“I have lived with animals my entire life; I owned my horse for 21 years, my childhood dog for 15 years, and my beloved cat for 20 years. I hang on tight. The pleasure of rehoming a foster pet, or rehabilitating injured animals, warms my heart. My dad had a soft spot for cats, so there was always one in the house. My grandparents would feed strays at their farmette in Matthews County. My husband, Dr. Kier, and our children have fostered many cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and turtles.”
Karen Smithwick, DVM is a native of Virginia. After attending Old Dominion University for her undergraduate studies, she went on to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. She has been practicing small animal medicine focusing primarily on emergency and critical care, with interests in preventative care, surgery, and geriatric patients. Dr. Smithwick loves building strong client and patient relationships and helping the human-animal bond thrive through health and wellness.
Dr. Smithwick and Dr. Kier met and married at Virginia Tech and have raised three children in Virginia Beach. They have two rescue dogs, an Australian Shepard (Bindi) and an Australian Cattle Dog (Opal), plus a Maine coon cat, and three additional cats of dubious lineage. In her spare time, she enjoys walking with her dogs on the beach, traveling, gardening, boating, and reading. She looks forward to growing the practice and serving the community.