Dr. Siomara Acevedo was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She was a toddler when she started learning about animals at her grandparents small farm. She really enjoyed bottle feeding baby goats from the moment she learned how to walk. Her grandparents truly instilled kindness towards animals by taking injured stray dogs to the vet then nursing them back to health at their home.

Dr. Sio’s calling for veterinary medicine came at such a young age that she started shadowing at a local veterinary hospital when she was just 11 years old. As a teenager, she also volunteered at the Puerto Rico Zoo where she learned about wildlife medicine and protecting endangered species. In addition, she occasionally helped rescue stranded marine mammals such as manatees along with the Caribbean Stranding Network (Red Caribeña de Varamientos).

In 2001 she moved to Athens, Georgia to pursue a degree in Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia. She also gained entrance to the same institution’s College of Veterinary Medicine and completed her doctorate in 2009.

During college and to help support her studies, Dr. Sio obtained a National Animal Control Association (NACA) certification and worked as an Animal Control Officer for Athens-Clarke County. Despite witnessing animal cruelty, Dr. Sio enjoyed educating the community on proper animal care, prosecuting animal abusers and finding loving homes for many abandoned pets.

Once a newly minted veterinarian, Dr. Sio then focused on small and large animal emergency medicine in northeast Georgia. As a mixed animal emergency veterinarian, she performed countless emergency surgeries and provided care for a wide array of animals including camels and water buffaloes. After her first 4 years as a veterinarian, she moved to Atlanta, GA where she continued to expand her knowledge in small animal emergency medicine and critical care.

After almost 10 years of practicing emergency medicine and critical care, Dr. Sio became a relief veterinarian where she could use her experience to seamlessly fill in for other vets at different veterinary clinics. She has also worked as a shelter veterinarian and high volume spay and neuter surgeon.