Dr. Hess is the owner and Medical Director of the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Bedford Hills, New York. She is a past president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and active member of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians.

Currently she is a bird and exotic pet blogger for petMD.com and VetStreet.com and lectures nationally and internationally on exotic pet care. Dr. Hess has published numerous articles and book chapters on birds and other exotic species and is a senior editor of the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery and guest editor of the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Veterinary Clinics of North America (Exotic Animal Series) and of Exotic DVM Magazine.

Unlikely Companions….The Adventures of An Exotic Animal Doctor

Whether it’s an umbrella cockatoo who’s not eating, a depressed chinchilla, a pregnant potbellied pig, or a ferret possibly needing surgery, exotic animal vet Laurie Hess is at the front lines with some remarkable pets–and their equally eccentric, dedicated, and sometimes demanding owners. Following a week in Dr. Hess’s life as she tries to uncover the source of an unknown ailment killing some of her most vulnerable patients, Unlikely Companions is an All Creatures Great and Small with a mysterious twist that includes a special message about managing our most important relationships—those with our friends, coworkers, children, spouses, and ourselves.

“Dr. Hess takes everyday as it comes and treats whatever enters her office with compassion, and knowledge, and sometimes even humor.”

—Martha Stewart