Introducing AVSAB’s Executive Board

Dr. Sarah Cutler, VMD

AVSAB President

Dr. Sarah J. Cutler is a small animal veterinarian with more than 30 years of experience working with cats and dogs in the suburban and urban New York region. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997, where she began her studies in small animal behavior medicine with Dr. Karen Overall. For the past two and a half decades Dr. Cutler has practiced medicine, surgery, and focused on the science of learning behavior and the human-animal bond. She has worked in large busy hospital, consulted with multiple canine rescue groups, and 14 years ago founded At Home Vet Care, a house call practice. More recently, in 2021, she opened The Behavior Clinic for Cats and Dogs in Bedford Hills, NY and expanded her team to include a Behavior Consultant who is also a CPDT-KA trainer and another UPenn vet graduate. She is licensed to practice in both NY and CT and has done more than triple the number of required hours of continuing education in order to maintain licensure. These include but are not limited to multiple NAVC Institutes (3), CVE Behavioral Medicine (one year), Karen Pryor Clicker Training Certification, and one on one mentoring with board certified veterinary behaviorists, as well as being a Certified Fear Free Professional. These courses have been dedicated to the study of canine and feline behavior, training methods, behavior modification, and the uses of medications to help particular issues such as fears, phobias, anxieties and aggression. She is passionate about continuing her education while helping to educate others.

I am a recent empty nester with two young adult sons and one 17 year old daughter. My husband and I enjoy hiking, cooking, reading, puzzles, travel, and the culture and diversity of the NYC region. I’m also an avid reader, started a book group, love to downhill ski and do yoga. We are both originally from New England and continue to travel to New England for leisure activities as well as because of our family ties. I’ve always loved being a veterinarian, but my true calling came to me when I realized the importance of using my voice as a veterinarian to advocate for not only physical wellness but psychological wellness of our patients, and that in fact they are dependent on each other. I currently have a 15 an a half year old female Calico DSH cat named Cleo and a 13 and a half year old Aussie mix named Cole.

My memberships include AVMA, PPG, AVSAB, Fear Free, IAABC, AAFP, Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement.

Dr. Michelle Nicholson, DVM, MSc MANZCVS

AVSAB President-Elect

Dr. Nicholson is a small animal veterinarian originally from the east coast. She graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island and was in general practice for many years in the Halifax, Nova Scotia and Ottawa Valley, Ontario areas. She recently moved back to Nova Scotia, Canada where she has a veterinary behaviour focused practice.

Dr. Nicholson has had a strong interest in animal behaviour from the time of her studies in animal science and veterinary medicine. She is dedicated to advancing veterinary behavioural medicine, with a clinical focus on companion animal mental health and the human-animal bond. Her core interests include animal learning theory, human-animal interactions, and the development of behavioural disorders—particularly how these conditions impact the relationships between pets and their families.

Dr. Nicholson completed a post graduate course in veterinary behavioural medicine from the Centre for Veterinary Education through the University of Sydney, Australia. She has taken further studies in behavioural medicine including participating annually in the week-long veterinary behaviour course and workshop (North American Veterinary Community Institute and Behaviour at the Beach).

Dr. Nicholson is licensed by the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association and the College of Veterinarians of Ontario and is a member of NSVMA, CVO, OVMA, CVMA, AVSAB, Feline VMA. She is Fear Free certified and has her Cat Friendly Veterinariancertification. She is a member of the ANZCVS (veterinary behaviour) by exam (2021).

She enjoys all things music, living by the ocean and spending time with her family and
pets.

Brittany Atkinson, CVT

AVSAB Veterinary Technician Representative

Prior to becoming a veterinary technician, Brittany earned a degree in Anthropology with a minor in Biology from Northern Arizona University. During her undergraduate years, she interned at Chimp Haven in Shreveport, Louisiana, working with chimpanzees that have been retired from medical research. This work required her to quickly learn how to read chimpanzee body language, decipher the meaning of different vocalizations, and in turn reciprocate communication effectively. Brittany started her veterinary career in Sierra Vista, AZ in 2010. Since then, she has completed an associate’s degree in veterinary technology and is now a Certified Veterinary Technician and is the Lead Technician at East Maryland Animal Hospital in Phoenix, AZ.

