Dr. Mary's first stop after college was to join the Army. She was stationed at Fort Ord and fell in love with this area. After the Army, she worked mostly in basic science research. As a veterinarian, she came to California to practice predominantly dairy medicine, and then after several years she transitioned to small animal practice.

She attained an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Georgia before joining the Army. She then attained a Master's degree in Biology in Michigan and finally attended veterinary school at the University of Missouri. As an Army reservist, she did some parasitology research at Cornell University that resulted in publication.

Dr. Mary shares her home with two dogs who had been abandoned at the clinic where she previously worked, and surprisingly, both were popular purebreds: a French bulldog and a Boston terrier. She says they are the youngest and most energetic dogs she has ever adopted!