication, instituting proper socialization, and through prevention and treatment of behavioral issues, or medical issues which may contribute to
behavior problems. She is Fear Free Certified, and is a strong advocate for behavioral modifications which incorporate solely positive reinforcement training techniques. Licensed in PA and NJ, Dr. Becker is a long standing member of the American Veterinary Medical
Association, as well as the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, and the Pet Professional Guild. In her downtime, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, gardening, and baking.
View Karen’s member profile
Dr. Laurie Schulze
AVSAB Corresponding Secretary
Dr. Laurie Schulze is a 1997 graduate from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her B.S. in Animal Science from Ohio State in 1993
After graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Schulze started working as a companion animal veterinarian. While working her professional interest in behavior began to grow and she began to see how behavior problems greatly impacted her clients’ relationship with their pets. This resulted in her beginning to hold behavior consultations. With her passion growing, Dr. Schulze founded Pet Behavior Partners in 2013 and began dedicating her time to helping families have better bonds and relationships with their pets
Additionally, Dr. Schulze volunteers in animal handling labs for the first year students at Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine; assists the local rabies clinics put on by the health department with lower stress techniques; and has served on the Behavior Education Committee for the Midwest Veterinary Conference since 2008
Dr. Schulze shares her life with her husband, 3 children, Wesler (dog) and Cadence (cat).
Dr. Annette Bradley
AVSAB Recording Secretary
Dr. Annette Bradley grew up in small town Nebraska and decided in 7 th grade that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She received a bachelor’s degree in Biology/Chemistry/ Mathematics from Chadron State College. After moving around a bit, she finally was able to attend the University of Florida Veterinary School and graduated in 1993.
Then moving around again, she finally settled in Colorado. She started her own small animal clinic in south Denver, built it up to a 4-doctor practice and sold it after 20 years. Her and her husband moved to the mountains near Winter Park and started a mobile practice.
In 2017, she had the privilege in attending the NAVC Institute Behavioral Course for the first time. This introduction to Animal Behavior Medicine sparked as interest and passion for animal behavior. She was able to return to the Institute in 2019 but then ‘life & COVID got in the way’ and has not attended since.
Currently Dr. Annette is working on a Fear Free Certificate and a certificate from HABRI (Human Animal Bond Research Institute). Joining the board of AVSAB is her version of ‘jumping into the deep end’. She looks forward to getting involved and seeing what she can contribute.
Dr. Annette shares her life with her husband, along with 2 their 2 dogs (Racer and Daphne) and 3 cats (Koda, Kaleb and Moze).
Dr. Juanita Ashton
AVSAB Treasurer
Dr. Juanita Ashton was born and raised in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. She graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in PEI, Canada in 2003 after receiving a Biology degree from the University College of Cape Breton.
She was immediately taken with the behavioral studies at the AVC under the direction of Dr. Norma Guy at UPEI. And after graduation, moved to Elmsdale, NS where she currently focuses on companion animal medicine, specifically, on the behavior of dogs and cats.
In 2016, Dr. Ashton received her certification in canine behavior from the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.
Dr. Ashton shares her life with her husband and four children.
Dr. Brian Bourquin
AVSAB Member-At-Large
Brian grew up in a small rural community in Northern New York where he graduated Valedictorian in a class of 32 students. He got a full academic scholarship to attend St. Lawrence University for his undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Science (Biology Major/Chemistry Minor). Staying in New York State, he next headed to Cornell Universiy, College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in May 2001. Dr. Katherine Houpt VMD, PhD, DACVB was his advisor, so Brian was lucky to realize very early on that behavior was an important aspect of veterinary medicine even if no one was talking about it! Fast forward the next 10 years as he honed his skills working for others where behavior cases were considered a waste of time in favor of other more lucrative areas of veterinary medicine. When he went out on his own and started doing house-calls, he realized how veterinary medicine has failed so many of our patients, such as dogs and cats that cannot be brought into a clinic as they are “bad”. At first he self-taught by reading text books, taking CE, and eventually discovered Dr. Karen Overall’s Clinical Behavior Course taught at the NAVC Institute. Besides the obvious science and techniques, Brian also learned that behavior does not have to follow the residency path to make a difference in many of his patient’s lives, so instead of referring everything that did not fit nicely within the constraints of a busy general medicine practice, they now see behavior patients. He has even brought on a behavior resident for the more complex cases!
Brian brings to AVSAB all the passion and energy he brings to every endeavor. He thrives when working with others and through the years has been on multiple boards of fund raisers and non-profits, but feels it is time to give back to his own profession. Brian currently sits on the Board of Directors of NOMV.
Dr. Kristin Gablehouse
AVSAB Member-At-Large
In 2015, Kristin sustained a mild traumatic brain injury and had to give up veterinary medicine. Noise and light sensitivity, reactivity, and anxiety suddenly made her world very small but helped her gain a unique insight into her patient’s experiences. Beyond the sensory sensitivity; cognitive deficits, inability to focus, and memory problems, prevented her from returning to work for 4 years. When she returned, she understood that it doesn’t matter how inappropriate fear seems to other people. It is real, and it cannot simply be turned off. This completely changed the way she approached her patients.
Today, Kristin integrates a behavior focus into general practice and enjoys mentoring new veterinary graduates. She holds a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior, from the University of Washington. She has also completed the NAVC Applied Behavioral Medicine course, as well as Dr. Susan Friedman’s Living and Learning with Animals Professional Course, focused on learning theory and applied behavior analysis, as well as over 100 hours of additional behavior continuing education. She is also Level III Fear Free Certified and hopes to make every visit as stress-free as possible.
Outside of work, Dr. Gablehouse runs trail ultramarathons from 50k to 100 miles. She enjoys traveling, cycling, and adventures in the mountains with her husband and Kili, their Mini Aussie.
Dr. Ashley Elzerman
AVSAB Past President
Dr. Ashley Elzerman graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 after receiving a BS in Biology from Smith College and a Master’s degree in Wildlife Toxicology from Clemson University.
Dr. Elzerman currently works at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services after 7 years in general practice medicine in Midland, Michigan. Dr. Elzerman focuses on helping clients understand more about their companions’ body language and communication in order to enhance their relationship and improve problem behaviors while also advocating for low stress handling and compassionate care. She has completed the Sophia Yin Low Stress Handling Certification Silver Course, the Fear Free Certificate Program and is recognized as a Fear Free Professional.
Dr. Elzerman shares her life with her husband, cat “Applesauce” and dog “Dharma” the rescue boxer.
