Dr. Heather Garland joined us at Brevard Animal Hospital in August of 2016.
She is a second career veterinarian, having spent nearly a decade working as a cave conservation biologist for The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee. This career took her all over Tennessee and the southeast working to protect cave systems and their unique creatures, including endangered bats. Along the way, she was able to participate in several biological inventory studies that yielded a number of cave species new to science as well as coordinate protection efforts for many of the most critical cave habitats in Tennessee. Eventually, however, the call of veterinary medicine became too strong and the native Tennessean headed to Knoxville and entered veterinary school. Heather is a graduate of the University Of Tennessee College Of Veterinary Medicine, Class of 2011.
While enjoying all aspects of veterinary medicine, Heather has a particular interest in preventative and internal medicine, clinical pathology, and ultrasonography. She is passionate about nurturing the human-animal bond, which includes low-stress handling of every patient in an effort to reduce fear and increase comfort while in the veterinary office.
On her days off Dr. Garland can be found wandering through the woods or floating down a river with her best friend and companion, "Frankie" the "Tennessee Bob-tailed Labra-terrier". Unless, of course, the UT Volunteers are playing football! Heather is thrilled to have found her way to Transylvania County, which seems a natural fit for a former cave and bat biologist, and looks forward to serving her new community.
