We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sherry Weaver. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sherry below.

Hi Sherry, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

Opening my own veterinary practice in Woodstock, Georgia, was both the most wonderful and hardest thing I have ever done. When I decided to open my own veterinary clinic, I was a mother of a 3-year-old son. My parents were too far away for consistent childcare and my husband worked as well. But I knew as an associate veterinarian, who was a young mother, I needed a better balance in life than what my job offered. I needed to create an environment for myself where I and other mothers could find the balance between a career they love and the children they love while building a meaningful career in veterinary medicine.

In 2000, I opened the Animal Hospital of Towne Lake in a small shopping center in Woodstock, GA. We started in a small space in a strip mall so that we were not overextended financially. This lasted two years before we outgrew it and found land to build a freestanding veterinary hospital. I don’t regret starting small because it allowed me to be creative in a way that a large debt doesn’t allow. I was the family breadwinner, so I had to put food on the table, but I also wanted time with my son. So I opened six days a week, but hired an amazing staff who kept it going while allowing me to go home and spend time with my family when there weren’t appointments. It was pretty wonderful. There was always something I needed to be doing, but I have always loved being busy, so that part was actually fun as both a veterinarian and a small business owner.

The practice slowly grew over time, guided by my deep love for animals and my commitment to serving the community. Today, the Animal Hospital of Towne Lake stands as a 24/7, high-end veterinary hospital serving families and pets across North Georgia.

My best advice to young aspiring business owners or veterinarians considering opening their own practice is just do your best and don’t overextend financially when starting. Have some money put back for the lean times. Be okay with taking only small breaks in the first few years because those long vacations won’t happen until you reach a level where you have professional help in place. But that day will come and it is going to be very rewarding. Never let go of what made you want to open a business in the first place. Whether that is the love of medicine, caring for animals, or the love of being your own boss, keep your eye on that joy. For me, it is having the freedom to be the best doctor I can be for my patients and their families who trust us with their care.

Sherry, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi, my name is Dr. Sherry Weaver. I’m an Atlanta-based, Fear Free certified veterinarian with more than 33 years of experience in general practice, emergency response, surgery and medical care.

I knew I wanted to become a veterinarian when I was seven years old. My very special dachshund, who little 7-year-old Sherry could share all of her troubles with, was hit by a car and left in a vet clinic overnight to die alone. That painful experience shaped my vision of veterinary medicine from a very young age and became part of what drove my dream of building the Animal Hospital of Towne Lake in Woodstock, GA, where we provide 24-hour care for pets and the families who love them.

I started working in kennels at 16 – only because no one would hire me at 13. All through high school and college, I worked in nearly every role in local Atlanta veterinary clinics—receptionist, technician, kennel assistant, and groomer. If there is a role in vet medicine, I have worked it. Those early years gave me a deep understanding of how a veterinary hospital works and an appreciation for every member of the team who helps care for animals each day.

Over time, my love for animals grew into something even deeper. I have always loved working with dogs and cats, but as I gained experience, I also discovered how much I enjoy solving the medical puzzles that come with diagnosing and treating sick animals. Every patient is different, and helping them heal while supporting their families is incredibly rewarding.

Today, through the Animal Hospital of Towne Lake, my goal is to provide a compassionate, high-quality, 24/7 veterinary hospital where pets are treated like family. I am especially proud of our dedicated team who show up for animals whenever they need care. What matters most to me is making sure every animal receives thoughtful, attentive treatment and that every owner feels supported and informed throughout the process.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Veterinary medicine has always been more than a profession to me, and it has truly been my life’s calling. I feel very blessed that there was never much question about what I wanted to spend my life doing. From a young age, I knew I wanted to become a veterinarian, and by the time I was 16, I already had a life plan that eventually included raising three children and owning my own veterinary practice.

Sometimes, I struggle to help my kids when they talk about careers because my advice has always been simple: if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. For me, caring for animals and helping the families who love them has always brought me that kind of fulfillment. Unfortunately, not everyone gets lucky enough to find something they love that much, much less turn it into a successful career.

Looking back, becoming a veterinarian and building a veterinary hospital has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I honestly would not change a thing.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Running a veterinary hospital in Woodstock, GA, means working in a high-stress environment, and we are certainly not perfect. No team is. When morale gets tested, it is usually during moments like a late night spent trying to save a pet, a difficult client interaction, or a disagreement between team members. In those situations, what I always try to do is bring everyone back to the reason we are here in the first place: the patient.

When the team pauses to reflect on the life we helped save or the suffering we eased, it changes the perspective. We celebrate what we did to make a pet’s life longer or better, and we celebrate the pride in the work itself. The shared mission to care for animals and support the families who love them can quickly bring people back together and help the small day-to-day frustrations fade away.

At the end of the day, beyond training and knowledge, the most important quality for success in veterinary medicine is empathy. I live by a quote from Maya Angelou: “People will often forget what you did for them, but they will never forget the way you made them feel.” This applies just as much inside a veterinary hospital as it does with clients. When your team feels respected, supported, and valued, it builds a culture where people take pride in the work they do and the difference they make in animal care every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drsherryweaver.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherryweaver8033/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575028213668