616-942-8147

Menu
  • Fear Free Veterinary
    Reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in animals
    Request Appointment
  • Our Values
    Passion, Integrity, Honesty, Partnership, Collaboration
    Read Our Reviews
  • Our Mission
    To provide quality medical care in a unique, compassionate, friendly atmosphere
    Learn More
  • Caring For All Animals
    Every pet is treated like our own pet
    Learn More

Featured Links

Click to find out more


June 1, 2020

Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update 

    We have returned to normal business hours and we are available for all non-emergent services.  

     We will remain curbside for awhile longer. We do realize curbside is not always the most efficient system. Our call volume is 4 times higher then normal with curbside service and we are working daily to improve efficiencies.  We really appreciate your patience as we transition to re-opening.  

   

Be smart.  Be safe.  Be kind.  

Richelle Smith, DVM


 



Meet Our Skilled Team

Learn Who We Are

  • Dr.
    Richelle Smith

       Passion.  Knowledge.  Expertise. Your pet’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

        I was always going to be an animal doctor. Since I could say the word “vet”, my path was chosen. I started in the way most budding vets do, bringing home injured wildlife and strays and attempting to nurse them back to health.  Both my successes and failures helped ignite a need for more education.

    Read More

  • Rhonda Ritter
    LVT
    Practice Manager

    For as long as I can remember, I have loved animals and loved taking care of them. In 1996, I graduated Colorado Mountain College with a degree in Veterinary Technology and spent 13 years in Colorado gaining experience in large animal medicine, emergency and specialty medicine, and small animal private practice. I enjoy many aspects of veterinary medicine, but my special interests are  pain management, behavior, and anesthesia. In September 2006, I moved to Michigan to pursue new aspirations in veterinary management and teaching.  I have enjoyed working at Michigan Veterinary Specialists and teaching new veterinary technicians at Sanford Brown.

    Read More

  • Becca DiCicco
    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Becca is a licensed veterinary technician who has been with our Safe Harbor Animal Hospital team since 2016. Becca holds an Associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology and graduated with honors from Baker College in Michigan. She is also Fear Free Certified in small animal medicine. Becca grew up with a variety of animals, including horses. We embrace her ability to multitask and her expertise in working with frightened cats. Becca’s passion is in veterinary dentistry, anesthesia, and patient nutrition. Her and her husband shares their life with Bruce the tortoise, Dexter a bearded dragon, Cloud the ferret, Haymitch and Pickett, two very mischievous kitty’s. During her free time, Becca and her husband enjoy trying new local restaurants and breweries in the Grand Rapids area. Becca also volunteers at the Animal Wild Life Center in town. 

  • O'Malley

    Bio Coming Soon

Read Our Reviews

Testimonials Coming Soon...

Community Content

Featured Articles

Read about interesting topics

  • Arthritis

    The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis which can be due to wear and tear on joints from over use, aging, injury, or from an unstable joint such as which occurs with a ruptured ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in the knee. The chronic form of this disease is called degenerative joint disease ...

    Read More

  • Leptospirosis

    Leptospirosis is a serious, life-threatening disease caused by a spiral shaped bacteria. Dogs, cats, other animals and even people can be infected through exposure to urine, bite wounds, ingestion of infected flesh, or contact with contaminated soil, water and even bedding. Certain environmental conditions ...

    Read More

  • Dentistry

    Over 85% of dogs and cats have some type of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease simply means that the gums and bone that hold the teeth in place are being destroyed by oral bacteria. This preventable disease is the number one diagnosed disease in our pets, yet many animals suffer needlessly. Periodontal ...

    Read More

  • Feline Distemper

    Feline distemper or feline panleukopenia is a highly contagious viral disease of kittens and adult cats caused by the feline parvovirus. It is also called panleukopenia as it affects the bone marrow and causes low white blood cell counts. It is relatively common in unvaccinated cats and is often fatal, ...

    Read More

  • Bloat and Gastric Torsion

    Bloat and gastric torsion is a serious condition and your pet should be rushed to the emergency room if this occurs. Certain breeds of dogs with deep chests and narrow waists, such as hounds, bouvier des Flandres, or doberman pinschers are more susceptible to a syndrome of gastric torsion and bloat. This ...

    Read More

  • Tapeworms

    Tapeworms live in the digestive tracts of vertebrates as adults and often in the bodies of various animals as juveniles. In a tapeworm infection, adults absorb food predigested by the host, so the worms have no need for a digestive tract or a mouth. Large tapeworms are made almost entirely of reproductive ...

    Read More

  • Seizures

    Seizures are common in dogs, but more unusual in cats. Seizures are just symptoms which can occur with many kinds of diseases. They can happen because of diseases outside the brain or inside the brain. Low blood sugar that can happen with an overdose of insulin or with a tumor of the pancreas can cause ...

    Read More

  • Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)

    The rupture of the cruciate ligament is the most common knee injury in the dog. This injury has two common presentations. One is the young athletic dog playing roughly who acutely ruptures the ligament and is non-weight bearing on the affected hind leg. The second presentation is the older, overweight ...

    Read More

  • Luxating Patella

    Luxating patella is a condition where the kneecap (patella) moves out of its normal position. Luxating patella is one of the most common knee joint abnormalities of dogs, but it is only occasionally seen in cats. It may affect one or both of the knees. In some cases it moves (luxates) towards the inside ...

    Read More

  • Epilepsy

    Epilepsy (often referred to as a seizure disorder) is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is commonly controlled with medication, although surgical methods are used as well. Epileptic seizures are classified both by their patterns of activity in the brain ...

    Read More

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for more articles

Location

Find us on the map

Clinic Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:30am

6pm

Tuesday:

7:30am

6pm

Wednesday:

7:30am

6pm

Thursday:

8:30am

7pm

Friday:

7:30am

6pm

Saturday:

Closed

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Closed