Karen is originally from the East Coast of Canada. She graduated from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College’s Animal Health Technology program in 1994. In 1997, after working for several years in general practice, she accepted a position with the newly opened Metro Animal Emergency Clinic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the first after hours veterinary emergency hospital to open in Atlantic Canada. In 2000, she completed a one-year Veterinary Technician Internship at The Animal Medical Center in New York City. It was here that a keen interest in anesthesia, and emergency and critical care medicine began. After completing the internship, she returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Metro Animal Emergency Clinic, and eventually began working towards becoming a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency/Critical Care. She completed this designation in 2013, and in June 2014, left her native Canada and made the move to New Jersey. After 4 years at NorthStar Vets, she decided to make a change in her career and became the ICU Training Mentor at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in September 2018.