Dr. Smalley was born and raised in the Wexford area. She is a graduate from North Allegheny. After high school, she moved to Ohio to attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for undergraduate. Once graduated from CWRU, she moved to Columbus, OH to attend The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated from OSU with her doctorate of veterinary medicine in 2015.

Initially, she lived and worked in Lancaster, OH (near Hocking Hills) before returning to Pittsburgh with her husband, Dan in 2018. She is thrilled to be back home and close to her family and friends. She and her husband just welcomed a baby girl, Addilyn, in 2020. In addition to their two legged child, they also share their home with 3 dogs and 6 cats.