She Saves Pets by Day, Guides Births by Night—Meet Dr. Brianna Tobin
Dr. Brianna Tobin has never been one to fit into a box. By day, she’s an emergency veterinarian who thrives on the unpredictability of saving lives in the ER. But that’s just one part of who she is. She’s practiced in hospitals across Canada and abroad, blending traditional and holistic approaches to help pets thrive. Beyond the clinic, she’s also a certified reflexologist and birth doula, caring for both people and animals.
At home, life is full. Brianna shares it with her wife, their two kids, and a lively crew of five pets. She’s a committed vegan, a lover of yoga, a bookworm, and someone who can happily spend hours by the sea—the one place she says always brings her peace.
A Heart That Leads the Way
If Brianna hadn’t become a vet, she says she would have gone into human medicine. Healing, in some form, was always her calling. “My sensitive heart is my strength,” she explains. “I never want to harden it—it makes me who I am.”
That heart, along with sheer determination and the unique perspective she brings from living with ADHD, has shaped her career. Instead of slowing her down, ADHD keeps her thinking outside the box and motivated when the job gets tough.
Living Her Values
Veganism isn’t just a diet for Brianna—it’s a guiding philosophy. She believes in making choices that align with her compassion, whether it’s for animals, the environment, or her own health. Her plant-based lifestyle is intertwined with her work as a veterinarian, reminding her daily of the connection between humans, animals, and the planet.
She speaks openly about her choices in a way that encourages dialogue rather than judgment. “I try to lead by example and have conversations with curiosity and respect,” she says. For her, that approach can create meaningful change—whether it’s helping people rethink where their food comes from or simply inspiring more compassion for animals.
The Hard and Easy Choices
Like most vets, her path hasn’t been straight. One of the toughest decisions she ever made was spending a year in general practice. It wasn’t her passion, but it gave her the balance she needed at that moment. The easiest choice? Going back to emergency medicine. “I’m an ER doc for life,” she says without hesitation.
Life Outside the Scrubs
Brianna’s first paycheck came from a movie theater job—scooping popcorn and tearing tickets. These days, her life looks very different. Between motherhood, doula work, and her own wellness practices, she keeps plenty busy outside of veterinary medicine.
When stress creeps in, she turns to yoga, long walks with her dogs, or even some “wonderfully trashy” reality TV. And the books she loves most—Man’s Search for Meaning, The Year of Yes, and Eating Animals—continue to shape the way she sees the world, reinforcing her values of empathy, resilience, and ethical living.
What Matters Most
For Brianna, purpose is everything. It fuels resilience, optimism, and joy. Her mission is simple but profound: to build a happy, connected life for her family while helping create a healthier, more supportive veterinary profession.
She’s especially passionate about improving the culture in veterinary medicine. “Too many professionals, especially support staff, are overworked and undervalued,” she says. “We need to create workplaces where people feel respected, supported, and appreciated.”
Looking Forward
Ask Brianna where she sees herself in five years, and she won’t give a scripted answer. Instead, she says: “Hopefully somewhere still doing what I love, still making a difference, and most importantly, happy—with my family by my side.”
That’s Brianna in a nutshell—real, honest, and driven by heart. Whether she’s in the ER saving lives, cooking plant-based meals for her family, chasing joy with her kids and pets, or diving beneath the waves in her happy place, she’s proof that living with compassion and purpose makes all the difference.
