Dr. Alissa Anderson grew up in south-central Texas.  She received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from Hendrix College.  In 2014 she graduated from Oklahoma State University with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.  She then started her veterinary career as an equine veterinarian at a referral practice in North Texas. From there she transitioned to a mixed animal practice, where she discovered that she really enjoyed working with all kinds of animals, including small animals!  Being a mixed animal vet, she was used to making farm/house calls and quickly found out just how much in home end-of-life care can mean to families. Alissa next practiced with a small mobile veterinary practice learning how best to provide exceptional euthanasia and hospice services to dogs and cats. In early 2020, she moved to the upstate of South Carolina to found Faithful Hearts and provide these much needed services, and she is proud to have been the first veterinarian to provide in home hospice veterinary care locally.  Alissa believes as a doctor one should always strive to learn and improve skills through continuing education and training.  She has completed advanced training in companion animal euthanasia, including especially difficult euthanasias, and is CAETA-certified.  Dr. Alissa has also trained/received certification on understanding the human-animal bond, providing pet loss grief support, and veterinary herbal medicine.  Alissa has completed a 15-month training program for certification in veterinary end-of-life care including hospice & palliative care and euthanasia (there are less than 300 of these end-of-life specialist veterinarians in the world currently) through the IAAHPC!

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Certifications:

• Curacore Veterinary Botanical Medicine (VBMC) 

• Pet Loss Partners Pet Loss Bereavement Specialist 

• HABRI Human-Animal Bond (lapsed)

• CAETA (Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy)

• CHPV (Certified Hospice and Palliative Veterinarian) through the IAAHPC - all requirements completed! Graduation at end of September 2023.

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Personally, Alissa has been through the end of life care and decision processes with her own pets, and she deeply believes that top-quality end-of-life care in the home should be available to all pets and their owners. A peaceful passing is the greatest act of kindness we can show our beloved animals when it's time and often humane euthanasia is the best choice to provide this peaceful transition.  She has been dedicated to providing exclusively end-of-life veterinary care for 5 years now.

 

Alissa’s family includes her husband Blake, four spunky dogs (Stetson, an Australian Shepherd; Bonnie, a pitbull terrier; Lucy Lu, a Pugapoo; and Aggie, a pitbull mix), a sassy potbellied pig named Hamlet, 2 opinionated kitties named Shelly and Itty Bitty, a paint horse named Denali,  sugar glider (Anna), 3 chickens, and about 10 koi fish.  Her hobbies include spending time with the above, horseback riding, camping, jigsaw puzzles, and learning new skills such as calligraphy.