Meet Westerville Veterinary Clinic's Associate Veterinarians

Westerville Veterinary Clinic is proud to introduce its associate veterinarians, Drs. Hereda and Miller. We are also pleased to announce our expanded hours of operation—we are now open Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., to better serve our clients and patients.

Marie Hereda, DVM, associate veterinarian

Dr. Hereda has been an associate veterinarian at Westerville Veterinary Clinic for five years. Originally from Wadsworth, Ohio, Dr. Hereda made her way back to Westerville after working here under the previous owner, and in between time, practicing in Grandview, Dublin, and Albany, New York. Dr. Hereda is a two-time graduate of the Ohio State University, where she obtained her undergraduate and veterinary degrees. If you looked closely, you may have seen her playing the baritone in the OSU’s marching band in 2009. Her rookie year was none other than their 2002 football championship year.

Dr. Hereda’s love of veterinary medicine blossomed as a child when, instead of babysitting, she would dog- or cat-sit. Her mother often tells her that she wanted to become a veterinarian from the day she could talk. Dr. Hereda solidified her love of animals and medicine in school, where she spent time in the research lab and on dairy farms. Her favorite part of being a veterinarian is witnessing the human-animal bond, and ensuring that pet owners enjoy quality time with their pets, which often means helping them stay healthy. Her professional priority is to get sick pets back home where they belong. Unfortunately, all the money in the world cannot save every animal, and she finds that the hardest part of her job.

When she arrives home at the end of a long day, Dr. Hereda is greeted by Booker, her food-loving 5-year-old Golden retriever, and Maggie, her bossy 10-year-old Boston terrier-schnauzer mix. Maggie, who acts as if she’s only 10 months old, runs the show at home. You will also see Eddie, the 11-year-old orange tabby cat, who is Dr. Hereda’s first pet whom she adopted in veterinary school. And, we cannot forget Matt, Dr. Hereda’s partner, whom she met online. We would like to congratulate them on successfully purchasing their first home in Westerville.

When she isn’t working in the clinic caring for your pets, Dr. Hereda loves cycling, and proudly rode for Pelatonia two years ago. Traveling is a top priority, and Italy’s Amalfi coast is the next destination on her long list. One thing you won’t catch her doing is anything involving heights, which she fears terribly, although the Westerville Veterinary Clinic’s team convinced her to zipline at a staff event, and miraculously, thanks to her supportive co-workers, that wasn’t the worst experience of her life.

Other fun facts about Dr. Hereda include:

Her favorite food type is Italian
If she had to choose between dogs and cats, she’d choose dogs
She prefers the city life to wide-open spaces
She danced for 16 years
Her goal is to expand her knowledge of veterinary dentistry and behavior

Morgan Miller, DVM, associate veterinarian

Originally from outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dr. Miller became Westerville Veterinary Clinic’s newest associate veterinarian only a few weeks ago. After earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Ohio State University, she practiced emergency medicine before joining our team and changing to general practice. While she loved treating emergency cases, this field of work lacked a formal, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, which she longed for.

Dr. Miller’s original love for animals and medicine goes back a long way. She says she always knew what she wanted to do, and she caught and studied snakes and frogs as a child. During high school, she volunteered at her local humane society, and later tapped into the research and medical aspect of veterinary medicine during her undergraduate research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in microbiology. Her favorite part of her job is “deciphering the puzzle” for pet owners of why their pets are sick, what treatment can best help them, and how to prevent future problems. Coming from an emergency background, Dr. Miller appreciates the stress and anxiety that pet owners face when their pets are ill, and she wants to alleviate their stress. While she especially enjoys internal medicine and soft-tissue surgery, Dr. Miller says the hardest part of her job will always be euthanasias.

At her Clintonville home, Dr. Miller’s pet population is only two—Brinkley, the “goobery” and playful 6-year-old goldendoodle, and a 10-year-old Chihuahua mix who, while still friendly, is becoming ornery in his old age. Dr. Miller also shares her home with her wife and fellow doctor, a practicing obstetrician/gynecologist in Dublin. The couple met through mutual friends at the Ohio State University while Dr. Miller was in veterinary school and her wife was completing her residency. Interestingly, while both doctors work on different species, they perform similar surgeries, including ovariohysterectomies (i.e., spays) and Cesarean sections. The couple is elated to announce that they are expecting a baby in June 2020.

Aside from preparing for her budding family, Dr. Miller hopes to continue feeding her love of traveling—the Galapagos islands and eastern Europe are on top of her list. She’d also love to spend more time in England and Scotland, where she and her wife honeymooned in 2018. Dr. Miller is an avid crafter and viewer of the Great British Baking Show.