Dr. Heidi Fay grew up in rural Vermont, surrounded by cats, dogs, and small mammals that inspired her early love for animals. She later moved to northern Wisconsin, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Northland College in 2000. She went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin in 2009.
During her training, Dr. Fay completed a Wildlife Rehabilitation externship at Northwoods Wildlife Center and participated in two wildlife research projects—one focused on black bears and another on timber wolves—further deepening her passion for animal care.
After veterinary school, she completed a rotating internship in emergency medicine and surgery at the Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center in Waukesha, WI, and then worked as an emergency veterinarian at Veterinary Emergency Services in Madison.
In 2014, Dr. Fay joined AERC as a full-time emergency doctor. She especially enjoys triage, stabilization of critical patients, and pediatric medicine.
At home, Dr. Fay shares life with three pets: Daisy, her beloved golden retriever and lymphoma survivor thanks to AERC’s oncology team, and her two cats, Loki and Lucy, who rule the household. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, camping, and hiking in the mountains whenever possible!