Dr. Gerard was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She is the youngest of five children. Her parents, Manuel and Ada, are from Puerto Rico and her four redheaded siblings, Manny, Sam, Tom, and Ada, were all born in New York. Dr. Gerard has been lovingly known as the brunette nerd of the family. Her tremendous love of both school and animals was evident at a very young age. As a child, she not only wished to adopt every stray in the neighborhood, but she also insisted her parents help relocate deceased animals to a more peaceful final resting place. Her love of school resulted in her being the first in her family to go to college. Dr. Gerard attended the University of Florida where she completed her first two degrees on full scholarships, Bachelor of Science (Animal Science, Honors Program) and Master of Science (Animal Science with a special interest in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology in the area of Reproductive Physiology). She then went on to attain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2008. Go Gators!
Dr. Gerard has worked as a General Practitioner and Associate Veterinarian at several multi-doctor small companion animal hospitals, including 24-hour emergency and referral centers. She has served as a Relief Veterinarian for single-doctor practices and in shelter medicine at the SPCA and Humane Society. She has volunteered at multiple large-scale feline Trap-Neuter-Release programs. She served as a volunteer surgeon at a local community college for the Veterinary Technology program. She participated in the Great America Teach-In at a local elementary school. She participated in a local doggy daycare microchipping event. She assisted in different capacities with several local low-cost vaccine clinics. She has traveled to Mexico and Ecuador to provide veterinary care to a variety of different animals living in underserved communities. She served as the guest speaker on multiple occasions for a Health Science class at Thomasville High School.
Dr. Gerard is a member of the AVMA and NCVMA. She has been certified as a Fear Free professional. She has pursued advanced training in the areas of dentistry, ophthalmology, and ultrasonography. Additional professional interests include senior pet care, dermatology, internal medicine, osteoarthritis, cytology, and client education. She takes tremendous pride in helping to enhance and nurture the human-animal bond for her patients and her clients. She is an active member of Thrive High Point- Minority Entrepreneurship Initiative and successfully completed the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program (Class of 2023). Her personal interests include photography, travel, and spending time with family and friends. Dr. Gerard and her husband, Todd, are blessed with two incredibly active and bright young daughters, Olivia and Alexandra, that keep them busy outside of their careers and they would not want it any other way.