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Welcome to Wilmington Animal Healthcare
Your Veterinarian in Wilmington, NC
Call us at (910) 791-7101

The Best Care For Your Pets

Mission Statement: To provide the most advanced and compassionate health care available to pets, and to provide exceptional service to clients at every visit.

Wilmington Animal Healthcare is a full-service veterinary medical facility, located in Wilmington, NC. The professional and courteous staff at Wilmington Animal Healthcare seeks to provide the best possible medical care, surgical care and dental care for their highly-valued patients.


We pride ourselves on our level of care and compassion. We believe that when we are asked to care for someone's pet that we are invited into a special relationship and that this is a compliment and privilege.

Please take a moment to contact us today, to learn more about our veterinary practice and to find out more information about how Wilmington Animal Healthcare can serve the needs of you and your cherished pet.

Wilmington Animal Healthcare
6801 Gordon Road
Wilmington, NC 28411

Meet Our Skilled Team

Learn Who We Are

  • Stacy Ward

    Dr. Stacy Ward is a 1999 graduate of North Carolina State University of College of Veterinary Medicine (although her undergraduate alma mater is UNC-Chapel Hill...Go Heels!). She was a member of the Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor society and graduated fifth in her class. She was the recipient of the Portia Milbrant Scholarship for Veterinary Geriatrics. Along with Dr. Jeff Ward she also completed an intensive 13 month internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University Of Tennessee College Of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville, TN. Veterinary interns are selected from the top graduates though a competitive selection process. Following completion of her internship, Dr. Ward practiced at two excellent multi-doctors small animal practices in Charlotte and Calabash, North Carolina. Dr. Ward has been a practicing veterinarian since 1999. Dr. Ward feels that it is extremely special to be a part of the local community as a veterinarian. Getting to know people and their pets is very personally rewarding. She was honored to be named Encore Magazine's 'Best Veterinarian' in 2007 and was personally recognized again by a Star News poll in 2018. Dr. Ward's special interests are internal medicine (especially endocrine disease), oncology, geriatrics, radiology, cardiology and the management of long term heart patients. Dr. Ward is mother to humans, dogs and horses (thankfully not dragons, though she wouldn't totally rule it out). 

  • Jeff Ward
    Dr. Jeff Ward is a 1999 graduate of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the third top ranking veterinary school in the country. He was a member of the Phi Zeta Honor Society of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in the top 10% of his veterinary school class. Following graduation, Dr. Ward was honored to be selected for an academic internship in small animal medicine and surgery at University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. During this intensive 13 month training, he furthered his skills in the management of complex medical and surgical cases. Internship training is something that few general practitioners pursue. Following completion of his internship at University of Tennessee, Dr. Ward practiced for three years in a large, 24 hour hospital in Charlotte. Following relocation to Wilmington, Dr. Ward worked as an emergency clinician at Animal Emergency and Trauma Hospital of Wilmington prior to the opening of Wilmington Animal Healthcare in February 2006. Dr. Ward has a special interest in soft tissue surgery, emergency medicine and dentistry. Dr. Ward is a native of North Carolina and is thrilled to be living at the coast where he can participate in his favorite hobby, fly fishing. He also enjoys gardening, and dreams of building his own boat one day. He participates in wild turtle medicine and surgery whenever he gets the chance. Dr. Ward is also a novice ukulele player and frequently entertains his family and close friends with off and on key performances. Dr. Ward's human family includes wife Stacy, daughters Carly and Avery, and son Emmitt. His pet family is large and rambunctious with lots of furry friends.
  • Katie Horne
    Dr. Katie Horne is a graduate of the University Of Florida College Of Veterinary Medicine, where she received her DVM degree in 2008. She graduated with Honors as a member of the Phi Zeta Veterinary Medicine Honor Society, and was ranked 11th in her class. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2004, where she was also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society (Go HEELS!!). Dr. Horne grew up in Tennessee and North Carolina. Following graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Horne decided to begin her career as a general practitioner in the Wilmington area, where the rest of her immediate family currently resides. She enjoys all aspects of small animal practice, but has a particular interest in dermatology. She is so proud to be a part of the WAHC team and its commitment to excellence. Dr. Horne and her husband B.J., a special education teacher and athletic director at Topsail High School, were married after her first year of vet school. They are both so happy to finally be back home in North Carolina with their dogs, Birdie and Bogey, and cat, Dinah. In June of 2012, they welcomed their first child, a beautiful daughter named Bailey Grace. In November of 2015, Dr. Horne welcomed her very handsome son Judson!
  • Sara Lewis
    Dr. Sara Lewis is a 2011 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Auburn, Alabama. She graduated with honors in the top ten percent of her class and was a member of Phi Zeta distinguished veterinary honor society. While in veterinary school, she was involved in numerous organizations and served on several missionary teams that traveled to Central and South America. She has special interests in critical care, dermatology, and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Lewis is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and the middle of five children. Her mother is a small animal veterinarian and helped to develop her love of veterinary medicine from early on. Sara attended undergraduate school at the University of Alabama (ROLL TIDE!) and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Biology and Spanish. She was married during her third year of veterinary school to her husband Jon, who is an officer in the United States Marine Corps. She relocated to North Carolina immediately after graduation and is excited to finally be living with her husband in the same state! Dr. Lewis is thrilled and proud to join the outstanding team at Wilmington Animal Healthcare where she can continue the ongoing tradition of quality, compassionate animal care. In her spare time, Dr. Lewis loves traveling with her husband, spending time at the beach, cooking (especially cake decorating!), and knitting. She also loves to dance and is a certified ZUMBA fitness instructor. She has a mixed breed dog named Bella and a petite fiery bobtail cat named Miss Scarlett. Dr. Lewis has two sweet baby girls, McKinley and Kennedy!
  • Katie Wagner-Lewis
    Although a native of Seattle, Washington, Dr. Katie Lewis spent most of her childhood in Cary, NC. She obtained her BS in Biology with minors in Math and Chemistry at Saint Mary’s of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. She then went on to Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in the spring of 2004. Since then, she has practiced locally in the Wilmington area before becoming a part of the Wilmington Animal Healthcare team in August of 2012. In her spare time, she enjoys competing in the sport of triathlon, traveling, and spending time with family. Katie has a particular fondness for Boxers!
  • Charlie Jenkins

