About Me

Melissa Shapiro, DVM, is a small-animal veterinarian, author, and speaker/advocate for pets and people with disabilities. She is also the driving force behind the social media phenomenon Piglet, the deaf blind pink puppy (@pinkpigletpuppy). 

For over 25 years, Dr. Shapiro has been the owner and operator of the Visiting Vet Service, a house call practice in Fairfield County, CT. She is active in dog rescue and is the Connecticut state representative for the Humane Society

Veterinary Medical  Association. 

In addition to her work as a veterinarian, Dr. Shapiro creates and publishes all content for her popular social media pages that feature Piglet, her deaf blind pink dog. In 2017, Dr. Shapiro co-created the Piglet Mindset® educational outreach program, which uses Piglet’s story to teach growth mindset, resilience, and inclusion lessons in classrooms across the United States and the world. 

She is the CEO and director of Piglet International Inc., a nonprofit that supports the Piglet Mindset® educational program and raises awareness for rescued and disabled animals through education and fundraising. 

Dr. Shapiro’s book PIGLET, The Unexpected Story of a Deaf Blind Pink Puppy and His Family was published by Simon and Schuster, Atria Books, in August 2021. A children’s book, Piglet Comes Home, was released in June 2022. 

Dr. Shapiro is a speaker in the Simon and Schuster Speakers Bureau. Her entertaining and inspiring Piglet Mindset presentations are well received by children and adults in schools and other venues. Dr. Shapiro also speaks about many aspects of caring for pets with disabilities and special needs at both in person and virtual veterinary and other conferences.

A graduate of Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Shapiro completed a rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, followed by a residency in small-animal internal medicine at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Shapiro is the proud mother of 3 children, Rachael, Daniel, and Ellie. She lives in Westport, Connecticut, with her husband, Warren Shapiro, 7 rescued dogs, and 2 little chickens.