OUTBACK MOBILE VET - Key Persons
Donna Clifton Craig is not exactly a native of anywhere, having lived in over 10 US states and traveled extensively during her days in the US Navy. She does, however, claim roots in Florida and is a diehard Florida Gator fan regardless of where she is. She has always had a strong connection to animals since a child and the interest in the weirder pets started with an iguana when she was 12 years old. From there, any animal in need of attention was deserving of her care. She knew from a young age she wanted to be a veterinarian though ended up taking a more scenic route in achieving that goal.
She started her college education at the University of Florida where she played baritone in the Gator Band, and then transitioned to Santa Fe Community College, also in Gainesville, to earn a degree in Biological Parks Technology (Zookeeping). There she discovered a love of herpetology while volunteering at a facility that raised and bred mostly African vipers for venom collection. She gained incredible experience handling all kinds of reptiles and amphibians and moved on to Tyler, Texas, to work as a reptile keeper, eventually enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Her time in the Navy landed her in the Indian Ocean on the island of Diego Garcia, where she was able to feed her interest in herpetology studying the native fauna of the island under the sponsorship of the Smithsonian Institution and British Museum. Once she was discharged from the Navy, she completed her Bachelor's degree in Zoology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and then shortly after entered veterinary school at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS.
Since becoming a veterinarian in 2002, Donna has lived/worked in Portland, OR, Tampa, FL, Morganton, NC and finally relocated to Melbourne, FL, in June of 2012. In about 2015 Donna saw a growing trend in requests for end-of-life care for pets. She joined the International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care and in 2018 became one of the first of a handful of veterinary professionals with certification in Hospice and Palliative Care.
Dr. Donna shares her home with her husband, Dale Craig and an ever-changing menagerie of animals, as they both volunteer with wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Currently, her "normal" animals include 2 dogs: Maya, a Border Collie, aptly nicknamed TDMM (The Divine Miss Maya) and Sierra, a Golden Retriever mix rescued as a senior stray; and 3 cats: Cardemom, Eiryk and Godric.
She is now dedicated to providing a uniquely compassionate service in the comfort of home, where your animals and you are most comfortable. As a small-business owner, competing with the ever-corporate environment of veterinary practices, she hopes you will support her practice and also spread the word about in-home euthanasia. We strive to provide the peaceful passage we all hope for when it is our time.