Staff photos / J.T. Whitehouse
Dr. Rocco Mele and registered vet technician Kim Smith perform a post-operative exam on Tilly, a rat terrier.

CANFIELD — Angels for Animals campus has two new faces at its veterinary hospital.

Dr. Rocco Mele and Dr. Mary Bryant have moved to the area from Arizona and are looking forward to helping Angels handle the ever-increasing load of patients.

Mele brings with him 50 years of experience but is no stranger to the area. He grew up on the East Side and is a 1964 graduate of Ursuline High School.

“After graduation, I applied to nursing school at St. Elizabeth Hospital and got a letter back saying they didn’t think I could handle it,” Mele said.

Disappointed, he went to work as a laborer at U.S. Steel in McDonald while attending Youngstown State University, where he majored in biology and chemistry.

He went on to attend The Ohio State University for one year, then entered a four-year program at OSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine. He graduated in 1973.

Since then, Mele has served in veterinary clinics in Ohio, Hawaii, Florida and Arizona.

In Arizona, he and wife Cathy Mele ran a private practice vet clinic for nearly five years before selling the practice to VCA (Veterinarians Corporation of America).

At VCA, Mele continued working with animals and went into oral surgery and implants for animals.

“Veterinary dentistry is underlooked,” he said. “It is hardly taught in veterinary schools and when it is presented you’re lucky to receive two or three hours of study.”

He also brings the knowledge of new technology that uses 3D printing. He has examples of 3D-printed dog skulls that have a tumor.

The skulls are from actual cases where the dog’s skull and tumor were printed and sent to a lab in Europe. The lab then produces a guide that clamps onto the dog’s head, offering the perfect cutting locations for a surgeon to remove the tumor.

Mele and his wife moved to Canfield when he accepted the position at Angels for Animals.

The couple also brought Ivy, a Chihuahua rescue who had to have all its teeth removed because of a mouth infection. Mele said Ivy is comfortable and living a happier life without the mouth pain.

Mele has devoted many years to advanced veterinary dentistry, which has led to articles and professional publications in both human and veterinary journals. Collaboration with leading researchers, human oral surgeons and biomaterial engineers allows Mele to implement innovative techniques and materials into his oral surgical protocols for cats and dogs.

Mele also had the opportunity to spend eight weeks teaching his skills in Japan.

The program, advanced dentistry-cutting edge oral maxillofacial surgery and reconstruction, allowed him to teach at several different clinics in advanced dentistry techniques.

DR. BRYANT

While working in Arizona, he began mentoring another up-and-coming veterinarian, Mary Bryant, who had the dream of being a veterinarian since she was a little girl.

Bryant grew up in Japan and lived in Washington State before moving back to Japan and then California.

She was the daughter of a Navy officer, Clifford Bryant, who was transferred to various bases. When she entered the eighth grade, her family moved to Arizona where she graduated from Sahuarita High School in 2009. During her high school years, she volunteered at vet clinics, hospitals and the local zoo.

After public school, she spent one year at Colorado State before switching to the University of Arizona to finish her undergraduate courses.

In 2019, she started at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts-Nevis in the Caribbean. She graduated in 2022.

“I started at a small veterinary clinic (in Arizona) and went to see Dr. Mele to learn more about veterinary dentistry,” she said. “I developed a passion for it and decided to follow Dr. Mele to Canfield.”

Bryant also came to Canfield and is looking to rent a house so she can be close to Angels for Animals.

“I would love to grow this business,” she said. “I bring my dental skills and knowledge and plan to be an asset for Angels for Animals.”

Spokesperson for Angels for Animals Kim Moff said Bryant and Mele will join the Angels Hospital staff of Dr. Mike Sabihi, Dr. Jennifer Clipse, Dr. Parker DeWitt, Dr. Janelle Martin and Dr. Richard Nokes.

“We still have room for more,” Moff said. “Veterinarians are hard to come by, so we are glad to get our two new vets and the knowledge they bring.”

Dr. Mary Bryant calms a small kitten after an exam at Angels for Animals.