✨Established in 1982, the Animal Hospital of Collin County (AHCC) has been a cornerstone of the community, serving pets and their owners for over four decades. 🐈 Despite the significant changes in Allen and Plano over the years, AHCC has remained a constant, locally-owned practice dedicated to the well-being of both animals and people. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Rodney Little, who has been leading the practice with the same service-oriented values it was founded on, to learn more about his journey and what makes AHCC unique.
Dr. Little and his wife Cara moved to Allen from Oklahoma in 2011, attracted by the blend of natural beauty and urban amenities. “We loved the area, had friends and family nearby, and it offered a mix of nature and city comforts that suited us both,” he said. Soon after joining AHCC, he knew it was where he wanted to establish roots. He and his wife have since lived in Allen, McKinney, Princeton, and Murphy, experiencing the unique charms of each community. “As our family grew it became important to us to set up our children to be as successful as they can be. Between the schools and the opportunities to be involved in anything that interested them, it was obvious that this was the place to raise our family.” So, Dr. Little purchased the practice he had joined and made sure those roots into Collin County would run deep.
While Dr. Little always had a passion for medicine and problem-solving, he discovered his love for veterinary medicine while working as an assistant for a vet in Oklahoma after college. “It combined everything I enjoyed—medicine, problem-solving, relationships, and animals,” he shared. His varied interests, from playing guitar to woodworking, mirror the multifaceted nature of his veterinary work. “I get to be the dentist, the oncologist, the pediatrician with puppies and kittens… 🐶🐱 even the hard parts like end of life care I’m able to relate to our clients and help them through losing a beloved part of their family and there really is joy to be found in all of those aspects of the profession.”
AHCC stands out for its focus on the human-animal bond. “We strive to balance the needs of both the pet and the owner.” Dr. Little explained. This approach involves taking time to understand clients' thoughts and emotions regarding their pet's health, ensuring the best solution for each family. AHCC accomplishes that by focusing on the relationships rather than the standard industry metrics that many practices pay attention to. “That focus on the bond between the pet and their human allows us to set up the patient for the best possible quality of life, and, part of that quality of life is living in harmony with their human. They know and love their pet, we know and love medicine and those can come together to find the solution that is best.”
The practice also engages with the community through events like open houses, trunk-or-treat events, and community sponsorships. Recently they have ventured outside of their own walls to serve in senior living communities. Recognizing a need, AHCC took the show on the road.
“They aren’t able to easily come to us so we are going to them. We’re able to see their pet, address routine care like vaccinations and heart worm medications and provide care for their four legged friends while someone else is caring for them.” said Dr. Little.
Looking ahead, Dr. Little aims to continue growing AHCC by hiring and developing people who share their values and relationship-based approach to veterinary medicine. The rapid growth of Collin County has only strengthened his commitment. “Collin County offers everything I could want. It’s growing rapidly, which is great for a small business owner, and I have people here that I love and who love me. Everything that drew us here in the first place is only more true today.”
Dr. Little’s favorite pastime is spending time on Lake Lavon, just a short drive away from both his home and the clinic. He also enjoys golfing on the local courses and exploring the downtown areas of McKinney, Plano, and Frisco with his wife Cara and their sons. “This is just a great place to be.” he said, reflecting on the variety and vibrancy of Collin County.
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INTERVIEW
🎤CollinCounty.com: So tell us a little about you and what brought you to Collin County.
🎙️Dr. Little: Well, I grew up in Oklahoma, was born and raised there, went to school there, got married there, but then after graduating from vet school in Stillwater my wife and I moved to Allen in 2011. We loved the area, had friends and family nearby, it was very appealing to be here. There were a lot of things that I personally love from back in Oklahoma like lakes and hiking trails while also having the city comforts that my wife loves. It was really the best of both worlds. It didn’t take long after joining the staff at AHCC as an associate that we knew this was the place we wanted to set our roots down so we bought a home and began the process of buying the practice.
🎤CollinCounty.com: So, why veterinary medicine? What inspired that pursuit for you?
🎙️Dr. Little: I run into people all the time that tell me when they were young they wanted to be a vet and really that isn’t my story. I was always drawn to medicine and always loved puzzles and problem solving. I want to be able to examine and analyze and find a solution. I always have enjoyed animals and had a fond connection but didn’t even think about veterinary medicine until I graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in Biology and began working as an assistant for a veterinarian. I realized it offered me everything I enjoyed, the problem solving, the medicine, the people and relationships, and the animals. It played to my personality as I like to do many different things so in my personal life I tend to be a jack of all trades and master of none so I play guitar and love woodworking and dabble in things that catch my attention or interest me. Veterinary medicine allows me to do that as well. I get to be the dentist, the oncologist, the pediatrician with puppies and kittens…even the hard parts like end of life care I’m able to relate to our clients and help them through losing a beloved part of their family and there really is some joy to be found in all of those aspects of the profession.
🎤CollinCounty.com: We can’t argue with you there. So then last question…what do you love doing in Collin County?
🎙️Dr. Little: My favorite thing to do is spend time on the lake. We are blessed to live a 15 minute drive from Lake Lavon and if I could get away with spending every weekend on the water I would. When I can’t do that I enjoy playing golf and we have so many beautiful and challenging courses here that are really fun. My wife, Cara, loves downtown anywhere. The shopping and festivals in downtown McKinney are awesome. Downtown Plano is great and we’ve spent more time lately checking out downtown Frisco, the square and the Rail Yard…food trucks and live music, what’s not to like? This is just a great place to be. There’s so much variety and anything we don’t have right here is just in our backyard to the south so we can head to Dallas and catch any show or event or professional sport we want to see.
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Dr. Little’s passion for his patients, his selfless love for his community, and his enthusiasm for enjoying all that Collin County has to offer is contagious. We are grateful to Dr. Little and the AHCC staff for allowing us to peek behind the curtains and experience their incredible practice. You can visit AHCC’s website by clicking HERE.