About Aspen Ridge Animal Hospital

Founded by Dr. Elizabeth Ellis in 2009, Aspen Ridge Animal Hospital is one of the most respected veterinary hospitals in Arizona.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide the best care and service to our clients and patients. Our motto, “Quality Pet Care and Client Service at an Exceptional Value,” drives us to be the best. We value the relationship, continued trust, and goodwill we establish with our clients. Courtesy, respect, patience, education, and understanding with clients and their pets are among our top priorities.

Your Pets Are Our Passion

We treat our patients as if they were our own pets and offer clients the superior service that they desire and deserve.

We stress proactive medicine and progressive surgical procedures in an effort to maintain healthy, happy animals throughout their lives.

We take a lifespan approach to each of our patients. We’re dedicated to being there from puppy/kitten vaccinations through the illnesses and traumas, and eventually the geriatric years until the end of the pet’s life.

We are dedicated to client education and providing our clients with enough information to make appropriate decisions for their animal companions.

We offer a cat-only reception area and cat-only exam room for our feline patients – YES, we are CAT FRIENDLY ACCREDITED by the American Academy of Feline Practitioners.

Schedule a tour of Aspen Ridge Animal Hospital and discover why we are one of the best primary veterinary care facilities in Arizona.

Celebrating More Than 14 Years of Dedicated Service

…and Many More Years of Awesomeness to Come

When the vision for Aspen Ridge Animal Hospital began in 2009, it was born of a need to provide top-quality medicine to pets as well as to serve the very community in which Dr. Ellis was raised. She wanted to bring the professionalism and the quality of service of a larger metropolitan area to the area where she grew up. The people in the White Mountains are fantastic and are one of the many reasons Dr. Ellis wanted to come back to the community. Our clients have been outstanding in getting us to this point. Plus, we have had a lot of help from not just our family but from the community as well.

The goal was, and is, to be one of the best animal hospitals in Arizona, not just the White Mountains. Our certifications and recognitions go above and beyond standard requirements and show our commitment to being one of the best. For example, we are American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited, which only 15% of hospitals in the United States are, as we have to achieve over 900 standards of excellence. Additionally, we are also Cat-Friendly Practice Accredited, certified by the American Association of Feline Practitioners as committing to address the distinct health needs and special considerations of cat patients. We are also members of both the Pinetop-Lakeside and Show Low Chambers of Commerce, the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and others.

From the get-go, the Aspen Ridge Animal Hospital veterinary team has committed to being involved in the community, including helping local shelters, speaking at career days with several local schools, and various other community outreach programs and funding. Every year, money and/or supplies are given to local shelters through programs such as our “Giving Tree,” Photos with Santa, or the Annual Open House. These events are some of the best parts of the job.

It was interesting converting the old Absolute Distraction bar into our veterinary hospital. It might make a lot of people really sad to hear this, but we poured 100s of bottles of open alcohol down the drain. The whole facility was gutted…stripped down to the four cinder block outside walls. It was a blank slate. At least 23 different hospital design ideas were used as inspiration and incorporated into the current Aspen Ridge Animal Hospital. For example, the lobby has two separate waiting areas, one for cats only and one area for dogs or mixed pet households. We also have a dedicated cat-only exam room, cat-only hospitalization ward, and cat-specific boarding away from the dog boarding area. Design ideas like this allowed us to become a Cat-Friendly certified veterinary practice by the American Academy of Feline Practitioners. Additionally, there is a separate isolation ward (and entrance) to prevent the spread of contagious illness and custom indoor-outdoor dog runs with an artificial turn play yard.

The Standard of Veterinary Excellence

Unlike human hospitals, not all animal hospitals are required to be accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). What does accreditation mean? It means our hospital holds itself to a higher standard and that your pet is receiving care at a hospital that has passed the highest standards in veterinary care.