Tiffany McElroy is a bit superstitious, which is why she knew she had to wear the socks with her cat’s face on them and her lucky sweater the day of her boards.
Born and raised on her parent’s small hobby farm in Chehalis, Washington, Tiffany grew up with “poultry, horses, dogs galore and any animal the kids wanted to bring home.” Tiffany plans to be a dairy vet in California after graduation. “Dairy cows are miraculous. I want to inspire and support and uplift other women to be cow vets too. The veterinary industry is dominated by women yet the majority of cattle veterinarians are men, and it’s largely because women are told they’re not strong enough or physical enough to handle the job. I’m where I am today because I had strong female mentors and I would love to be that for more women.”
While Tiffany is an island student on contract from St. George’s University, she is still more Coug than most. She did her undergrad in zoology and animal science at WSU. How can you tell? Her favorite place on the Palouse is the top of Kamiak Butte at sunrise. Tiffany’s favorite activity is hiking, and if it’s 10 miles or less, it feels like a waste to her. She recently hiked the Pacific Crest Trail through the Sierra mountains in California with her brother, Charles, who completed the entire 2,653-mile trail.
Tiffany also has one cat, Lucifer, a 7-year-old domestic long hair that she found on the side of the road at just a few days old. “Their mother had been hit by a car; she’s been with me ever since,” she said. Tiffany has taken the cat, nicknamed Lucy, on adventures in three different countries. “I’ve recently started to take her hiking with me and we’re making big strides in the leash training world,” Tiffany said. As of this month she also introduced a 3-legged pup named Arthur into the family. She rescued Arthur from a shelter in Utah. “I was actually able to do part of his amputation and neuter him, and fell in love with the sweet angel.”