Dr. Barrie Sands obtained her veterinary degree from Ross University in 1991. After graduation, she completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. After working in private practice, she came to VCA Emergency Animal Hospital & Referral Center in 1996 working as a senior staff clinician in Emergency and Critical Care. In 2003 Dr. Sands became certified in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, and started her integrative holistic practice.

She believes in the integration of both Eastern and Western medicine to facilitate a global holistic approach to healing. In her holistic practice she incorporates many different healing modalities, such as acupuncture, massage therapy, rehabilitation, food medicine, Chinese medicinal botany, homeopathy, nutraceuticals, LASER treatments and various forms of bioenergetic medicine.

Dr. Sands is a published author and journalist and has spoken nationally and internationally about both emergency medicine and holistic health care. Outside of work she enjoys cooking, writing and spending time with family, her dog, Barley, and her cats, Señor Queso and Romeo.