Board Certified Veterinary Behavioral Specialist

Dr. Melese’s training includes a B.S. in Zoology and a Master’s degree from the Department of Zoology at the University of California, Davis in 1980 where his subjects were Animal Behavior and Neuroscience. Afterward, Dr. Melese worked with Professor Benjamin Hart, D.V.M., Ph.D. doing behavioral research and publishing several papers in physiological psychology at the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He continued to work with Dr. Hart through veterinary school and assisted with the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Behavior Service until graduating in 1986.
Since receiving his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) from U.C. Davis in 1986, Dr. Melese has been active in the field of Clinical Animal Behavior.

Dr. Melese founded Veterinary Behavior Consultants, a veterinary referral and consulting practice limited to animal behavior problems, in 1988 and has also been a respected general practice veterinarian (medicine and surgery) for many years. In addition, Dr. Melese owned and operated the Tierrasanta Veterinary Hospital in San Diego for several years until it was sold to a general practitioner in 1999. For the first 15 years of his career, Dr. Melese was the only board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist in private practice based in Southern California. Dr. Patrick Melese moved to San Diego as a three-year-old child in 1960 and lives here with his wife and teenage son along with two dogs, three cats, and a horse.