Thank You Dr. Anna Reading of Horizon Veterinary Care
As a companion animal veterinarian, Dr. Anna Reading has been practicing in the area for 10 years. She moved here after practicing for two years in Phoenix, AZ, after graduating from Cornell University.
“I opened Horizon Veterinary Care in January of 2023,” Anna explains. “I saw the need for more independent veterinary practices in the area, focused on long-term relationships with our patients and their families. We are a small, two-doctor veterinary practice in East Vancouver, in the same complex as Sushi Ninja and Petra House. I work with my best friend and colleague, Dr. Malia Haddock.
“I first became involved with Furry Friends in 2021 because of an FIP-positive cat named Max. I reached out to them after Max’s family was unable to care for him. Although he ultimately succumbed to his illness, our partnership with Furry Friends was born out of that shared experience, and we have helped many more cats since, especially cats with FIP, who have survived and thrived.
“We became a Platinum sponsor this year, because Furry Friends is unique among rescue groups in the caliber of veterinary care they provide. I love being a medical partner to them. Sometimes, with shelter medicine, the emotional burden becomes overwhelming when there are no financial resources to help cats that could otherwise have long and healthy lives. Furry Friends’ commitment to the cats in their care allows us to help those cats get healthy. This kind of commitment not only helps the kitties, but it helps the individuals and families who care for them by getting the ‘wins’ that encourage them to keep fighting!”
Anna, who is married to her husband Craig and has a daughter Lily, also has one rescue dog, Nico, and two rescue cats named Carlos and Gerald. Adopted from Furry Friends in 2022, Carlos has the distinct honor of being the 500th cat adopted out that year, while daughter Lily loves accompanying her mom to the Furry Friends annual benefit dinner every year!
“I really love being a veterinarian,” says Anna, “and although that takes up most of my time, I also enjoy gardening. Dahlias are my favorite flowers.”
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Furry Friends VIP Spotlights are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.
