Dr. Hazelwood was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended Colorado State University for both undergraduate work and to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. In veterinary school her nickname was "Doogie" because she was the youngest member of her veterinary class. Upon graduation, she worked in Emergency for several years at the largest emergency practice in Phoenix, Arizona, and then later switched to daytime practice because she loved building relationships with pets and their owners.

Professionally, Dr. Hazelwood enjoys internal medicine with an emphasis on diagnostic interpretation, feline medicine especially with geriatric cats, and dentistry. She loves to mentor and teach. Recently, she started teaching a 2 hour Pet First Aid and CPR course to various groups in the Denver area.