Jennifer A. Sutton, DVM, initially decided that she wanted to focus on veterinary medicine as an undergraduate at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. In the years since, her career has expanded exponentially to engulf a variety of wellness endeavors that relate not only to animals, but to her community at large. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in biology at the aforementioned school in 1992, she continued her studies with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. In 2019, she obtained a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University and she is currently working toward certifications in veterinary practice management, professional coaching, and teaching in the health care professions. She hopes to graduate from Northcentral University with her Doctor of Business Administration in 2023.
While she practices as a partner and a veterinarian at Gulf Coast Veterinary Emergency Hospital and Beach View Veterinary Hospital, LLC, Dr. Sutton also recently became managing partner with Paws to Remember Pet Loss Services, LLC. In addition to this work, she considers her areas of expertise to include social justice, social service, search and rescue, emergency preparedness and community volunteerism. She previously served as the interim executive director of the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program for Hancock County, where she advocated for children in the foster care system in Hancock County, Mississippi. As a member of many organizations which strive to assist communities in emergency situations, including the Mississippi Animal Rescue Team, Volunteers in Preparedness Registry, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Medical Reserve Corps and the Mississippi Animal Assisted Crisis Response Team, Dr. Sutton is able to apply her knowledge of animals, as well as her own extensive experience in disaster and emergency management, including training as an emergency medical technician, casework with the American Red Cross, and disaster search planning preparation for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Dr. Sutton has also covered a vast wealth of information in the lectures she delivers, including such presentations as “Emergency Medical Assessment and Care of Animals in Disasters,” “Top 5 Small Animal Emergencies Encountered in Disasters,” and “Versatility of Search and Rescue Dogs,” which she presented at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Trauma Symposium in 2017, among others. Between 2017 and 2021, she and her practices have been featured in a number of professional magazines and publications. Notably, she was featured in the cover story, “Leading From the Heart,” of Gulf Coast Woman Magazine in 2019 and was a contributing author for “Trailblazers Who Lead” in 2021.
Dr. Sutton’s professional and civic endeavors have earned her many accolades as well, including being honored with the 2019 State of Mind Award from the National Society of Leadership and Success and being featured in the “Motivation Monday” segment of their podcast later that same year. Also in 2019, she received the Director’s Coin of Excellence from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Mississippi Small Business Administration, among other accolades. Most recently, she was presented with the People’s Choice Award as a Top Doctor/Veterinarian by Gulf Coast Women Magazine in 2020 and named among the Top 50 Business Women by the Mississippi Business Journal and the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Power Up Summit in 2021. Dr. Sutton continues to strive for success in all of her pursuits, crediting a deep love for giving back to others in need as constant inspiration. She plans to continue to grow her business to fill niches in the animal care industry that aren’t being met.
