Dr. Sandefer, “Dr. Dave” feels very blessed to spend each day doing what he loves the most – practicing veterinary medicine. Some children claim that when they grow up they want to become a firemen, or truck drivers. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian and feel so fortunate to have achieved this goal. I grew up on a dairy farm in rural upstate New York. From a young age I was taught a reverence for animals, and that animal care was not a responsibility but a privilege. My life intertwined with countless dogs, cats and farm animals throughout grade school and high school. In high school I began working in the veterinary field as an animal care giver and then as a technician. I continued to work in a veterinary hospital throughout my undergraduate years.

I earned by Bachelors in Science from the College of Agriculture & Science at Cornell University in 1979. I graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell in 1983. While attending Cornell, I had the opportunity to work at the large animal hospital a great deal, receiving awards for excellence in this area.

Graduation brought me back to upstate New York where I worked as an associate in a very busy mixed animal practice. In 1987, my wife “Cindy” and I visited the Northwest Corner of Connecticut and met Dr. Larry Washington, who had 4 years earlier, started a small animal clinic on Sand Road in Falls Village, Connecticut. Cindy and I have watched that small clinic grow into the full service facility that we are all so proud of today. Cindy and I feel blessed to be part of such a great community and appreciate the support we have received. We look forward to continuing our work at the practice and living in our new home in Goshen with our lab and quarter horses.