Dr. Robert Monaco was born and raised in Queens, New
York, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University in 1985. He then had the privilege of attending Tufts
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated as class salutatorian in 1990. In 1998 he became a Diplomate of the American
Board of Veterinary Practitioners specializing in Avian medicine – an elite group of approximately 130 veterinarians
worldwide. Dr. Monaco founded the Old Country Animal Clinic on Long Island in 1995, a full-service, state-of-the-art animal
hospital for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and other exotic pets. After 20 years of practice he still loves his profession and
sees thousands of patients per year.
While in vet school he married his childhood sweetheart, Patricia.
They are still happily married and share their Long Island home with their two sons, and an assortment of pets including dogs,
cats, birds, frogs, a hamster, a snake, various insects and fish. An avid runner, you can find Dr. Monaco participating in
dozens of races each year. He says it helps him stay sane.
“The idea for ER to PR: Veterinary Medicine on the Run came
to me on Christmas Eve 2008,” Dr. Monaco says. “Maybe it was Divine Inspiration, but more likely it was just a
midlife crisis! I always knew I had a book in me – it was supposed to be a retirement project. But, much like an unexpected
early morning C-section in a dog, it came sooner than expected and here you have it.”
