Meet Dr. Dressler
Hello, and thanks for coming to meet me!
My name is Demian. After being conceived in a VW van headed cross-country, I entered the world in Portland, Oregon. My parents had left NY city and were heading west. They wanted to raise their son in a world very different from the Bronx. So, at 6 months of age, I arrived on Maui.
My upbringing was pretty different from many. We lived in a remote area of the island, and I did not have the chance to play with other kids due to seclusion. Thankfully, we were animal lovers. And we surrounded ourselves with them.
I spent most of my time with animals, especially the dogs. Now, do not get me wrong. The cats, monkeys, pigs, peacocks, rabbits, chinchillas, goats, ponies, guinea pigs, chickens and more were my companions. But in my days outside, in the fields and groves of trees, my dogs were the chosen ones. Or, they chose me.
Bogart was my first, a big, red Mastiff-Irish Setter-Lab cross. He was loyal, strong, and noble. He was also intuitive, always knowing if something was wrong. Then there was Houdini, the amazing Pit Bull cross, who had endless joyful energy, and could escape from any enclosure. Next came Spika, the obedient, smart, and clear-headed Australian Shepherd. Each one was a gift and friend, and we spend our days trudging through the Maui wilderness. And back then, it was indeed wilderness, no houses for miles.
I spent my nights reading, as we had no television. I realized later that this allowed for “outside the box” thinking, my thoughts not as confined as some of the other kids. This was a blessing at times and a curse others.
My parents placed a premium on education. I was enrolled in private, independent schools from early on. I knew I was to be a vet. I remember one evening when it came to me. My mother and I were helping a doe (female goat) in birth, and I could tell Mom was a little distressed, not that comfortable with the process. It came to me…I was to be the one to know, to be able and competent. So I said, “Mom, I will become a doctor for animals, and then I can help!” I was six.
So I did. I went off to California for college, majoring in animal physiology, and made it into Cornell. I was overjoyed and surprised. Not only was I going to be a vet, I made it into the number one ranked school in the nation. Actually, I was delirious.
So, back to New York, making a big loop to where my parents started. Vet school was awesome. Surrounded by the best minds, I was overwhelmed. Icy waterfalls, red and gold leaves, the best of friends, the best of times. It was grand.
Then off to work as a vet! I had no idea what I was doing. Thank God I was surrounded by four other vets in a top-notch practice in Amherst. They were good mentors and I got a good foundation. After four years in Ithaca and two in Buffalo, I was ready for the Islands again.
Not quite ready to go home, I went to Oahu, the busy island. I needed cash, and took the first job that opened up…in Waianae, the roughest town in Hawaii. Let me tell you, being a “haole” in a town where the color of your skin could determine your health (or deep, blunt trauma) was always a little exciting. But quickly, I was known as the vet to everyone, and I was able to experience the Hawaiian culture more than ever before. I adopted my cat, “Ginsu” there, who never seemed to lose his taste for the rowdy streets.
I was offered a job next in Hawaii Kai, the wealthiest locale on the island of Oahu. A totally different world, I had to stay light on my feet. It was a pleasure being able to practice high quality medicine and surgery again. Bjorn, a Chow Chow puppy in need of surgical fusion of his wrist, was sent to me from Maui. After a 5 month recuperation, I adopted him. He has been my loyal friend, and the apple of my eye ever since. You can see him on the early blog videos.
After running the Hawaii Kai hospital by myself, I decided to go out on my own, and realized it was time to go home. I flew to Maui and opened South Shore Vet Care, which has grown to over 3500 clients in about five years. I met a beautiful woman named Allison, who had just moved to Maui from Colorado. She told her best friend Jodi that she knew she was going to meet the man she was to marry on Maui. And so she did! We became a married couple on the beach October 21, 2006.
As I write this, Allison relaxes on the couch, Bjorn is sleeping deeply at my feet, and Ginsu is out, probably in a pile of dirt somewhere.
I hope you enjoy the blog, and my upcoming book on dog cancer, and that you find them informative and enjoyable. May they yield health, happiness, and life for your dog.
Best to all,
Demian
