Our Story
DEDICATION & COMMITMENT
Devotion Veterinary Care sets itself apart from other veterinary facilities with its emphasis on familiar and personalized care. Owner, Dr. Michelle Lee was eager to seek private practice ownership because of her commitment to maintaining long-term relationships with both her clients and patients and providing her kind of care her way. Often described as meticulous and thorough, she listens and makes sure to give pets and their people the time and attention they need. With the constant changes in science, technology, and medicine, she aims to continually learn and augment the services she is able to provide and educate her clients to help make them the best pet owners they can be.
the Doctor
Dr. MICHELLE LEE
Dr. Michelle Lee was born and raised in West Orange, NJ. Never allowed to have pets as a child, she originally wanted to become a veterinarian so she’d be able to be around dogs and cats all the time. The official decision to pursue the career was made at the ripe old age of 14 and never changed. After graduating from Virginia Tech (go Hokies!) magna cum laude with a B.S. in Animal and Poultry Sciences, Dr. Lee attended veterinary school at Tufts University (go Jumbos!). With her doctorate of veterinary medicine obtained in 2004, she was then accepted to a rotating medicine and surgery internship at Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, NJ for 1 year where she obtained a wide range of experience in emergency medicine, internal medicine, general medicine, and surgery. After working in private practices in NJ for the next 16 years, she made the scary but exciting decision to step out on her own and open Devotion Veterinary Care in 2021.
Dr. Lee lives in Morris County with her husband Daniel and her two beagles Kenny and Dotty. Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys fitness, cooking, hiking, and meditation. She also enjoys volunteering and tries to make a trip with Rural Area Veterinary Services every summer to provide free wellness care to underserved Native American communities across the United States.
the Staff
Claire Traynor, CVT (she/her)
Claire's interest in becoming a veterinary technician first started when she volunteered with The Raptor Trust where she was able to observe their amazing hospital staff work to provide medical care to any birds that needed special attention. After earning her degree in veterinary technology from Bergen Community College last year, she went on to receive certification from the state of New Jersey (CVT title) by passing the Veterinary Technician National Exam. Claire worked with Dr. Lee during one of her tech school externships and greatly admired her special bond with both patients and clients, attention to detail, and passion for making sure each pet received quality care. Once she found out Devotion Veterinary Care was in the works, she knew she couldn't miss the opportunity to be a part of something wonderful!
Her goals are to provide the best medicine possible for patients by working closely and personally with clients, be open to innovative ideas from fellow colleagues from all backgrounds and areas of expertise within veterinary medicine, and be a part of creating a happy and healthy environment for patients, clients, and coworkers alike!
Outside of veterinary medicine, Claire enjoys spending time in nature exploring hiking trails, art, and making music. Claire owns a sassy cockatiel named Simon who she adopted through Lonely Grey Rescue, one of the few rescue organizations in New Jersey exclusively catered to our feathered friends.
Laceitha Dyches she/her)
Laceitha started her career in veterinary medicine after 10+ years bartending in the service industry and has never been happier. After graduating with her degree in Veterinary Technology from Bergen Community College in May 2021, she worked as a client liaison for the cardiology service in a local emergency/referral hospital. Although she loved the team there, she realized she wanted to do more and branched out to see in what direction her career would take her. Luckily, Dr. Lee saw her potential and made her a part of the Devotion Veterinary Care team. Laceitha is so grateful to be working with such a smart and devoted group and asserts "the name Dr. Lee chose for her practice says it all." Her goals for working with Devotion Veterinary Care are to become the best technician she can be and to create life-long relationships with clients and their little loved ones.
In her free time, she plays on a bowling league, enjoys billiards, and loves hanging out with her friends and family. Laceitha is the proud mom to two guinea pigs named Sundae and Scoop, a pitbull/Jack Russell mix named Kingsley, and her new kitten Tiger who will play until he passes out.