Dr. Ritchie was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania. She obtained her BS in Animal Science from Cornell University, and then went on to earn her DVM degree from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. During her studies, she worked with the Cornell Raptor program as an undergraduate and spent time researching Puerto Rican Crested Toads while at UC Davis.
Although she had a puggle growing up, Dr. Ritchie’s first memory of being fascinated by animals was taking in a naked mole rat exhibit at the zoo as a very young child. True to her initial source of inspiration, she has a particular fondness for exotic species and someday wants to have a chinchilla or a bearded dragon. Other areas of interest to her include surgery, neurology, and cardiology. She loves all animals, but is technically a dog person and is hoping to add one to her home as soon as she’s settled in!
Dr. Ritchie is a big fan of musical theater and a proud television nerd, and enjoys going out to see productions and staying in to watch the latest shows. She also loves traveling to new places and taking in the local cuisine while she’s there—but in between trying new restaurants, you might also find her sneaking some raw Tollhouse cookie dough.
