Veterinarian
Dr. Lauren Sample grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains. She and her younger sister spent most of their childhood camping, hiking, biking, and skiing. Dr. Lauren’s adventures didn’t stop there! She’d go on to experience many exciting journeys on her way to becoming a veterinarian.
Her first stop was Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, for her Undergraduate Degree. During her time there, she stumbled across an opportunity to participate in a summer internship that most would only dream of. She would get to spend an entire summer working at a zoo in Canberra, Australia! Her normal duties included cleaning and maintaining the animals’ environment, however, she also managed to gain the admiration of a giant emu and meet a newborn sun bear! Outside of the zoo, Dr. Lauren learned how to scuba dive, went sailing in Northern Australia, and got to camp in the Outback!
After another grueling year of school, Dr. Lauren would participate in another adventurous internship on a Cattle Ranch in Nebraska. There, she would help build fences and work cattle drives. The following year she went off to work for a Dude Ranch near Steam Boat Springs, Colorado, to earn some extra cash while waiting to start vet school. She would take care of the cabins and care for the horses in the barns. For fun, she would attend bon fires, go hiking, snow shoeing, and ice fishing!
In 2012, Dr. Lauren moved to Kansas to begin working on her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. Her decision to become a veterinarian didn’t come easily. She actually first considered becoming a human doctor after shadowing a variety of physicians for two years. It wasn’t until after she shadowed a veterinarian, who happened to be a family friend, that she decided that veterinary medicine was a perfect fit! She finished her DVM in May of 2016. Shortly after, she moved to Terre Haute with her fiancé (who had grown up here) and joined the Heritage family in June. In October, she and her fiancé married and now they are enjoying newlywed bliss!
Although she is new to the area, Dr. Lauren enjoys discovering the Wabash Valley. Turkey Run State Park is one of her favorite places so far. She and her husband also like to check out some of the local restaurants and brew pubs. In their off time, they help to care for horses belonging to the family business, P & T Carriage Rides.
Dr. Lauren Fun Fact: Her favorite animal related movie is “How to Train Your Dragon.”
