Dr. Martha Davis is a General Practitioner and the owner of Terra Linda Veterinary Hospital.
Having worked in the hospitality industry until 2010, Andrea knew she wanted to make a career
Dr. Martha Davis is a General Practitioner and the owner of Terra Linda Veterinary Hospital. She has been a practicing veterinarian since graduating from veterinary school in 1984 and owner of the Terra Linda Veterinary Hospital since 1998.
Though she was born in Fort Worth, Texas, Dr. Davis spent her early childhood in Maryland where she was surrounded by animals of all kinds. “We spent a lot of time at our neighbor’s farm and to this day I still love the smell of a barn,” she says. “There was a horse that I loved who lived across the street and some of my mom’s students would bring their pony over for us to ride. We also had chickens, goats, cats, dogs, and even kept a racer snake in the basement to control the rodents.”
Perhaps more than any other experience, she says, it was her time in Maryland that compelled her to become a veterinarian. “I was the kid who was always bringing home the injured animal,” she says, “and I have always felt connected with animals and the natural world. I feel a spiritual connection with nature and animals and I feel very blessed to be able to care for animals as my career.”
After Dr. Davis turned seven years old the family moved from Maryland to Southern California where her love of animals continued unabated. The sciences called to her and in 1974 she entered the University of California at Irvine where she double-majored in Biology and Chemistry. After graduating with a BS in Biology in 1978, she spent the next couple of years testing the veterinary waters by spending a year as a Veterinary Technician at a specialty practice in Orange County, California. This was followed by a year working in the Radiology Department at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California at Davis.
Then in 1980, Dr. Davis entered the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1984, she graduated with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and spent the next 12 years as an emergency veterinarian.
Throughout her career there have been many reminders of the importance of good veterinary care and how strong the human-animal bond can be. (For example, while working in an emergency clinic in Berkeley, a dog came in that had been shot by a burglar in the face with a spear after the dog had charged the intruder. The dog’s owner, a former Army medic who had served in Vietnam, was nearly overcome with grief as the spear was being removed from his dog. The dog survived the incident, but for Dr. Davis it was a very important reminder that no matter how tough we are, our pets can melt our hearts.)
She also has seen firsthand how important state-of-the-art and compassionate care is to the clients she serves after her own dog, a Border Collie named Tora, required spinal surgery. The delicate nature of the surgery required that the dog remain calm and still for a couple of days, which meant Dr. Davis could not visit her beloved pet. Though Tora completely recovered and lived to her senior years, Dr. Davis says, “This episode helped me to know how surgery and separation can deeply affect a pet owner and how strong the bond with a pet can be.”
As the owner of Terra Linda Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Davis is free to fully explore her areas of particular veterinary interest, which include dentistry, dermatology (especially complicated ear issues), acupuncture, geriatric medicine, internal medicine, orthopedic and arthritic care. She is also a member of the American Animal Hospital Association, California Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, Marin County Veterinary Medical Association and American Veterinary Dental Society. Dr. Davis has also completed continuing education in dentistry, a year of acupuncture coursework at the Chi Institute in Florida, and the American Animal Hospital Association’s Veterinary Management Institute and Leadership Academy.
Her love of animals does not end at the Hospital’s doors. Dr. Davis is a member of the Marin County Veterinary Medical Association, Marin Humane Society Disaster Preparedness Committee and the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps. When not spending time at work, she also enjoys swimming, hiking, yoga, gardening, cooking, bicycling, skiing, botanical drawing, watercolor painting, and remodeling.
Having worked in the hospitality industry until 2010, Andrea knew she wanted to make a career change into helping people and their pets. To help with that transition, she began volunteering for various organizations (SF SPCA, Paws/LA, Beagles and Buddies) to gain some experience. Finally, she landed an opportunity working the front desk at a veterinary hospital, and has been in a client service role since 2011. What she enjoys most about her job is getting to know the clients and their pets and being a part of that special bond. She and her husband live in Marin County with their rescue cat named Boots. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys running, hiking, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.!
