Meet the NorthStar VETS Team: Stacey Rebello, DVM, MS

Stacey Rebello, DVM, MS is a doctor in the Emergency and Critical Care service at NorthStar VETS. In this blog post and video below, she talks about how she ended up in veterinary medicine, the types of cases she sees, and the kind of person who makes a good Emergency Veterinarian.

How Dr. Rebello Ended up Caring for Pets
We caught up with Dr. Rebello as she was checking on her patients at NorthStar VETS. She works in the emergency department, and has had a passion for helping animals her entire life. “I always wanted to be a veterinarian ever since I was little. I was that kid who brought home the stray kittens, and annoyed my parents by trying to entice all the stray cats in our neighborhood to come to our house and feed them milk. Being a veterinarian is just something I’ve always wanted to do.”

I completed my undergrad degree in Connecticut and then I then I sought some warmer weather and went down to the University of Florida in Gainesville where I completed my Masters and my Doctorate. I actually did my Masters degree working with horses and then changed gears to do small animal medicine, which is what I always intended to do.”

“I came to NorthStar VETS right after my internship, which I finished in 2009. I always wanted to do emergency work and I always wanted to work at a really big specialty and referral practice, and there aren’t that many of them, so I was lucky enough to land here.”

The Types of Cases Dr. Rebello Sees at NorthStar VETS
NorthStar VETS sees hundreds of cases each week, and the Emergency department is often busy. “We see a lot of trauma stuff, including hit-by-cars, lacerations, dog fight wounds, but we also see a lot of really sick pets that couldn’t wait to see their family veterinarian or one of our specialists. It’s a little bit of everything, which is what I like about emergency medicine.”

The Kind of Person who Makes a Good Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Rebello enjoys working alongside her colleagues at NorthStar VETS. “My favorite thing here is my coworkers. We have an amazing cohort of emergency doctors. They’re all really lively, have a good sense of humor, which is especially important in emergency medicine where it can be difficult and emotionally draining. It makes this job easier and a lot more enjoyable.”

Dr. Rebello and the team at NorthStar VETS are always available to help you and your pets. “A lot of us get into this line of work because we love animals, but it ends up being more about people. One of the big reasons why I like what I do is because I’m a people person not just an animal person. That’s important because of lot of my job is advocating for the pet and working with clients to help them through some of these really emotional decisions.”

Learn more about the Emergency and Critical Care service at NorthStar VETS.

Stacey Rebello, DVM, MS
Dr. Rebello is a New Jersey native who completed her undergraduate degree in biology at Fairfield University while working as a technician at a local veterinary clinic. She earned a master of science degree in theriogenology, studying equine placentitis and placental drug transfer at the University of Florida. She continued her studies at UF and was awarded her doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 2008. Dr. Rebello returned to New Jersey for an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls. She joined the NorthStar VETS emergency department in 2009, where her clinical interests include trauma care and perioperative management of surgical emergencies.