DVM
Dr. María Juárez Byrd is a veterinarian who has a special interest in treating exotic and small animals. Since she was six years old, María has had a passion for caring for animals, which she nurtured through frequent trips to the Kansas City Zoo and her own home “zoo” – which included dogs, turtles, frogs, beta fish, guinea pigs, a bunny, bearded dragons, a water dragon, and two secret mice she smuggled into her room without her parents’ knowledge.
In 2016, María completed her B.S. in Animal Science at the University of Missouri, where she studied computational neuroscience and domestic animal husbandry. She then went on to earn her DVM in 2021 from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, focusing on exotic animal medicine.
Outside of her studies, María volunteered at the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital, where she cared for native wildlife such as bald eagles, ospreys, porcupines, turtles, deer, squirrels, and other animals. In her final year of veterinary school, she interned for three months at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Reproductive Management Center and two months with the University of Missouri Comparative Medicine Program. She also completed two months of exotic focused clinical rotations at Cornell, where she researched the husbandry and physiology of rare species, recommended follow-up plans, assisted in surgeries and anesthesia, and comforted hospitalized patients.
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