New Board Member: Erica O'Donnell, DVM, MRCVS, DACVECC
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Erica O'Donnell DVM, MRCVS, DACVECC, to our Project K-9 Hero Executive Board of Directors.
Dr. O’Donnell is a highly experienced board certified emergency and critical care specialist (criticalist), who comes from a long line of family in law enforcement and K-9 Handling. She instructs medical classes for local, state, and federal K-9 Teams to include the United States Border Patrol and the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command.
She has already agreed to be the Director of Medical Services for Project K-9 Hero as a volunteer for the upcoming World Police and Fire Games Birmingham 2025 (WPFG) June 28-30.
Dr. O’Donnell has recently adopted a retired Multi-Purpose Canine who served on the Navy Seal Teams, and will be a devoted advocate for our program. She has seen the lives we have changed firsthand, with program members like K-9 Luna, from the United States Coast Guard, who was a patient of hers in June of 2022.
Please take a moment to read her extraordinary bio, and join us in welcoming her to the pack as we are extremely honored to have this highly respected Veterinarian on our team.
Respectfully,
Jason Johnson
Founder
Dr. Erica O’Donnell graduated from UCLA in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Minor in Political Science. While at UCLA, she completed a one-and-a-half-year internship at the UCLA Medical Center. She was the recipient of the UCLA Senior of the Year award and Chancellor’s award upon graduation. Prior to this, at age 16, she completed a one-year pre-medical biology course at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. In 2012, Dr. O’Donnell graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she double-tracked in small animal/equine medicine and obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). At UC Davis, she received the Walber-Malinois Scholarship Award (outstanding achievement in companion animal internal medicine) and the Theadora Peigh Memorial Scholarship Award (outstanding academic achievement).
Following graduation from veterinary school, she completed a one-year rotating internship at Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in Ventura, CA and a one-year surgical internship at Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. She then moved to Surrey, England and worked at Fitzpatrick Referrals, first as an intern and then as clinical services coordinator and research assistant. During this time, she became a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). After two years at this progressive orthopedic and neurologic specialty center in the UK, Dr. O’Donnell returned to her native Southern California to complete an emergency and critical care (ECC) residency at Veterinary Specialty Hospital Sorrento Valley. She was appointed Clinical Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences in 2019. In 2020, Dr. O’Donnell was accepted as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (DACVECC). That same year, she established an emergency and critical care service at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital North County. After two and a half years there, Dr. O’Donnell joined Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group – Orange County where she is currently working as a full-time criticalist.
Dr. O’Donnell has a deep personal connection to the law enforcement and working dog community. Her mother, father, aunt (also a K-9 Handler), uncle, and grandfather were all law enforcement officers. Her first dog was a working Police K9 and she recently adopted a retired Special Operations Multi-Purpose Canine. Dr. O’Donnell currently provides emergency and first aid care courses and regular consultations for local police departments, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Military Working Dog Handlers. She became aware of Project K-9 Hero’s incredible mission through retired U.S. Coast Guard K-9 “Luna” when she was brought to Dr. O’Donnell’s hospital for emergency care and surgery.
Dr. O’Donnell lives in the San Diego area with her 3 dogs, and is excited and honored to be able to provide even more services to local and national working dog organizations through Project K-9 Hero’s amazing work.