Meet the 2026 Veterinary Heroes: Vanessa Spano, DVM, DACVB

Vanessa Spano, DVM, DACVB, has always seen animals as more than patients; she sees them as sentient beings worthy of the same mental health care we extend to people. Growing up in New York, New York, with a lifelong love of animals, and drawing on her own experiences navigating anxiety and depression, she found her calling in veterinary behavioral medicine. “The animals are what gave me a mission,” she said. “They’re sort of what saved me.”

Now heading the first-ever behavior service at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, Spano brings together clinical expertise, shelter medicine experience, and deep empathy for her patients. After completing her residency in 2023 and serving as director of veterinary services at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Adoption Center, she has dedicated her career to making behavioral specialty care more accessible through community outreach, discounted shelter partnerships, and free public education. With only approximately 100 board-certified veterinary behaviorists across North America, she is acutely aware of the responsibility that comes with her role.

Her philosophy is both practical and compassionate: “Behavior is a function of the environment. It’s much more effective to try to change the environment than it is to try to change the patient.” She applies that same thinking to treatment planning, tailoring every case to the individual animal’s emotional and physical needs.

“I just always wanted to make animals happy,” she said. “Maybe it’s only 1 animal, but it’s their whole world.”

Congratulations to Spano from dvm360! You can check out the rest of our 2026 recipients, and learn more about Spano here.