Dr. Rhesa Houston, DVM
Founder | Assistance Animals Consulting

In the Spring of 2017, Dr. Rhesa Houston’s father was prescribed an assistance animal. 

Days later, Dr. Houston's parents arrived at her home prepared to ”use” her personal pet as her father's assistance dog. Alarmed that her parents were not referred to a certified veterinarian or an animal health service professional to receive additional education and consultation to determine the best method or animal for her father's treatment plan, Dr. Houston began her own research.

After months of research, Dr. Houston discovered there weren't any veterinarian consulting firms equipped with the knowledge and ability to educate the healthcare professionals on the animals they were prescribing or anyone to consult the patient or animal owner.

Fueled by a desire to bridge the gap between healthcare professionals and the patient's prescribed assistance animals, Dr. Houston founded Assistance Animal Consulting. A first of its kind, Assistance Animal Consulting is a consulting firm of licensed veterinarians who partner with healthcare professionals, animal owners, and business owners to provide education and the facilitation of healthy, safe environments for assistance animals and their owners to make the animal-human bond successful.

Dr. Rhesa Houston graduated from North Atlanta High School for the Performing Arts and International Studies. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Piedmont College. Continuing her education, Dr. Houston earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. 

Most of her veterinary career has been spent as a general practitioner at Banfield Pet Hospital. She recently joined Southern Veterinary Partners and is the lead veterinarian at Standifer’s Animal Clinic in Homewood, Alabama.

Presently, Dr. Rhesa Houston lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her three adopted children, Roxie, a thirteen-year-old Chihuahua mix; Aila, a five-year-old domestic short-hair cat; and Tootsie, a two-year-old domestic short-hair cat. They are a happy family of four.