The beginnings of arrowleaf
Dr Daphne Johnson has always wanted to be a veterinarian. She grew up in northern Virginia surrounded by dogs, cats and horses. A passionate horse rider, she enjoyed trail riding mostly, but also took part in foxhunting and eventing. She loved being surrounded by animals, and wanted to work with them when she grew up and what better way to do that than be a veterinarian?
Well, when you’re young, dreams can seem too big, and unachievable. So DJ (this was before she was dubbed Dr J.) went to college in Colorado to study Spanish and Fine Art instead of following her veterinary dreams and graduated with a spanish major. However, even before graduating she felt the dream of becoming a veterinarian become stronger, and finally she decided to be brave and go back to school to begin her journey of pursuing that dream.
Dr Johnson moved to Oregon she fell in love with the scenery and lifestyle, enjoying the great hiking, skiing, and biking trails that the PNW offers. After spending 3 years in Portland taking her pre-requisite classes and working at a veterinary emergency hospital, she enrolled at OSU where she would study Veterinary medicine and graduate in 2014. She participated in a yearlong equine internship at Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital focused primarily on equine anesthesia, surgery, neonatal medicine, and dentistry.
Dr Johnson worked as a mixed animal practitioner in Hood River for 5 years before deciding to open her own small animal practice. She imagined herself working in a small practice in a small town, serving a client base that she could connect with and have a mutually trusting relationship with. She feels passionately about supporting the human-animal bond and enabling clients and their pets to live their best lives together. By practicing the best medicine possible, listening to clients, and working with them and their animals to find the best treatments and approaches to whole pet health, she hopes to achieve “more healthy days”.
This is the slogan of Arrowleaf Veterinary, which began sprouting it’s roots in 2018.
Dr Johnson had worked in different practices up to this point and always felt that she would like to pull all the good things she had learned and observed into one. To build a veterinary clinic that was based on trust and respect, with a healthy and happy working culture, employing kind, caring, knowledgeable skilled staff members.
Fast forward to 2021 – Arrowleaf Veterinary has opened its doors in Hood River, on Cascade Avenue.
Dr Johnson is providing care to patients alongside an amazing veterinary team, who love what they do and greet clients and patients with a genuine smile. Our client base is growing every day. Dr Johnson is excited and hopeful for the future, to be a part of this great community, to grow and offer excellent veterinary care to all clients and patients.
