Meet Our Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist
Patrick Melese DVM, MA, DACVB
Dr. Melese’s training includes a B.S. in Zoology and a Master’s degree from the Department of Zoology at the University of California, Davis in 1980 where his subjects were Animal Behavior and Neuroscience. Afterward, Dr. Melese worked with Professor Benjamin Hart, D.V.M., Ph.D. doing behavioral research and publishing several papers in physiological psychology at the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He continued to work with Dr. Hart through veterinary school and assisted with the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Behavior Service until graduating in 1986.
Since receiving his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) from U.C. Davis in 1986, Dr. Melese has been active in the field of Clinical Animal Behavior. He keeps abreast of recent advances in the behavior literature, attends seminars and consults with colleagues in the field throughout the world. He works as a consultant to practitioners, clients, breeders, rescue groups and institutions with specific behavioral problems. Dr. Melese also regularly serves as an expert witness in animal bite cases in Superior Court cases in the Southwest as well as evaluating pets for aggression such as those impounded by Animal Control Departments or involved in legal cases. He provides regional and national/international continuing education for veterinarians and has been a regularly invited lecturer to Veterinary Medical Association meetings, other major national and international veterinary conferences, universities, kennel clubs, professional dog training meetings, and Animal Health Technology programs. Dr. Melese has been a featured speaker at local (San Diego Humane Society and S.P.C.A., Escondido Humane Society, Helen Woodward Animal Center) and national (American Humane Association) humane organizations. Dr. Melese participates in studies to test new treatments for animal behavior problems and has worked with most of the major pharmaceutical companies to run clinical trials to test new products for treating behavioral disorders.
Dr. Melese founded Veterinary Behavior Consultants, a veterinary referral and consulting practice limited to animal behavior problems, in 1988 and has also been a respected general practice veterinarian (medicine and surgery) for many years. In addition, Dr. Melese owned and operated the Tierrasanta Veterinary Hospital in San Diego for several years until it was sold to a general practitioner in 1999. For the first 15 years of his career, Dr. Melese was the only board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist in private practice based in Southern California. Dr. Patrick Melese moved to San Diego as a three-year-old child in 1960 and lives here with his wife and teenage son along with two dogs, three cats, and a horse.
Most Current CV for Dr. Melese pdf file
Contributing author of Decoding your Dog: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Dog Behaviors & Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones.
For information on the book and to purchase it, CLICK HERE.
TV segment on Dog TV with Dr. Melese: