Blue Ridge Animal Clinic grew from a veterinarian’s return to Rockbridge

Allen Strecker returned to the Lexington area in 1985 to establish Blue Ridge Animal Clinic. For the Rockbridge County native, the move brought a veterinary career back to the community where it began—and created a practice serving both household pets and larger animals.

Strecker had earned an animal science degree at Virginia Tech in 1978 and a veterinary degree at Auburn University in 1982. At Blue Ridge, his work has included large-animal medicine and reproduction, alongside the clinic's broader mix of services.

That mixed practice remains an important part of its identity. A clinic caring for pets and farm animals needs different kinds of experience, and the current veterinary team reflects that range. Dr. Samantha Hogan brings an interest in equine and mixed-animal practice. Dr. Emma Polus's work includes production animals and mixed practice, while Dr. Eileen Whitten focuses on small animals.

Whitten earned her veterinary degree at Virginia Tech in 1996 and has lived in Lexington since 2004. Hogan trained at the University of Georgia, and Polus at St. George's University. Their different paths converge at the Maury River Road clinic, where veterinarians work with licensed veterinary technicians and a wider support team.

The clinic's setting is closely tied to the variety of animals in the surrounding area. Companion animals, horses and livestock create different demands, from an individual pet's appointment to concerns affecting animals on a farm. Blue Ridge's team gives those needs a shared local base rather than treating them as unrelated businesses.

Four decades after Strecker's return, the practice continues from its Lexington address. Owners can contact the clinic to discuss the appropriate service and appointment arrangements for their animal.