Bronwen Horschel
Veterinarian/Owner
DVM
Hi, my name is Dr. Bronwen Horschel, and I am a veterinarian and the owner of Paws on the Plains Animal Urgent Care. I am passionate about providing high-quality care and helping my patients and their families feel comfortable and confident in their treatment.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Outside of veterinary medicine, much of my free time revolves around cycling and spending time outdoors with my family. My husband and I have coached our local mountain bike team for the past eight years, and we are members of C.A.M.P., our local mountain bike club, where my husband serves on the board of directors. We also love to travel in our camper, often planning trips around discovering new cycling and mountain biking destinations.
At home, we have a wonderfully entertaining assortment of pets. Annie Oakley, our elderly Setter/Pit Bull mix, was adopted from a shelter at 10 weeks old and has helped raise our children. We also have two cats, Skafar, our rather corpulent long-haired tuxedo, and Bjorn, our sleek solid-black kitty, along with two seven-month-old kittens from CARE Humane who keep life anything but dull!
Favorite Part of My Job
I love the excitement and challenge of urgent care, especially working through lameness cases, managing wounds, applying bandages and splints, and interpreting radiographs to piece together what is going on with a patient. There is something incredibly satisfying about working through the clues, finding an answer, and helping a pet get back to doing what they love. I also value working alongside pet owners to find the best possible care while being mindful of their individual circumstances and budget. And did I mention kittens?
Why I Chose This Profession
Becoming a veterinarian was a lifelong dream of mine. My sister is also a veterinarian, and through her I saw firsthand how rewarding it could be to combine a love of animals with science, medicine, and problem-solving. It took me nearly 10 years to work my way through undergraduate studies and veterinary school, much of that time while raising our children as a military family. Taking the longer road made finally achieving that dream even more meaningful, and I feel incredibly fortunate to now do the work I always hoped I would.
Education
I completed the Army Leadership and Development Course at the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy at Fort Hood in 2002. When the Army later brought our family to Fort Benning, Georgia, I enrolled at Auburn University, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 2014. I went on to earn my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020.
Professional Background
My path to veterinary medicine was a little unconventional. Following in the footsteps of both of my parents, I joined the U.S. Army straight out of high school and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, during 9/11, after which my husband and I were both deployed to Iraq. When we returned home, I left the Army so one of us could be home with our young children while my husband went on to deploy to Iraq three more times. Today, I am licensed to practice in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and I hold USDA Level 2 Accreditation.
Memberships
I am a proud member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association (ALVMA).
Work History
I began my career in the veterinary field as a veterinary assistant at Animal General Hospital from 2014 to 2016. After veterinary school, I practiced as a mixed animal associate veterinarian at Castaway Animal Clinic from 2020 to 2024, which strengthened both my medical and surgical skills. In 2024, I became an independent relief veterinarian with Vet Squared Relief Services, working alongside many different veterinary teams throughout the area. After more than 11 years as part of the Auburn-Opelika community, I am now putting everything I have learned into building Paws on the Plains Animal Urgent Care in the place our family calls home.