Melissa J. Israel was born Melissa J. Baptist in Chicago, Illinois in 1968. She moved to New Jersey in 1976 where she grew up in a country town (Yes! They do exist up there.), enhancing her love for all creatures great and small. She migrated south to attend college at North Carolina State University (Go Wolfpack!). She graduated with a BS in Zoology in 1990. In 1994 she graduated from NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine and descended further south to her first job in Pinehurst, NC. Here she met her husband, Thomas M. Israel, and her business partner Jim Watson. Melissa has two children and currently resides in Southern Pines with her 4 dogs, 8 cats, and her many egg laying chickens. Her interest focus on God, family, and friends as well as outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing, and gardening.
