Our Staff - Great Paws Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Barker

For Dr. Barker, pets are family. With sixteen years of experience in practicing veterinary medicine, Dr. Barker feels strongly about fostering that special family bond between her clients and their pets. Dr. Barker has completed elite, special training to lower fear, anxiety, and stress among her patients.

While she loves snuggling with puppies and kittens every day, she dedicates a lot of her time to caring for pets in their senior years of life. Dr. Barker's true passion involves internal medicine where she can help to navigate the multitude of complex conditions that arise among many of our senior dogs and cats. She works closely with owners to understand the conditions their animals face in order to improve case outcomes and promote longevity.

There came a time in Dr. Barker's career that she felt Western Medicine could not explain or alleviate all of the conditions she came across. She felt that an integrated approach to case management would allow her to dovetail her love of internal medicine and surgery with a holistic lens to heal through Eastern medicine as well. She became certified in Acupuncture through the Chi Institute and Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine through the College of Integrated Veterinary Therapies.

Dr. Barker is a Virginia native. Growing up in Great Falls and McLean, VA, she attended The Madeira School and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Virginia Tech for both her undergraduate and veterinary degrees. In 2010, she began working as a small animal veterinarian at a busy practice in Alexandria, and then returned to her hometown, caring for patients throughout Great Falls and surrounding areas. In 2020, Dr. Barker opened Great Paws initially as a mobile practice during COVID, and later transformed it to the facility it has become today. Dr. Barker opened Great Paws Veterinary Hospital in the center of Great Falls with help of her amazing staff in 2023.

In her free time, Dr. Barker loves spending time with her husband and three beautiful kids. On weekends, she doubles as a Horse Show mom and can be seen ringside with her husband and son cheering on their daughters. Dr. Barker's four-legged children include an array of dogs, cats, and ponies.

Liz

Born and raised in Springfield, Virginia, Liz has been working in the veterinary field since 2010, when she met Dr. Barker. Wanting to further pursue her passion for veterinary medicine, she received her B.S. degree in Biology from James Madison University in 2013 and her A.A.S. degree in veterinary technology from NVCC in 2018. Liz is Fear Free Certified and values taking the time to listen to your pet's needs and implementing low-stress handling in order to have the best visit possible for your pet. Liz has a passion for animal rescue, animal behavior, building and maintaining patient and client relationships, anesthesia, and dentistry. When not caring for your furry companions, Liz enjoys hiking, spending time with her rescue beagle Jill, traveling, Orangetheory fitness, and basically anything outdoors! With Liz’s warm smile and genuine care, your beloved pets are guaranteed a VIP experience at Great Paws.

Renata

Born and raised in Herndon, Virginia, Renata has been working in the animal care industry since 2022. Having previous experience with a wide range of cats and dogs in a daycare setting, Renata wanted to branch out into the veterinary world in hopes of further making a difference in the animal community she loves so much. Having three cats at home, Renata takes particular pride in her baby boy Arthur - a 12 year old, diabetic cat who she met at the time of his rehoming. All it took was one look into his big, sweet eyes to know he was her forever boy. For all the love he gives her, Renata hopes to give even a fraction of that love back to our little vet community.

Grant

Grant Fowler is a Virginia transplant, born in Texas and raised in California. Ever since the 8th grade, Grant knew he wanted to work in the veterinary field. Having taken classes in veterinary science, and his fear-free certification, Grant has been able to share his knowledge and expertise by volunteering at local animal shelters, and working in local animal hospitals. In his spare time, Grant loves going on walks with his cat, Todo, cooking and traveling.