Moms Who Rock Around Our Towns: Tarrytown's Sue Ettinger, DVM

Each week, we're going to share with you a local mom that we think is awesome. We'll ask her some questions and hear about how she manages life with kids in our area. We hope you'll enjoy getting to know some of our neighbors.

Sue Ettinger lives in Tarrytown (Irvington schools) with her husband, Dr. Kerry Heuter and their two sons, Kale (almost 6) and Hudson (4). Sue works as a veterinary oncologist at the Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers. She is co-author of the book, published recently, The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. And, she is a contributing blogger to dogcancerblog.com.

1. How do you balance being a mom and working?

Sue manages her busy life with "planning, organization, reliable child care and help from her husband, who works as a veterinary internist at the same hospital." At the end of each work day, she and Kerry communicate about "who will get home on time to get the nanny on her train. It can be pretty stressful, but making it home to hear about the boys' day and storytime is important." The other key for Sue is that she works a 4 day week, allowing her to have "one weekday to be a mommy, go on play dates, run errands and get the "to-dos" done!"

2. We think your job is interesting and and would love to hear more about it.

Sue shares that she "truly loves what she does. People think it is depressing to be a veterinary oncologist. Actually it is the opposite. It can be frustrating, saddening and heartbreaking to lose a patient after sharing months or years together with the pet and Guardians. But the majority of the time, it is about hope and cautious optimism." She adds that "dogs and cats handle chemotherapy so much better than people. It is not like a chemotherapy treatments in people." Interestingly, pets respond differently and most lead "normal lives with minimal side effects from treatment. Many dogs and cats with cancer not only live longer but live well."

3. When you find time for yourself, what do you enjoy doing locally?

Over the past year, Sue has been focused on writing her book after work and on the weekends. Since the book has been published, she is enjoying things like "exercising, reading her New York Times, yoga, cooking and trying new restaurants." She is also trying to navigate twitter- you can follow her at #DrSueCancerVet.

4. What are some of your top things to do around Westchester with your family?

You can find Sue and her kids walking along the Hudson River by Lyndhurst with their black Labrador. Like many boys, her kids love to watch the trains and "whirl by them." The Heuter family can be found at the local parks and enjoy finding new places to "climb, bike and play." They also frequent Blue Hill at Stone Barns for "lunch and walks." The family just renewed their membership to Hudson Historic Valley.

5. What is your favorite thing about living in this area?

Sue enjoys "the local villages, the places to eat, the local events- the Blaze, Irvington Halloween Hayrides, apple picking and craft events at Lyndhurst" with her family. They also love living so close to the Bronx Zoo and sometimes "go for for a few hours," and enjoy the quick trips to New York City to see the "Museum of Natural History, aka the Dino museum."

6. Anything else you want to share?

Sue is very excited about her new book, The Dog Cancer Survival and to "share her experiences in treating dogs and cats with cancer." Her goal is to "educate people that treatment including chemotherapy is well-tolerated in pets and can significantly extend their life, with great quality." Visit here to learn more about her book or read her blog here.

Is there a question you'd want answered by our Moms featured here? Tell us!

Don't forget to nominate a mom you think is amazing!

Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to elizabeth@patch.com