Dr. Brown graduated from Purdue University Veterinary School in 1976. She was always interested in practicing exotic animal medicine, but didn't learn much about these animals in veterinary school because this subject wasn't popular at the time. She was the caretaker of a number of unusual pets during my childhood, through veterinary school and continuing to the present including; rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, chinchillas, gerbils, hamsters, mice, rats, lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, parrots, doves, ducks, hedgehogs, and invertebrates along with the more common dogs and cats. In 1980 she started practicing strictly exotic-animal veterinary medicine and in 1985 she founded the Midwest Bird & Exotic Animal Hospital, the first all-exotic animal veterinary hospital in the country

In 1986 she co-founded the Greater Chicago Ferret Association and served as their medical director from 1986 to 1997. Dr. Brown has served as the medical director for the Chicago Chapter of the House Rabbit Society. I have lectured extensively since 1987 to veterinarians and to the general public, both in the United States and in Europe, particularly on the veterinary care of rabbit and ferrets. She has written numerous veterinary and non-veterinary articles in a variety of magazines and have published chapters in a number of veterinary texts as well as co-authoring two veterinary books on small mammals.

The bond between human and animal is greatly enhanced through deeper understanding of the species. Some of the articles included in this Small Mammal Series were originally written for rabbit or ferret club publications. These groups have kindly allowed us to publish them here.