For more information about Main Street Veterinary Clinic, visit www.mainstreetvets.co, call 540-951-1002, or email info@mainstreetvets.co. Public business address: 1514 North Main Street, Blacksburg, VA 24060. Service area: Blacksburg
Business & Innovation · Business feature
Main Street Veterinary Clinic makes room for pets who need extra patience
Older dogs, shelter cats and nervous patients have a particular place in the work of Main Street Veterinary Clinic. The Blacksburg practice’s two owners share an interest in pets whose appointments may call for a little more time, gentler handling or a conversation about changing needs.
Older dogs, shelter cats and nervous patients have a particular place in the work of Main Street Veterinary Clinic. The Blacksburg practice’s two owners share an interest in pets whose appointments may call for a little more time, gentler handling or a conversation about changing needs.
Dr. Laurie Halkowich bought the clinic in 2014. A Virginia Tech graduate, she earned her veterinary degree from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, practiced in Maryland and returned to Southwest Virginia in 2008. Senior-pet care remains one of her professional interests.
Carey Vice, a licensed veterinary technician who grew up in the New River Valley, joined Main Street Vet in 2016 and became a part owner in 2018. Her route into veterinary medicine began after a music education degree at Virginia Tech. She trained in veterinary technology at the Community College of Baltimore County and became a licensed technician in 2003.
The owners’ shared interest in older animals also reaches beyond the examination room. Vice has adopted senior dogs from the Montgomery County Shelter. Their work at the clinic brings that attention to aging pets together with the everyday needs of local dogs, cats and the people responsible for them.
Main Street Vet moved to its present North Main Street location in 2017. Services include preventive care, dentistry, surgery, diagnostics, dermatology, pain management and senior care. End-of-life care is also part of the practice, allowing families to discuss difficult decisions with a veterinary team that knows their animal’s needs.
Associate veterinarians bring their own connections to Blacksburg. Dr. Elizabeth Wisgerhof and Dr. Brooke Schindler both studied at Virginia Tech and earned veterinary degrees locally before returning to practice in the area. Wisgerhof’s interests include surgery, dentistry and pain management; Schindler emphasizes communication and individualized medical plans.
That combination of clinical work and conversation defines the practice’s stated aim: helping owners understand what is happening with their pets and participate in decisions about care.
