Our Story
Healing pets, helping families: it is what we do everyday. We care deeply about your pet’s medical care and well being, and we want to share our story with you. Two skilled board certified surgeons, classmates, and friends, Dr. Andy Anderson and Dr. Fred Williams co-founded STVS in July of 2000. “It was just the two of us and a small staff in the beginning. We did it all: answered the phone, mopped, cleaned instruments, walked our patients, you name it. We still maintain relationships with primary care veterinarians that remember when we first started. It is amazing to see how far we have come,” said Dr. Williams.
Dr. Anderson had already had a successful business career when he decided to follow his passion and attend veterinary school in 1995. It was there that he met Dr. Williams, the “go-getter” that had worked in his dad’s veterinary practice since before he could drive. The two hit it off and stayed in touch through internships and residency following veterinary school graduation. Read their individual bios here.
Wanting to make quality and affordable veterinary specialty medicine more available, Dr. Anderson looked no further than Dr. Williams. At that time, San Antonio did not have a true multi-specialty group of board certified specialists. “We had completed all of the necessary requirements to be veterinary surgeons. We got through the residencies, the internships, passed the boards, and were finally ready to start changing the lives of people’s pets,” said Dr. Anderson. They made the perfect pair. Surgery after surgery, phone call after phone call, they built their practice from the ground up. Now, STVS has twelve specialists and over 70 staff members. The recent welcome of Dr. Jeanene Harris, San Antonio’s first veterinary neurologist, and Dr. Kristin Lewis, veterinary internist, is proof that STVS is still growing. In addition, a second location, North Houston Veterinary Specialists opened in the Woodlands, Texas which was co-founded with Dr. Justin Payne in June 2010.
“We are passionate about what we do, period.” Dr. Williams and Dr. Anderson are so thankful to the veterinary community and the pet owners who have entrusted their pets to the care of the STVS family of veterinary specialists and to all of the wonderful STVS staff who provide great care. “We could not have done it without all of you, and for that, we are truly grateful.”
Timeline of Events:
July 2000 – STVS was created
May 2004 – Internal medicine/Oncology discipline added
September 2004 – moved into VREC building
October 2006 – Dermatology discipline added
February 2008 – Critical Care discipline added
July 2009 – STVS initiates its first class to the Small Animal Rotating Internship program
August 2011 – San Antonio’s first full time board certified oncologist joins the team
August 2012 – Neurologist added to the team