Dr. Israel Swann grew up in a small town in Southwest Texas with dogs and horses, where his love for animals and biological sciences sparked his interest in veterinary medicine early in his life. He worked as a veterinary assistant in small animal practice before attending Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, where he earned his DVM degree. He was presented with the Robert Rosenthal Senior Student Award, presented by the Veterinary Cancer Society to the senior veterinary student deemed to have outstanding aptitude for, and competence in, the diagnosis, treatment, and general care of companion animals affected by malignant disease.
After graduation, Dr. Swann worked with small animals and exotics in Southern California, and he became Fear Free certified. He also volunteered his time with community programs providing free health care services for low-income and homeless populations in the Los Angeles region. He is a member of the California Veterinary Medical Reserves Corps, a volunteer organization that mobilizes veterinary teams in response to natural disasters in affected communities.
Dr. Swann was featured on Season 9 of Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER on Nat Geo Wild, where his passion for medicine and compassion for his patients is evident. Outside of clinical practice, Dr. Swann has volunteered his skills to assist with trap, neuter, and release programs designed to control feral cat overpopulations to provide better lives for individuals as well as populations of both felines and native wildlife that are affected.
In addition to veterinary medicine, Dr. Swann is also very passionate about working towards zoological and species conservation as well as environmental habitat preservation. The West Coast is home, and he has returned to California and joined the Tarzana Pet Clinic team to continue his work with domestic and exotic animal species, as well as to contribute his skills towards conservation, rehabilitation, and preservation efforts.