Dr. Hilliard began her veterinary career as an assistant at the Northeast Indiana Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital (NIVES) in 2001. She went on to attend Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Her clinical year was spent at North Carolina State University and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2014. Following graduation, Dr. Hilliard returned to Fort Wayne to complete a one-year internship in surgery and emergency medicine at NIVES. Afterward, she moved to Houston, TX to pursue a specialty surgery internship at North Houston Veterinary Specialists. Finally, Dr. Hilliard moved back to Fort Wayne in the summer of 2016 to join the emergency and critical care team at NIVES. She has a special interest in small exotic pets in need of emergency care in addition to treating dogs and cats. Dr. Hilliard is passionate about implementing Fear Free techniques and received her Level 2 Fear Free Certification in February 2018. She is also a member of the Indiana Guard Reserve and is involved with a local animal emergency response team. In her spare time, she enjoys spoiling her two dogs, Sproggy-Doggy Niles and Shakira.