    Dr. Charlie Jenkins was accepted into North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine while she was in her junior year at Clemson University - an occasion that amazes her to this day. During her three years at Clemson, she majored in Animal and Veterinary Science and minored in Theatre, and she received her magna cum laude degree in 2012. She graduated cum laude from the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015 shortly after receiving the Faculty Companion Animal Clinical Proficiency Award. She completed an internship at a large 24-hour veterinary hospital in Charlotte before moving to Wilmington to work at a multi-vet animal hospital. Her professional interests include soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, dentistry, feline medicine, and end-of-life care. When she isn't working, she enjoys reading, traveling, sewing, cooking, and crafting/DIY projects. Dr. Jenkins and her fiance, Jacob, have a domestic short-haired cat (Tyler) and a miniature pit bull (Cindy Lou Who). Dr. Jenkins looks forward to a time when she can adopt a pet dairy cow.

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "I can't say enough about how wonderful this group is. When our dog was attacked and injured, our regular vet said they were too busy to see her! Wilmington Animal Healthcare saw her immediately, even though they were short two vets that day. Every single person who works there genuinely cares about you and your pet. They took great care of us. We will never go back to our old vet!!"
    Heather P.
  • "The price was incredibly affordable as a couple of married college students. We really felt heard with our concerns and felt like the vet and vet assistant we're both incredibly kind and knowledgeable with both our issues and less common breed of dog"
    Dayna W.
  • "I can say without reservation that in the course of raising 3 grown children, 6 dogs and 1 cat...we have never experienced the quality of medical care and the level of delightful customer-patient-family care that has been so evident with all of our interactions with ALL staff...every day!!
    Wilmington Animal Healthcare is in a League of its own- it has "raised the bar" compared to its competitors here in Wilmington"
    Marc M.
  • "Sawyer's first visit to Wilmington Animal Healthcare was such a success that when we left he kept trying to go back in! How many people can say their pet loves the vet so much they don't want to leave?!"
    Jackie G.
  • "I love WAH and would highly recommend them to anyone. From boarding/daycare where they treat Scooter like their own to vet care, where they also treat Scooter like their own, but also provide clear, helpful guidance on his health (with no upselling)."
    Amber R.

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Location

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Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Boarding Pick-Up

Mon - Fri:

7:30 am - 6:00 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Sunday:

9:30 am - 10:30 am

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Hospital + Boarding/Daycare Hours

Mon - Fri:

7:30 am - 6:00 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed for medical appointments