Dr. Sarah Wilson Expands Service to Families Facing Barriers to Care as Practice Succeeds, Defying Typical Business Model

I'm also committed to ensuring that older adults can receive compassionate care at home where they're most comfortable, and that they can afford to keep their beloved pets healthy.”
— Sarah Wilson, DVM

RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, December 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dr. Sarah Wilson, a house-call veterinarian serving the Reno/Sparks, Nevada, area, has completed a pioneering three-year incubation grant program—achieving financial sustainability six months ahead of schedule. Even more remarkable: as her practice grew stronger, her service to vulnerable pet families increased rather than declined, climbing from 18% to 27% of her client base.

Currently, the region faces a veterinary workforce shortage, making Dr. Wilson's sustained presence—and her deepening commitment to families facing barriers to care—particularly valuable to the community.

The grant model addresses a critical challenge: access to veterinary care. Mission-motivated house-call veterinarians serve families facing barriers at almost three times the rate of other vets, yet without grant support, they would take twice as long to build sustainable practices. That’s time most don't have, given veterinary school debt and family responsibilities. By turning the typical waiting period into an immediate service opportunity, grant-funded vets like Dr. Wilson build access into their practice DNA from day one.

"One of the most compelling findings from this grant initiative is that veterinarians drawn to access-to-care work communicate with their pet parents about 60% more than other house call vets," says Betsy Banks Saul, co-founder of Heal House Call Veterinarian and founder of Petfinder.com. "Dr. Wilson's nearly 11,000 touchpoints—calls, texts, and home visits—over the last three years tell a powerful story. About a quarter of those interactions were with families experiencing hardship. My work with Petfinder taught me that having a relationship with a veterinarian is strongly correlated with whether a pet becomes a lifelong family member rather than being returned to a shelter. Deep connections matter."

The three-year program was a collaboration between Heal House Call Veterinarian, the SPCA of Northern Nevada, and funder PetSmart Charities. Dr. Wilson launched her mobile practice in January 2023 with initial startup funding from The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, followed by two years of incubation support from PetSmart Charities delivered through SPCA of Northern Nevada, and one year of support from Heal House Call Veterinarian.

Dr. Wilson plans to continue collaborating with the SPCA of Northern Nevada in partnership with their Todd's Fund program, which provides low-cost euthanasia services for families experiencing financial hardship. She will also continue to provide discounted house-call services to families of new pet adoptees and to SPCA employees.

"My practice is deeply rooted in serving the Reno/Sparks community, with a special focus on underserved areas such as the North Valleys community where I live," says Dr. Wilson. "I'm also committed to ensuring that older adults and others in our area can receive compassionate, concierge care at home where they're most comfortable, and that they can afford to keep their beloved pets healthy. This grant gave me the foundation to build that mission into practice sustainably."

Dr. Wilson's practice demonstrates that access-focused veterinary care can thrive without sacrificing the practice's success. While she has a general wellness practice, the heart and soul of her access-to-care work centers on older adults and end-of-life care for cats and dogs, where she provides families with the time and attention they need during some of life's most difficult moments.

"I'm incredibly grateful to all my clients who welcome me into their homes," says Dr. Wilson. "Many people assume house calls are more expensive than clinic visits, but when you consider the time spent with your veterinarian—often an hour compared to 15 minutes at a clinic—the value becomes clear. And every paying client who chooses house call care helps make it possible for me to serve families facing financial hardship. They're not just caring for their own pets; they're supporting a practice model that extends care to those who need it most."

Pet parents in Reno and Sparks can schedule a house call visit with Dr. Sarah Wilson by visiting Heal House Call Veterinarian, where they can book online or call to schedule an appointment.

Individuals who would like to sponsor a house call for a pet in need can donate to Dr. Wilson’s access-to-care fund at Petopia by selecting Dr. Wilson’s fund at checkout.

About SPCA of Northern Nevada:
SPCA of Northern Nevada connects people and homeless pets to bring joy, love, and compassion to our community and beyond. We offer affordable, high-quality adoptions, affordable spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchipping, and humane education programs. Volunteer-founded in 1998 to save at-risk homeless pets, SPCA of Northern Nevada has grown to also provide affordable community programs to keep pets healthy and in their loving homes. Our top priority is helping pets, and their people, in need. We maintain high standards and follow best practices in managing our clinic and adoption center with highly-trained, caring staff and volunteers led by a passionate volunteer board of directors. We are an independent, local adoption center that does not receive funding from any government agencies, nor are we affiliated with the ASPCA or other SPCAs.

About PetSmart Charities:
PetSmart Charities is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps up to 400,000 pets connect with loving families each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. PetSmart Charities grants and efforts connect pets with loving homes through adoption, improve access to affordable veterinary care and support families in times of crises with access to food, shelter and disaster response. Each year, millions of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities directly at PetSmartCharities.org, while shopping at PetSmart.com, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart® stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting more than $500 million since its inception in 1994. PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the past 18 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of rated charities. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

About The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation:
The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation is a private charitable foundation based in Incline Village, Nevada. The Duffields are also the founders of Maddie's Fund, a leading animal welfare foundation dedicated to revolutionizing the status and well-being of companion animals. While the Duffields are long-time benefactors of companion animal causes, the Foundation also allows them to focus their philanthropic efforts in other areas they are passionate about, including supporting military veterans and giving back to their local community.

About Petopia.org:
Seventy-five percent of pets in vulnerable communities have never seen a vet, even though veterinarians believe that all pets deserve care. Petopia helps veterinarians expand their care to vulnerable communities as part of their mission to promote community health by supporting healthy connections between humans, animals and environment and to reduce animal suffering by providing for access to veterinary care. Individuals can sponsor a veterinary visit for as little as $10 at petopia.org/make-a-donation.

About Heal House Call Veterinarian:
Heal House Call Veterinarian empowers independent veterinarians to build practices focused on personalized, relationship-centered care. By handling business infrastructure, Heal allows veterinarians to focus on healing pets in the comfort of their homes. Founded by Betsy Banks Saul (creator of Petfinder) and veterinarian Dr. Erin O'Leary, Heal addresses critical industry challenges, including work-life balance, practice ownership accessibility, and expanding care to underserved communities.

Betsy Banks Saul
Heal House Call Veterinarian
email us here

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