OUR STORY
Positive Pet Care.
Animals First Veterinary Service was founded in 2000 to provide personalized veterinary care for pets in our quiet office setting. We are fortunate to be small enough to provide extended appointment times needed for our patients and large enough to provide the most sophisticated diagnostics available to service their immediate needs. We use complementary medicine to treat, support, and heal your pets from the inside out. By nurturing your pet’s physical and emotional self, we are able to offer our patients a more complete picture of health!
We welcome cats and dogs at any life stage looking to better their diets, physical health, and emotional health. We are equipped to perform your pet’s yearly exam, in house laboratory work and any specialized test needed for a complete picture of your pet’s health.
We also offer personal care for your aged pets. Where other conventional treatments hit dead ends, we are able to use our knowledge of Chinese medicine, homeopathy, western herbal medicine, and modern medicine to offer new solutions for you and your pets.
We encourage you to look through this site and learn a little more about the modalities we offer. Please call us with any questions you may have above our practice and how we can help your pets.
At Animals First Veterinary Service, we treat your pets like the valued family members they are.
About Dr. Lori Blankenship, Ph.D., DVM, CVA
Dr. Blankenship received her Bachelor of Science in biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1989, Ph.D. in genetic toxicology from The George Washington University in 1996 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000.
Her areas of practice include Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Canine and Feline nutrition, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ozone, and UV Blood Therapy.
Her passion is providing our companions the best chance for a long, healthy life. With foresight and an open mind, she always tries to see the complete picture and formulate a plan that will lead to improvements and patient health.
Dr. Blankenship lives in Rixeyville Virginia with her daughter, one canine companion, and three horses. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, dressage riding, especially to music, and training her dog, Chico.
Our Team
Kylie Makel
Kylie grew up in Northern Virginia and received her associates degree in general studies from Northern Virginia Community College in 2018.
After spending 5 years working at a dog daycare and boarding facility, Kylie decided to further her passion for caring for animals by joining the Animals First team as a veterinary assistant.
When she’s not in the office helping care for your pets, you can find her at home with her own dogs, Luna and Phoebe the Siberian Huskies. In her free time Kylie runs a dog parenting blog and creates dog related content on social media.
Emily Timberlake, LVT
Emily grew up here in Rixeyville Virginia. She recently graduated and earned her veterinary technician’s license.
Emily has worked with large and small animals in clinic settings, and has several animals of her own. She has a small breeding herd of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats, Boston Terriers, a French Bulldog, and an Australian Cattle dog.
Her son also enjoys the animals, and even has his own guinea pigs and a hedgehog. She spends most of her free time with her husband and son. She also enjoys hunting, reading and music.