From House Calls to Heartfelt Impact: How a Reno Native Is Rewriting Access to Veterinary Care
Veterinary medicine has no shortage of innovation, but some of the most meaningful change happens when care goes back to basics. One veterinarian. One community. One mission to remove barriers that keep pets from receiving care. That is exactly what is happening in Reno and Sparks, Nevada, with the return of Dr. Stephany Vasquez Perez, DVM. After several years practicing in Oregon, Dr. Vasquez Perez has come home with a clear goal. She wants to bring high quality veterinary care directly to families who struggle to access traditional clinics. Through a house call model rooted in cultural competence and community engagement, she is building a practice that meets pets and people where they are.
Dr. Vasquez Perez is one of only two veterinarians in Nevada selected to receive a competitive practice incubation grant from Petopia.org. The two year grant is supported by funding from The Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation and Heal House Call Veterinarian. Its purpose is not only to help launch a mobile practice, but to ensure it can sustainably serve families experiencing barriers related to transportation, mobility, language, or financial insecurity. This incubation model provides critical financial support during the most challenging phase of practice ownership. It also allows veterinarians to prioritize community impact without compromising long term viability.
The Reno Sparks region faces documented transportation vulnerability, placing it among the highest in the nation. For seniors and families without reliable transportation, veterinary care can feel out of reach. Nevada also has a large senior population, and many experience ambulatory difficulties that make clinic visits stressful or impossible. In home veterinary care removes these obstacles. It also reduces fear and anxiety for patients, improves client compliance, and strengthens the veterinarian client patient relationship. For many households, house calls are not a luxury. They are the only realistic path to care.
Access challenges are not limited to logistics. Communication remains a significant barrier for many families. Spanish speaking households make up a substantial portion of the Reno Sparks population, and language gaps can prevent pet owners from fully understanding treatment options, aftercare instructions, or preventative strategies. As a bilingual veterinarian, Dr. Vasquez Perez provides care in both English and Spanish. This goes beyond direct translation. It fosters trust, cultural understanding, and informed decision making. For veterinary professionals, this model highlights the growing importance of linguistic and cultural competence in delivering equitable care.
Dr. Vasquez Perez earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon State University while raising her own family. Balancing parenthood and professional training gave her firsthand insight into the challenges many clients face. Time constraints. Financial stress. Emotional investment in pets who are truly family members. Now living in Reno with her husband, three children, and mother, she is supported by the extended family that inspired her return. That same family centered mindset defines her approach to medicine.
Heal House Call Veterinarian offers a full spectrum of services for dogs, cats, and other companion animals. Dr. Vasquez Perez has a particular passion for preventative medicine and dental health, areas where early intervention can dramatically improve quality of life. Her services include wellness exams with individualized vaccination plans, diagnostic evaluations with evidence based treatment, dental health assessments, behavioral consultations, pain management, hospice care, and compassionate end of life services delivered in the comfort of home. For veterinary professionals, this model demonstrates how mobile practices can deliver comprehensive, high quality medicine without sacrificing clinical standards.
This is not the first time Reno has seen the impact of Heal House Call Veterinarian partnerships. Dr. Vasquez Perez joins Dr. Sarah Wilson, the first Nevada veterinarian to receive a practice incubation grant. Their collaboration with the SPCA of Northern Nevada and multiple community partners led to one of the largest vaccination clinics in the country in 2024. During a critical veterinary care shortage, Heal house call veterinarians from across the United States traveled to Reno to support the effort. In a single day, more than 700 pets received vaccinations and microchips. It was a powerful example of what can happen when veterinarians, nonprofits, and communities work together toward a shared goal.
Studies show that three out of four pets in vulnerable communities have never received veterinary care. Dr. Vasquez Perez is actively working to change that statistic. Through Petopia.org’s incubation program, her practice is designed not only to launch successfully but to endure. Heal House Call Veterinarian supports independently owned mobile practices by managing business infrastructure, allowing veterinarians to focus on medicine, client relationships, and community impact. For a profession facing burnout and workforce shortages, this model offers a compelling alternative path.
Dr. Vasquez Perez’s return to Reno represents more than a personal homecoming. It reflects a broader shift in veterinary medicine toward accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability. House call practices, bilingual services, and community centered care models are no longer fringe ideas. They are essential tools in addressing the profession’s most pressing challenges. For veterinary professionals watching the evolution of practice ownership and service delivery, Reno Sparks is offering a glimpse of what the future can look like when innovation is paired with empathy.
