Dr. Lesser received her B.S. with Distinction in Animal Science from Cornell University in 1974. She received her M.S. in Physiology from The Pennsylvania State University in 1976. She received her D.V.M. from the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 1980.

Initially a 100% Equine Practitioner, she was drawn into study of veterinary chiropractic because of frustration with the available treatments for sore-backed horses. She received her Certification in Animal Chiropractic from the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) in February, 1991 in the third class ever given. She received her Advanced Certification in Animal Chiropractic (ACAC) in 1996 in the first class to be graduated. She was an instructor for the AVCA from 1991 to 1996.

In 1996, Dr. Lesser completed the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society’s teaching program in Veterinary Acupuncture passing both the written and practical exams.

In 2004, she began The Healing Oasis Wellness Center’s educational program in Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy and was awarded its certification in January, 2005 (CVSMT), one of only two practitioners to hold both the ACAC and CVSMT certifications. She is currently an instructor in both the Basic and Advanced program for The Healing Oasis.

In 2005, she began a first of its kind, two year Master’s level program in Advanced Veterinary Chiropractic Neurology. Her first research paper on “Does A Dog’s Appearance Improve After Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy” has been approved by the advisors of the Advanced Program, the first to be so approved. Her second paper investigating the neurology of music as it pertains to the Freestyle dog is in its initial stage of development. In previous years, Dr. Lesser has been an active participant in Chiropractic Programs in Applied Kinesiology, Logan Technique, Network Chiropractic, and Chiropractic Neurology. She is approaching 1,000 hours in Continuing Education in Veterinary Chiropractic.

Since 1993, Dr. Lesser has been a solely Veterinary Chiropractic Practitioner, and since about 1996, 95% of her practice has been devoted to performance dogs. Among her patients are two winners of the Westminster Kennel Club Show, two winners of the Gaines Super Dog Competition (obedience), the 2006 Working and Herding Group winners at the National Obedience Invitational, and three members of the World Agility Team including two Gold medalists.

She is the author of two books, Hearts, Hands and Hounds: Body Work for the Active Dog in 1996 and Hearts, Hands, and Hounds II: The Well-Balanced Dog in 2000. She is a co-author (with Christine Miele) of “Dead Tail in the Golden Retriever” in the GRCA News. She was a featured speaker at the Fourth Annual Healing Oasis Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy Conference in Fajardo, Puerto Rico in November, 2005 speaking on “VSMT and Acupuncture Treatment in the Performance Dog”. She has been interviewed for CBS This Morning, Sports Illustrated, Long Island Horseman, Dog News and Dog World Magazine.

Dr. Lesser holds clinics in Connecticut (2), New York (5), New Jersey (4), Pennsylvania (3), and Maryland (2) and adjusts around 600 dogs/month.

When she’s not working, Dr. Lesser shows her Dobermans in Conformation, Obedience, Rally, and Freestyle. She has found that by being a competitor herself, she has a better appreciation of the competition stresses a dog endures as well as understanding issues that are handler errors and not canine chiropractic problems.