Dr. Lori Van Haren, grew up just outside Lambeth on Southdale Road at Versteegh Bros. Fruit Farms. Knowing she wanted to be a veterinarian since before she could pronounce the word, she went to the University of Guelph and graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1997. Although she had always been interested in alternative therapies, and in fact became certified in animal chiropractic during her schooling, she was initially pleased with the great results that western medicine can achieve and found it difficult to gain good educational knowledge in alternative therapies. She purchased Byron Animal Clinic in 2002 at the same time as starting her family. For the next 10 years, she would remain primarily a western medicine practitioner. However, her frustrations with the limits of western medicine grew as did her struggles with chronic myofascial pain and chronic fatigue. In her search for answers, she would develop connections to a deeper level of alternative therapies and natural healing than she had known even existed. These connections would enable her to break free of the “traditional” model and discover an entire world of educational opportunities that would allow her to truly mold her craft. So it was with that in 2013, she sold her practice to take time to study alternative therapies. While there is a lifetime of learning that she has committed herself to, in 2014 it is time for her to return to practice to continue her life’s purpose of “helping animals” that began so long ago.
Dr. Lori has opened a unique veterinary office in lovely Lambeth. She pracitices integrative veterinary medicine, which encompasses a whole range of conventional and holistic veterinary modalities. Dr. Lori uses traditional western medicine as well alternative therapies such as chiropractic, herbal medicines, homotoxicology and acupuncture to treat her patients. She customizes the health care plan according to the needs of the individual animal and their owner and strives to create a natural, holistic and balanced approach. Dr. Lori wants to use the best of both worlds to go above and beyond in helping to improve the quality of life of our animal companions.