Meet Bronwen Foster | Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bronwen Foster and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bronwen, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
There is a good portion of the population that is unaware that veterinary acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine exist for domesticated pets. Though these modalities have been used for thousands of years in the East, it is a fairly new concept in the Western world. Veterinary acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used alone as a healing technique or in conjunction with conventional medicine.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Becoming a business owner was not something I ever imagined. In fact, I was utterly opposed. After working in conventional veterinary medicine for twenty years, I had a deep desire to do more for my clients and patients.  The time allotted in a conventional veterinary hospital did not allow me to do such. When I went back to school to become certified in veterinary acupuncture, I fell in love with this alternative, adjunctive, complimentary way to treat animals and was instantly inspired to create my own business around it. What excited me the most was the opportunity to create a space that allowed for a holistic approach to a veterinary visit. I was able to set my own schedule, allow for ample time to create relationships in my practice and truly put myself into something I was so passionate about. Creating the business was not always easy, but it was nothing short of fun. The freedom to choose what it would ultimately become was liberating. I have had the pleasure of treating and witnessing healing in animals with conditions such as osteoarthritis, generalized pain, cancer, immune-mediated diseases, inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, anxiety, urinary issues, allergies, injuries, and chronic medical conditions.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friend was visiting from out of state my itinerary would look a little something like this: Early morning walks at Reservoir Ridge, the Poudre River trail, or Spring Creek Trail, breakfast at Little, boutique shopping downtown, Lunch at Young’s Vietnamese, a bike ride to Noosa with the added tour of the dairy, paddle boarding on Horsetooth, Mountain bike riding at Horsetooth Mountain Park or Lory State park, a drive to Bellvue at sunset, Dixon Reservoir at dusk, a walk through the CSU Trial Flower Gardens, ice cream at Walrus, a movie at Lyric and an evening concert at Mishawaka … to name a few.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Deepest gratitude to Dr. Huisheng Xie and all the professors at Chi University in Reddick, FL for creating a higher educational program dedicated to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, to my family and friends who supported me through the transition into this mode of medicine, to Dr. Alice Baker who graciously helped me through my internship and helped me get started in the field, and to my clients who trust me and teach me everyday.

Website: animal elevation.com

Linkedin: Bronwen Foster

Image Credits
Photos by Masan Kile