Dr. Richard Benjamin grew up in Yonkers New York, and his formative teenage years in Nairobi, Kenya. He attended college at Colorado State University and received his D.V.M. degree from Cornell University in 1972.  After marrying his high school sweetheart, the second thing he did right was to move to the west coast. After four years of practice in East Oakland, he purchased the Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital together with Dr. Shriro. The hospital has grown from a two doctor general practice to a multi doctor specialist referral center, busy five doctor general practice, and 24 hour emergency facility.  Much of this professional growth explains what Dr. Benjamin does with a great deal of his time.  In addition to a full patient load, Dr. Benjamin has assisted in multiple clinical field trials for many of the large pharmaceutical corporations evaluating cutting edge therapies; many of which have since been approved and are used throughout the world.  He has lectured on this subject at a symposium with the FDA in Washington, and travels to Europe to be part of global studies.  Dr. Benjamin was instrumental in the formation of PETS, the first veterinary emergency facility serving this area, and voluntarily oversaw its 20 years of operations as secretary of the board.  He is currently serving as past President of the Alameda County Veterinary Medical Association.

          Dr Benjamin's main pleasures are Lynn (remember the high school sweetheart), and their children Amy and Jill.  Amy has graduated from U.C. Davis Veterinary School in and joined our practice after an internship program.  Everyone enjoyed working with her as a technician for many years and Dr. B is thrilled to have her around as a colleague.  Jill, recently "defected" to Los Angeles and is practicing law, involved in interesting and varied cases, and loves what she's doing.  The huge menagerie of animals that populated the house when the kids were home has dwindled to fish, Louis the canary and Ferrous the cat.  Ferrous' position in the household; Lynn would be more concerned if he stayed out too late, than Dr B.

 Dr Benjamin is an avid mountain bicyclist and has gone riding twice weekly for the last 20 years.  He travels extensively with the family, has always been into photography, collects ancient coins, red wine, and tends his fruit trees, vegetable garden, and bird feeders in the back yard.  Besides his family, the constants in his life are a mid-day half hour nap and a nightly soak in his hot tub.  Basically he considers himself disgustingly lucky and happy.