Meet Our Veterinarians
Dr. Laurie Hess, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice)
Avian & Exotic Pet Veterinarian
Owner & Medical Director
Dr. Laurie Hess is board-certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in avian (bird) medicine and served as the President of the Association of Avian Veterinarians from 2009-2010. She is also an active member of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians.
After graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University, Dr. Hess received her veterinary medical degree from Tufts. She then completed a one-year internship and a two-year residency in avian and exotic pet medicine and surgery at the world-renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City.
Dr. Hess has lectured both nationally and internationally about exotic pet care and has published numerous articles and book chapters on birds and other exotic species. She is especially interested in exotic pet nutrition. In the late 1990s, she completed groundbreaking nutrition research on the importance of pelleted diets in birds. She presented these findings both in Europe and in the U.S. and later published the research in 2002.
Dr. Hess serves as a media spokesperson on bird and exotic pet care. She has been a guest exotic pet expert on Animal Planet’s exotic pet series “Little Pets 101” and “Peculiar Pets 101.” She has also appeared on Animal Planet in Drs. Foster and Smith’s TV series, “Faithful Friends,” and has been a guest on the “Martha Stewart Show,” discussing the importance of educating yourself about exotic pets before you get one. Dr. Hess has also appeared on numerous TV shows, including the CBS morning show, “The Doctors,” the TV news magazines “Inside Edition” and “48 Hours,” the WPIX Morning News in New York City, the Fox morning show “Good Day NY,” Chicago’s “Windy City Live,” and the KTLA Morning News in Los Angeles. She has made guest appearances on local and syndicated radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada discussing exotic pet issues, and she has recorded her podcast series, “ZuNation,” on
Dr. Hess is the author of her memoir, Unlikely Companions: the Adventures of an Exotic Animal Doctor. She has written hundreds of articles about exotic pets in syndicated columns nationwide and in well-known exotic pet magazines such as Bird Talk, Birds USA, Pet Age, and Critters Magazine. She also blogs regularly about exotic pet topics on well-known pet websites, including www.petMD.com and www.Chewy.com. For many years, she served as associate editor of the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, as well as a guest editor of the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Veterinary Clinics of North America (Exotic Animal Series) and of Exotic DVM Magazine. She also has been published in internationally recognized veterinary journals including the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, The Merck Veterinary Manual, and Veterinary Record. In addition, Dr. Hess has consulted for several well-known companies in the bird and exotic pet industry, including ZuPreem, Lafeber, Harrisons Bird Diets, Oxbow, Zoo Med Laboratories, Marshall Pet Products, Antech Laboratories, Zoetis, Healthy Pet (makers of Carefresh), Furminator, Vitakraft, and Lifelearn.
Dr. Hess founded the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in 2010 so that birds and other extraordinary exotic pets would have a specialized hospital catering to their unique species. She has dedicated her career to improving the health and well-being of birds and exotic pets in any way she can.
Dr. Amanda Marino
Dr. Amanda Marino has always had a love for animals and knew she wanted to be a veterinarian from a very young age. She began her veterinary career working as a veterinary assistant at South Putnam Animal Hospital, in Mahopac, NY, in high school. She then went on to receive her undergraduate degrees in animal and poultry sciences and agriculture and applied economics from Virginia Tech in 2008. After graduation, she spent a year in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York participating in research with the common loon. Later, Dr. Marino then attended veterinary school at Oklahoma State University, graduating in 2013. During veterinary school, she developed a passion for treating exotic species, including client-owned pets, wildlife and zoological species . After veterinary school, she completed a 1-year small animal rotating internship at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in East Greenwich, RI, as well as a specialty internship in exotic pet medicine at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, TX. She returned to Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in 2015 to practice as an emergency doctor before coming to the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics in 2016 to complete a two-year specialized avian medicine and surgery residency. Since she has completed her residency in 2018, she has continued to work with us here as a full-time associate veterinarian. She continues to work towards ABVP board certification to become a certified specialist in avian practice. In 2019, she also completed the small animal acupuncture course through Chi University. She has taken an increased interest in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, has begun the journey to complete a master's degree in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine through Chi University. She hopes to continue to expand the treatment options (both in conventional medicine, as well as integrative medicine) for our furry, scaley and feathered patients here at the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics. When not at work, Dr. Marino spends time with her rabbit, Reginald (Reggie) and her mixed breed dog, Shep. She also enjoys spending time with family and friend, anything outdoors and traveling.
Dr. Amanda Dewey
Originally from Los Angeles, Dr. Dewey completed both her undergraduate and veterinary medical degrees at UC Davis. She then went on to complete a one-year general medicine and surgery internship at VCA South Shore Animal Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts, followed by a one-year internship in avian and exotic animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. During her undergraduate years, she became very interested in working with birds and other exotic animals while volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center where she worked with hawks, owls, and an occasional eagle. She came to the Veterinary Center in 2019 to complete a two-year specialized avian medicine and surgery residency, which she completed in 2021. Since completing her residency, she has continued to work with us as a full-time associate veterinarian. Dr. Dewey is especially interested in animal behavior and enjoys working with pet owners to solve their pets’ behavior problems. When she is not at the animal hospital, Dr. Dewey loves to spend time with her pets – 2 cats named Zoey and Momo and a rabbit named Bunnicula – and to go outside to hike, fish, and camp.