ARL Ask a Vet

Reintroducing Dr. Nicole Breda, Director of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Nicole Breda has been at ARL since 2015, having served as the organization’s Medical Director for Boston Veterinary Care (BVC), a fullservice veterinary clinic with a mission, as all profits benefit ARL’s shelter animals.

In late 2021, Dr. Breda was promoted to Director of Veterinary Medicine, and will oversee all aspects of veterinary care for ARL’s shelter medicine and community pet wellness programs, and BVC.

OFFF recently sat down with Dr. Breda to talk about the transition.

OFFF: Congratulations! Tell us about the new position, and what you will be responsible for.

Dr. Breda (DB): As the Director of Veterinary Medicine, I will be responsible for all areas of veterinary medicine at ARL in both the Community and Shelter Medicine Departments, and BVC. Providing animal care is of course my passion, so I will also continue to see patients at BVC. It’s safe to say that keeping busy will not be a problem!

OFFF: Over the first few months in your new position, have you seen any specific trends?

DB: As an open admissions shelter, ARL has seen an increase in both behaviorally and medically challenging cases. As fewer and fewer puppies and kittens enter our shelters (due to many successful years of implementing spay/neuter programs in Massachusetts), we are also seeing more senior pets. Our senior pet population requires more medical care for chronic health conditions such as arthritis, dental disease, diabetes and kidney disease. We’ve also had an influx of spay/neuter and soft-tissue surgeries.

OFFF: With your experience and knowledge of ARL, how are you envisioning Community and Shelter Medicine (CSM) expanding in the future?

DB: The future of CSM includes expanding our services to more underserved communities by providing affordable and accessible preventative care and spay/neuter surgery. This will help keep more pets with the families that love them.

OFFF: And finally, what does this new position mean to you?

DB: Since I was 4 years old, I knew I wanted to become a veterinarian. However, I constantly struggled between choosing a path that led to general practice, community medicine, or shelter medicine. In the 12 years since I have graduated veterinary school, I have spent time in all sectors. I felt that each part of veterinary medicine fits together for me like a puzzle. Stepping into this position, I finally have the ability to put all those pieces together. I get to work with the amazing staff from community medicine, shelter medicine, and general practice. This position ultimately allowed me to realize that each team approaches veterinary medicine differently in order to best help the population they serve; and that at the end of the day, being unwavering champions for animals in need requires each of us to work together.