Dr. Laura Parkhurst is a clinical instructor for the Shelter Medicine & Surgery program at Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine where she and her team instruct veterinary students in providing medical and surgical care to shelter animals within southwest Virginia. In addition to her enthusiasm for mentoring the next generation of vets, Dr. Parkhurst is extremely passionate about educating owners on pet care, increasing public outreach by engaging with local government entities and non-profits, developing partnerships between human and animal safe-havens, and addressing the lack of affordable access to quality veterinary care within her community. Dr. Parkhurst volunteers throughout the year with RAVS, The Parker Project, and Animal Balance. She lives on a small farm with her husband that is home to numerous rescue animals including cats, dogs, and chickens. During her downtime, she likes to read novels, travel to far-away places, hone her bushcraft skills, watch British procedurals, and binge true-crime podcasts.