About Us
Nome Animal House
The Nome Animal House is a locally owned pet care center offering veterinary services, pet boarding, professional grooming, and quality pet supplies in the community of Nome. Starting in 2007 by 5th generation Nome-ite, Sandra Rowe, the Nome Animal House has grown from a small, one room building, with no running water and zero employees, to a fully functioning business with dedicated space and equipment for our itinerant veterinarians, along with all other aspects of our business, with 11 employees. Plans are currently in motion to expand the business and building to better facilitate a full time, local veterinarian, completion planned for the summer of 2027.
Our Team
Our team consists of three itinerant veterinarians, two veterinary technicians, and six assistants & kennel techs. Our veterinarians rotate through Nome for week-long clinics every month, and make themselves available between clinics for tech-assisted telemedicine services. Our veterinary technician, tech assistants, and kennel techs live in Nome full time, and work hard 365 days per year to take care of our boarding and grooming pets, our customers and clients, and to keep our business running in top shape.
Family Owned
Sandra Rowe, (Morgan) a fifth-generation Nome-ite and lifelong animal lover, is the proud owner of the Nome Animal House. Being a member of a family of four, Sandra brings the same care and commitment to her business that she does at home.
She founded Nome Animal House in 2007 to give local pets a safe, caring place for boarding and grooming, offer essential pet supplies, and continues to work tirelessly to help bring reliable veterinary care back to the region. Sandra also volunteers with Tigaraha Pet Resources, a non-profit pet organization supporting pet owners and improving animal welfare in Nome.
History
The Nome Animal House opened in the summer of 2007 in a small one room building with no running water (trucked water only) on leased land. Since then, we've worked hard to expand our services to meet the needs of our community.
2007 - Opened the Nome Animal House.
2008 - Refinanced to Purchase Land.
2009/10 - Awarded Funds in Grant Competition for Water Well.
2013 - Refinanced to Expand Building.
2014 - Began Hosting Annual Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Vet Organizations.
2014 - Back Yard Playground Improvement.
2015 - Awarded Funds in Grant Competition for Veterinary Equipment.
2016 - Began Hosting Itinerant Veterinarian for Bi-Monthly Veterinary Clinics.
2017 - Began Offering Tech-Assisted Telemedicine Between Clinics.
2018 - Started the Spay/Neuter Assistance Program.
2019 - Raised Funds & Financed Purchase of XRay Machine.
2020 - Financed Purchase of Bloodwork Machines.
2023 - Partnered with Tigaraha Pet Resources for Spay/Neuter Assistance.
2024 - Welcomed 2 New Veterinarians to Offer Monthly Veterinary Clinics.
2025 - Breaking Ground on New Nome Animal House Veterinary Clinic Addition!
Our Veterinary Team
Dr Grady Austin
Dr Gil Van Sciver
Dr Grady Austin
Dr Austin travels to Nome every other month from Soldotna where he lives with his family and works at an animal hospital. Dr Austin, a Nome-Beltz graduate, is interested in returning to Nome on a regular basis to provide essential veterinary care in our community during week long veterinary clinics.
Dr Emily Henry
Dr Gil Van Sciver
Dr Grady Austin
Dr Henry travels to Nome every other month, opposite months from Dr Austin, to ensure consistency in Nome's veterinary care. She works in Anchorage, specializing in emergency veterinary medicine, and is up for the adventure of providing veterinary care in Northwest Alaska.
Dr Gil Van Sciver
Dr Gil Van Sciver
Dr Gil Van Sciver
Dr Van Sciver continues to offer telemedicine services with us between veterinary clinics. After coming to Nome to offer week long veterinary clinics every other month for 7 years, Dr Van Sciver has "retired" from regularly scheduled clinics, but remains available most weekdays for our telemedicine needs.
Vet Team
Dr Gil Van Sciver
Dr Gil Van Sciver
Our veterinary technicians and assistants live in Nome full time, work with the vets during clinics, and facilitate "tech assisted telemedicine" with our vets in between clinics. They work hard to keep our veterinary program running year round.
Our Equipment Team
Sherlock Bones
Detective Tick Tracy
The Bloodhounds
Our X-Ray Machine
Pets Helped Annually: 93
When we have a tough case to figure out, this detective helps us to solve the mystery. From finding broken bones to looking for clues in soft tissue, Sherlock Bones never misses a lead.
The Bloodhounds
Detective Tick Tracy
The Bloodhounds
Our Bloodwork Machines
Pets Helped Annually: 117
Always hot on the trail, our blood analyzers sniff out important details in every sample, giving us the vital answers we need to guide treatment.
Detective Tick Tracy
Detective Tick Tracy
Detective Tick Tracy
Our Microscope
Pets Helped Annually: 54
A sharp-eyed sleuth, this microscope zooms in on the tiniest suspects - from parasites to bacteria - helping us to uncover the hidden culprits behind your pet's symptoms.
Friends of the Animal House!
Q-T Pies!
Smiling Dog Pet Services
Q-T Pies!
The "Q-T Pies" continue to support the Spay/Neuter Assistance Program by donating proceeds from their annual Mizuktata Stand (Lemonade Day)!
Dr Oakley
Smiling Dog Pet Services
Q-T Pies!
Dr Oakley's team and their film crew visited us in the summer of 2022 to film an episode of Yukon Vet that aired on the Discovery Channel!
Top 2 Cats Consulting
Smiling Dog Pet Services
Smiling Dog Pet Services
Thanks to Rene with Top 2 Cats Consulting for traveling to Anchorage to offer training for four Animal House staff members to become Euthanasia Technicians in the fall of 2022!
Smiling Dog Pet Services
Smiling Dog Pet Services
Smiling Dog Pet Services
Thanks to Trish with Smiling Dog Pet Services for traveling to Nome to offer DogSafe Canine 1st Aid & CPR training, which five Animal House staff members were able to attend in the fall of 2024!