While you may know him as the guy working long hours at Lagrange Veterinary Hospital, dedicating his life to the care and well-being of your beloved furry companions, Marshall Breite, DVM, is more than the guy who is committed to keeping your dog and cat healthy. Here is a little behind-the-scenes information about your furry friend’s favorite veterinarian.

 

Background and home life

A Big Apple native, Dr. Marshall Breite was born and raised just over an hour away from Lagrangeville, in the Bronx, New York.

Married to Robin, a teaching assistant at a local high school, they have raised four children together, three of whom chose to follow in the medical and educational footsteps of their parents. Daughter Arielle is a veterinarian, son Shale is a physical therapist, son Cody is working toward a career in aviation and is hoping to join the U.S. Air Force Reserve soon, and daughter Jori is an elementary school and special education teacher. Marshall and Robin also have one granddaughter.

Now to the question everyone is asking themselves right now: What about their pets? Marshall and Robin share their home with one dog and two cats. While the antics of their French bulldog, BB-8, may delight the family, the two cats, Luxx and Sharkbait, are not so amused by their housemate.

 

Passion for veterinary medicine

There is no one personal pet story that paved Marshall’s pathway to veterinary medicine. In the tenth grade, even though he had never visited a veterinary office, the notion of providing life-saving care to animals latched on and became his passion in life. As a veterinarian, Marshall understands that there is a concerned pet owner behind every patient and that veterinary medicine is more than just treating animals—it’s about developing a lifelong bond with both the pet and the pet owner. One of his favorite aspects of being a veterinarian is forming these strong bonds with both two- and four-legged friends.

But, veterinary medicine isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. For Marshall, the most difficult part of being a veterinarian comes when a pet owner cannot afford to provide the necessary diagnostics or treatments for a pet. Some pets are not covered by pet insurance, and it can be difficult to save for a potential pet medical emergency or sudden illness. With this in mind, Marshall encourages all pet owners to either obtain pet health insurance or to have similar contingencies planned.

 

Favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things

—Julie Andrews, “My Favorite Things”

 

Well, Marshall’s list is slightly different than Julie Andrews’ (with the exception of the “whiskers on kittens” part). Here are a few of his favorite things:

  • When he isn’t busy helping animals on the path to optimum wellness, Marshall is actively engaged in his own health. His free time is dedicated to training to compete in obstacle course racing (OCR). OCR is designed to push you to the point of mental and physical collapse, often similar to the training used in military branches. Depending on the event, Marshall may face challenges involving barbed wire, swinging on monkey bars, climbing over walls, carrying heavy objects, or traversing bodies of water, to name a few. Races you may have heard of include the Tough Mudder and BoneFrog Challenge. In fact, he has qualified to take part in the Obstacle Course Race World Championship six years in a row and has competed in four of those.
  • Another non-veterinary passion is performing in community theater. To date, his favorite roles were in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Terra Nova, and Blood Brothers, all of which he performed at County Players in Wappinger Falls.
  • Many times, people classify themselves as either dog or cat people, and the battle lines are clearly drawn. Not so in Marshall’s case. Although, if he were reincarnated, he would prefer to come back as a cat, enjoying their athleticism and independence.

 

After learning all about the man behind the stethoscope, come see him in action. Call the office to schedule your pet’s next annual wellness examination.