About Heart of Vermont and Dr. Erika Bruner

I’m Dr. Erika Bruner. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston where I was lucky enough to have a wonderful cat, Clarkie. He was a big brown tabby with extra toes on his big white feet. He slept in my arms every night all through my childhood and directly inspired my love of animals. After a few twists and turns, a passionate interest in animals of all kinds eventually became a career.

My Education

In college, I majored in the Growth and Structure of Cities and graduated from Haverford College in Pennsylvania in 1992. I initially worked for the City of Cambridge, MA, as the Assistant Director at the Cambridge Historical Commission. After five years in preservation, looking for a career where I could help the world in a more hands-on way, I decided to become a vet. I attended the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, where in my second year I was the student in charge of the Pet Loss Support Hotline. As a senior vet student, I was inducted into Phi Zeta, the veterinary honor society. I also received the Amelia Peabody award for excellence in large animal husbandry, graduating as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.

Life as a Vet

I started out in a mixed practice in New Hampshire, working with all domestic species but mostly with dairy cows, dogs, and cats. Driving around to farms and doing house calls for pets, I found I loved the freedom of mobile practice. Being with animals in their home environment was comfortable. I moved to Central Vermont in 2002 to focus on working with dogs and cats. I was at Onion River Animal Hospital for eleven years, and then started my own mobile pet practice in 2013. I was the veterinarian of record at the Central Vermont Humane Society for more than fifteen years. Over those years in practice, I spent a lot of time working with older pets, especially as a housecall practitioner. 

In 2017, I decided to focus on the part of my work that has become closest to my heart: end-of-life care. I work to improve comfort, relieve suffering, and celebrate and affirm the bonds we have with our beloved pets. I am inspired by the beauty and power of the love and connections between people and their animals. My purpose is to help dogs and cats (and the people who love them) to have a good quality of life, all the way through to the end. I find honor in giving pets a peaceful end to their lives, at home, with the people they love.