Veterinarian Weston C. Betts is a new associate at Animal Care of Gloucester, located on Route 17, White Marsh. He joined the local office June 12.

Betts said he treats mostly dogs, cats and "pocket pets" such as ferrets. Besides offering skilled care, Betts said the practice, headed by Dr. Sue Stiff of Gloucester, sells some pet food and supplies.

Betts has a special interest in animal behavior, offering suggestions on ways to curb aggressive behavior in pets or how to rid them of phobias. In a warm climate such as this, Betts said the practice often see a lot of flea and tick problems, exacerbated by the unusually mild weather last winter, and they treat many dogs and cats for heartworms.

"This is my first employment," Betts said. He graduated this May at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at University of Mary Washington.

Born in Boulder, Colo., Betts was raised in Lynchbur...