Our Surgeons

Board Certified

As in human medicine, there are many surgeries animals may undergo that would benefit from the attention of a specialist. To help you and your pet, there is a network of veterinary surgical specialists ready to provide the special surgical care your pet needs. These specialists are the board-certified members of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). An ACVS board-certified surgeon is a veterinarian who has advanced training in surgical procedures, which includes an internship and three-year residency program. In addition, a surgeon must conduct research which is accepted for publication in professional journals and pass an intensive American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) board examination. Through required continuing education, a surgical specialist stays current with the most up-to-date veterinary surgical procedures. As a result, a dedicated surgical specialist has access to equipment and knowledge of procedures not commonly available to most veterinary hospitals. This equipment and advanced training allow us to perform highly technical procedures as we supplement the care of referring veterinarians.

Dr. Chris Dassler

Dr. Dassler grew up in Northern Virginia and graduated from the College of William and Mary with Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in Biology. He is an honors graduate of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Dassler completed his residency training at U.C. Davis and is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He has contributed chapters for textbooks in small animal surgery, authored scientific papers, and given presentations at national veterinary surgery conferences. He worked as a surgical specialist in private practice outside Memphis, Tennessee for several years before returning to his home state to start his own surgical specialty practice in 2004.

As a board-certified Veterinary Surgeon, Dr. Dassler is trained in a full range of soft-tissue and orthopedic procedures, including hip replacements as well as arthroscopic and laparoscopic surgeries.

In his free time, Dr. Dassler enjoys spending time with his family and aging pets, as well as wood-working, cycling, and golf.

American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Peninsula Animal Referral Center