Merrianne Burtch, DVM, DACVIM, Board President and Founder

Dr. Merrianne Burtch is the Founder and President of the BirchBark Foundation.  Merrianne grew up in East San Jose, familiar with the discomfort of financial limitations in her family as well as friends and colleagues.  She knew from a young age that she wanted to become a veterinarian.  She graduated from UC Davis with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 and completed an internship at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital in 1994.  In 1996 Dr. Burtch completed an ACVIM SAIM approved residency in internal medicine at the same facility, which included out-rotations at UC Davis. 

Dr. Burtch achieved Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1999, and along with four veterinary colleagues, founded Pacific Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Service that same year.  In 2015, Pacific Veterinary Specialists was sold to Pet Vet Care Center and, most recently, merged with Santa Cruz Emergency Veterinary Services.  Today, Dr. Burtch follows her original mission statement to provide compassionate high-level veterinary medicine as a board-certified internal medicine veterinarian at Animal Internal Medicine Consultants. Over her almost 30 years serving animals in need throughout Central California, Dr. Burtch has gained a deserving reputation for excellent care and compassion.  She is an active member and past president of the Monterey Bay Area Veterinary Medical Association. 

Dr. Burtch is proud to be part of the compassionate animal welfare community on the Central Coast celebrating the Human-Animal bond every day.  She spends her leisure time with her family—which includes her husband, 2 sons, 3 dogs, and 2 cats­. She enjoys her garden, hiking, and sports.