Dr. Kelly Adams was born in Mayfield Heights, Ohio and grew up in the Ohio cities of Lyndhurst and Dublin. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Bowling Green State University in 1994. Kelly received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1998 from the Ohio State University. While at Ohio State she was active in Raptor rehabilitation and was the head of the Blood Donor Bank.

Dr. Adams is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association and the Cleveland Academy of Veterinary Medicine (CAVM). She has been a member of the CAVM board and served as Secretary for four years.