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About Best Friends Pet Clinic

Best Friends Pet Clinic was established in 1995 located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Owned and operated by Dorothy Preston, D.V.M..

We are a veterinary practice that cares for and treats canines, felines, snakes, lizards, turtles, hedgehogs, rats, hamsters, ferrets, sugar gliders, rabbits, chinchillas, and guinea pigs. We provide all preventative, routine and most reproductive care. We provide routine surgeries and are skilled in handling more emergent surgical procedures, as well. 

At Best Friends Pet Clinic we have a deep love and respect for senior pets. We understand the struggles with senior pets' health such as dementia, incontinence, diabetes, to name a few, and the importance of monitoring and working to improve their overall quality of life.

Our skilled and passionate team practices cutting-edge medicine by staying on-top of the latest medical advancements and continued education.

Our in-house lab has diagnostic units that run most of our bloodwork. This is especially important in critical and reproductive care as we have results in a few hours or less versus the next day.

Dr. Preston, Dr. Martin, and staff take pride in keeping our clinic very clean and welcoming for our clients and patients. Our clients and their pets become our extended family who receive only the best care while in our hands.

Our Clinic Culture

Our culture is the character and tone of Best Friends Pet Clinic. It's made up of the sum of our values, interactions, and attitudes.

Our Team

Our Team

Get to know the doctors, managers, technicians, and other staff members that make-up the Best Friends Pet Clinic family.

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Dorothy Preston, D.V.M.

Owner & Operator

Dr Preston received her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University in 1991.  She worked in a busy 5-doctor small animal practice in San Antonio, Texas for 3 years before moving to Ft. Smith in 1994. Before opening Best Friends Pet Clinic in 1995, she worked as a relief veterinarian and also taught at Westark (now known as UAFS).  When she opened Best Friends, she wanted a clinic that served for house calls for both small animals and exotic pets. Due to so many coming to the door, the mostly house call clinic quickly became an in-clinic pet hospital. She enjoys everything from dogs to koi fish. She enjoys learning more about geriatric care for dogs and cats, and being outdoors.  Dr. Preston and her husband have 2 children. In her words "Being a mother is the most wonderful, but by far, the most difficult thing I have ever done".

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Julie Martin, D.V.M.

Veterinarian

Dr. Martin says, “When I am not helping clients take care of their fur-babies, I enjoy spending time with mine! (Two and Four Legged)! I have twin sons in college: Colton is an Engineering Major at U.N.T. and Alex is a Theatre Major at S.F.A. My husband, Jason, and I enjoy spending time with our horses in competition or trail riding in one of the many beautiful state parks of Arkansas/Oklahoma. His daughters, Hunter, Sloan and Chase also enjoy trail riding with us. When we can, we love to take out Jason’s Harley Davidson down the road less travelled, exploring places we’ve never seen. I have been blessed to have animals all my life; cats, dogs, and horses especially. They have helped me appreciate the human/animal bond, and what I can do to strengthen that bond and lengthen their lives. Proper nutrition, supplements that are necessary in certain medical conditions, knowing when surgery is necessary and doing the right tests at the right time are all important aspects of veterinary medicine. That helps me help our clients and their precious pets.”

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Dawn

Practice Manager

Dawn has been with Best Friends Pet Clinic since 2006. In her free time she likes to read, craft, and spend time with her  adorable granddaughters. Dawn has 3 dogs, and 2 cats. She loves all animals, and has a special interest in rehabilitation, physical therapy and geriatric care.

In August of 2020, she became a Certified Pet Loss Bereavement Specialist in the hopes that she can can help pet parents through the grieving process when they lose a pet.

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Laci

Senior Veterinary Technician​

Laci is the Senior Veterinary Technician at Best Friends! She has been working for the clinic since 2002. She loves spending time with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys working with all animals, but especially cats and senior pets. In her free time she enjoys going to Branson with her sister, daughters, and niece.

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Bridgette

Receptionist/Technician

Bridgette joined our team in late September of 2019 as our receptionist, and is now trained as an Assistant. She has always been interested in the Animal Health field. She comes to us from a diverse 15+ year background in the healthcare management field. Her favorite pass-time is spending time with her children, Timothy and Hannah, along with her extended family. She also has a few fur babies that take up her time.

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Sarah              Technician

Sarah joined Best Friends in December of 2021.  She has a bachelors degree in chemistry, but found her true passion working with animals. Sarah has a sweet spot for rescues after working in shelter medicine for a few years. She enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, kayaking, baking, and crafting. Her family consists of her fiancée and their 2 dogs - a mini Aussie and a rescue mix.

Erin
Kennel Assistant

Erin joined us in late June 2021. She works in the kennels and loves befriending all of the boarding pets that come through. Her childood dream was to become a Veterianrian, and she's very excited to be working at Best Friends. Erin has two dogs, and enjuoys spending her off time reading, playing video games and drawing.
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