She spends much of her time training the staff in low stress handling techniques and offering behavior consulting services to clients. Brittany’s passion for behavior was catalyzed in 2011 with the adoption of her dog Gru. Gru came to Brittany at twelve weeks old with both of his left legs broken after having been attacked on multiple occasions by another dog. The emotional scars of those traumas, in addition to his physical inability to be well-socialized as a puppy left Gru lacking in the important life skills he would need to confidently live in the world around him. When it became obvious that he needed more than just basic obedience training and exposure to other people, animals, and environments, Brittany sought the help of Dr. Gail Stevenson at Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson who had a special interest in behavioral medicine. Dr. Stevenson continued to mentor Brittany long after Gru ceased to be her patient, and encouraged her to join the SVBT and begin attending their conferences. After only 3 years of attendance, Brittany was asked to join the planning committee for the conference (now CABC); eventually finding her way to the sponsorship subcommittee which she has chaired for the last 6 years. Brittany was elected the President of the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians in 2023 and worked tirelessly alongside Dr. Steven Edwards to accomplish the merge between the SVBT and AVSAB.

Dr. Juanita Ashton, DVM, CDBC

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.

Shelby Helmerich, EdS, MS, LVT, RLAT, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CRCST, Elite FFCVP

AVSAB Member-At-Large

My name is Shelby Helmerich. I am an Instructor in the Pre-Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Technology Program at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. I have been a licensed veterinary technologist since 2016 and have been teaching full time since the Fall of 2020. I teach courses in veterinary microbiology, public health, and animal behavior courses. I have been professionally training since 2016 in the western Kentucky and Tennessee area. My clientele encompasses many veterinary referrals, since I am the only one in the area that specializes in behavioral cases. I also work with clients in basic obedience, manners, puppy training, and even have a couple service-dogs-in training. In the past, I was a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions. I am currently pursuing my VTS in Behavior and will sit for the CBCC this fall. I am in my first semester of the Doctorate of Education program at Murray State, pursuing the EdS to EdD bridge. I would say I am considered a crossover trainer having grown up in AKC obedience training and 4-H with traditional dominance-based methodology. I now identify as rewards-based and follow the LIMA approach to behavior modification and training.

My wonderful husband and I have been married for almost 5 years. We have a Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, and a Lagotto Romagnolo. My Lab was the dog that pushed me to change my mindset with training and behavior modification. We also have one cat, one rabbit, and two chinchillas. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, bass fishing, boating, and overall, spending time outdoors with my husband and our dogs.

Jamie Johnson, CVT, FFCP-Elite, LSHC-Silver, HABc, CPEP

AVSAB Member-At-Large

Alyssa N. Cary, MSc, LVT, RVT, Elite FFCP, LSHC-S, CFVP

AVSAB Member-At-Large

Alyssa is a credentialed veterinary technician with a master of science concentrated in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare. Her research focused on venipuncture-related stress in dogs and an evaluation of the validity of the Fear Free FAS Scale. Before beginning her career in veterinary medicine, Alyssa’s interest in wildlife and animal behavior led her to Virginia Tech to study wildlife science. She spent summers using her knowledge of bear biology and behavior to track and trap black bears and snag brown bear hair for population and movement studies in North Carolina, New York, and Alaska. These experiences sparked an interest in pursuing a career in medicine, and her role as team leader on those research projects helped Alyssa realize her passion for mentorship and education. Alyssa has been contributing to Fear Free’s mission to “take the ‘pet’ out of ‘petrified’” since 2016, and after over 10 years in small animal general practice, transitioned to a full-time industry role with Fear Free. In her spare time, Alyssa serves on the AVSAB Student Outreach Committee and is an advisor for LeashAgain. When she’s not at her desk, you can find Alyssa pursuing her personal mission to thrive and enjoy life to the fullest by picking up relief LVT shifts, running, shuttling her kids to swim and soccer, traveling, and hiking.

Dr. Karen Becker, VMD

AVSAB Past President

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.