There’s a reason we go above and beyond what’s expected of a typical veterinary clinic in Lancaster, PA. There’s a purpose behind why we nurture your human-animal bond by providing outstanding customer service and compassionate, high-quality health care for your pet. And it can all be found in our veterinary hospital’s story.
Dr. Carrie Vigeant, the main practitioner at Healing Paws Animal Hospital, grew up with an autoimmune condition that caused her to permanently lose her hair at the age of two. Strangers and children at school were not always kind, but her family and her pets offered unconditional love.
Carrie was a small-town girl with a big dream, motivated by her own medical adversity. When she was two years old, her hair suddenly started to fall out. Her parents obtained medical opinions from many pediatric specialists, but they all gave the same diagnosis: alopecia universalis, an autoimmune condition.
Experimental treatments were available—each with varying degrees of success—but there was no cure. By the age of three, Carrie’s hair had completely fallen out. It never grew back.
Her hair loss magnified usual childhood trials and tribulations. Even while wearing a wig, she didn’t feel like she fit in with the other children. Each day, she looked forward to returning home to her refuge, where she would be enveloped in the loving warmth of her parents and many pets.
The faithful, accepting companionship of those pets sustained Carrie through childhood and motivated her to dedicate her life’s work to healing animals. Carrie attended IUP and earned her BS in Biology with a double minor in Chemistry and Biochemistry. She then attended Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. She has been gratefully practicing small animal medicine and surgery for more than 15 years, including advanced training courses in Dental Surgery, Fear-Free Certification, Soft-Tissue Surgery in the Feline and Canine, and Orthopedic Surgical training.
Today, Healing Paws returns that same affection to the animals that don’t judge us and who are always by our sides.
Healing Paws Animal Hospital was created to provide clients and creatures with a comfortable environment where they can learn, receive the highest quality care, and feel safe while getting the attention and services they need. Every piece of this practice is about you and your pet. Allow us to be your ally, your advocate, and your pet care educator.
The certified Fear-Free experiences at our Lancaster vet clinic include curbside services, zero waiting room time, species-specific exam rooms, complete in-room care and payments, and designated exits. Your pet will not encounter other animals at our animal hospital, and you can rest easy knowing that reducing stress and eliminating fear are two of our top priorities.