Associate Veterinarian
Dr Harris comes to us from Indiana. “I have always loved science and had a love for animals”. While in college she took a job in a veterinary hospital to “pay my bills”, it was only to be short term. “I discovered my love of veterinary medicine when I was a veterinary assistant. I loved the people I worked with and the work we did was so satisfying. I loved talking with clients and helping educate them on how to best care for their pets. I had the privilege to work with lots of small exotic mammals as an assistant which I really loved most of all. I finally realized one day that there was nothing more I would love to do than to become a veterinarian.”
Like most of us, growing up Dr Harris had dogs and cats as family pets. While away at college she missed having a pet. She adopted a pet rat. So “started my love of small exotic mammals. Since my first rat I have owned five more rats and three guinea pigs and I look forward to rescuing more exotic pets in the future.” Dr Harris went on to Veterinary School at the University of Missouri. Despite the challenges of veterinary school, Dr Harris worked with the Mizzou Raptor Rehabilitation Program during veterinary school.” I was able to rehab and release five birds during my time there. The most memorable being a barn owl that came in when it was only 5 weeks old. We had to feed her several times a day for weeks until she could be transferred to a large outdoor mew where she learned to eat on her own and gain her strength to fly. I watched her grow up and transform in front of my eyes and was able to release her back where she was found with the woman who had found her. We watched her fly away at sunset and it was a moment I will never forget.”
“I love getting to educate clients about pet care and medicine. One of my favorite things to educate clients on is nutrition. People love their dogs so much and I want to help them feed their pets good food that will help keep them healthy and live a long life. I also enjoy dentistry because it is so important to the overall health and well-being of our pets. I love working with exotic pets because of the variety it adds to your day and the passionate owners you get to meet along the way. Caring for an exotic pet is a lot of work and owners have to invest a lot of time and education into caring for them properly which is incredible to be a part of and I love helping them along the way.
“ Dr Harris met her husband while in undergrad. They share their home with two Pugs named “Kentucky” and “Tallulah”. “Kentucky”, she admits “is our grumpy old man who loves to snuggle” and “Tallulah” “loves to introduce herself with a play bow to new friends whether of the two-legged or four-legged variety.” Dr Harris and her husband “love to go for walks to explore our new town as well as playing trivia and board games.” Recently, she has taken up “baking to indulge my sweet tooth.” She is “excited to share my baking endeavors with my new co-workers. I have made several batches of bread, with no disasters yet!” When not at the hospital, you may also find her on the tennis court, possibly poolside or at the beach.