Check Out Amanda Vockler’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Vockler.

Hi Amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m Amanda Vockler and I am the owner and veterinarian for Davis Mobile Veterinary Services. I started my business in March of 2022 and wanted to start this to be able to provide veterinary care for pets that may not be able to otherwise get the help they need. I had heard of house-call/mobile veterinarians when I was in veterinary school. It did always appeal to me to be able to create a close bond with the clients and their pets. I also wanted to make “going to the vet” easier not only for the clients but also for the pets, because let’s face it, dogs and cats for the most part hate going to the vet. We are nearly full service in that we can provide almost everything that a regular brick-and-mortar practice can offer pets. The only piece of equipment we have yet to acquire is a mobile x-ray (which is coming this next year). I can offer wellness visits (vaccines and yearly check-ups), sick exams, in-home hospice care, in-home euthanasia, and also mobile surgery (elective procedures only) and mobile dentistry. I started with wanting to be a veterinarian when I was a young girl, and I haven’t strayed away from that dream since I made up my mind when I was 5 years old. I went to school and was a part of the first class admitted to the Utah State/Washington State Veterinary School and graduated in 2016. After practicing for a number of years, I started to experience a little bit of burnout. Life in regular general veterinary practice can be very stressful and I did start to notice it wearing on me and on my family. I wanted and needed a change that would get me excited again to show up to work each day. And it was shortly after I returned to work after maternity leave from having my second child, that I decided to make a change.

There are no other mobile veterinarians in our area (Davis County), and I saw a huge need for these services. My husband and I found an RV for sale, we purchase it, and ripped everything out to build our mobile veterinary clinic. We have a treatment area, dental table, surgical suite, as well as in-house bloodwork equipment.

We have already helped numerous animals cross to the rainbow bridge from the comfort of their own home. We have helped elderly clients who do not feel comfortable driving their pets into the clinic. We have helped mothers so they don’t have to load their kids and their pets into the car and take the entire family to the veterinary clinic. We have also helped quite a few pets who are otherwise very stressed in the regular clinical setting finally be seen by a vet and get their vaccinations updated. I absolutely love being a mobile/house call veterinarian! I have also loved being able to have a schedule that can also be a bit more fluid and flexible to be more available to my two young children.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It felt like for a while that nothing was going to go smoothly. From struggles with getting my business license because there was no other business like mine, to delays in getting equipment and vaccines for months due to shipping issues… At first, I wondered what I had done! But as things started falling into place (an equipment finally showed up) most things have been going smoothly. We did have one morning we had to cancel all of our appointments/surgeries because we had a huge gash in one of our tires! Another challenge is a common one in the veterinary field in general. There is just not enough veterinarians and veterinary staff to support the needs in the community. And I have definitely seen it firsthand as I started this practice and have been met with a huge demand for our services in this community.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a small-animal veterinarian, meaning I work with dogs and cats. I have special interests in preventative care, animal behavior, dentistry, client education and hospice care. I feel like I am well-known for being a veterinarian who has a caring and thoughtful bedside manner, and I genuinely love my patients. I love to educate clients at the same time treating their animals. And many have been very grateful that I try to make the time to ensure they understand their pets needs or what is involved with the disease or sickness they may have. I have been told what sets me apart is that people feel that I genuinely care about them and their pets. I am most proud of seeing the end results of a treatment plan that I, along with the pet owner, have created to make their pet feel better I am also most proud of when it has been time to say good-bye, that people have felt compelled to say thank you to me in that process. I always strive to make euthanasia (especially in people’s homes) a gentle and loving experience to pay respect for that life that was lived. And to do so, where everyone in the family feels included.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my family. My husband has supported this idea that I dreamed up from day one and if he had anything to say, I would have started this sooner. He spent countless hours helping to renovate and build our custom-made mobile veterinary clinic. I can never thank him enough for his love and support. My kids are also my biggest cheerleaders, and they are my motivation for everything that I do. I am also so grateful for the support of my colleagues. I found an online group of other house calls/mobile veterinarians across the country a while back, and they have all been super supportive in helping me build my practice. Many of them are also women who I feel many close ties to because of similar reasons why they decided to break the mold and start their practices. Dr. Eve Harrison, in particular, has been a huge cheerleader to many who have wanted to venture out on their own to make their own mobile/ house call business.

I also would not be successful if I didn’t have so many wonderful clients. They have supported me and referred many wonderful clients and patients for us to see. I am forever grateful for so many that I feel like I have become a part of their family.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.davismobilevetservices.com/
• Instagram: @davismobilevetUT
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davismobilevetUT/

Image Credits
Kayli Pendleton