Meet The Doctors
Dr. Alida Sanabria
A New York native, born in Queens to parents of Puerto Rican decent, Dr. Sanabria found her love of pets at a very young age. She followed that passion and attended John Bowne as an Agriculture student where she graduated as a top student within the animal science focus. During her time in high school, she solidified her love of veterinary medicine by gaining work experience in the field starting as a kennel assistant and working her way up.
After graduation, she attended Cornell University where she attained a bachelors in Animal Science. During her time at Cornell she gained leadership experience by partaking in multiple student groups but most significantly by joining her sorority, Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc.
After Cornell, she took a 3 year break to gain more experiences in the field. During this time she worked as a veterinary assistant at the ASPCA while completing prerequisites for veterinary school. This is where she met Dr. Barnes who was completing an internship as part of her Veterinary Technician education.
Dr. Camille Barnes, CVA
Dr. Barnes is an integrative veterinary practitioner, combining Western medical knowledge with the principles and modalities of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. She is a certified veterinary acupuncturist (CVA) from Chi University, enjoys internal medicine & dermatology cases, and loves expanding her knowledge of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine.
Dr. Barnes was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in African Diaspora studies. During her junior year abroad, she traveled the African continent and lived in Morocco for 6 months. While there she studied stray cat populations and also worked at the American Fondouk, a veterinary facility in the country’s capital. Although she loved and cared for animals from a young age, this is where that love blossomed into a true passion for veterinary medicine.
Upon graduating from Wheaton, she attended Mercy University, where she attained her Bachelor's of Science and trained for licensure as a veterinary technician. Her first LVT internship was in laboratory animal medicine, and the second was at the ASPCA, where she met Dr. Sanabria.
It was the Spring of 2014 when Dr. Barnes and Dr. Sanabria saw each other again, this time it was as first semester veterinary students at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of St. Kitts. They completed their pre-clinical education on the island and pursued their clinical rotations at Tufts University and University of Illinois respectively. Upon graduation both returned to NYC and started working together. It was there that they figured out what a dynamic duo they are and started calling themselves "Yin and Yang" as their interests/approaches to medicine differ but are complimentary to each other. Dr. Barnes grew her love of integrative care while Dr. Sanabria developed her love for hands on procedures. Since then the two have been professionally inseparable. They saw an opportunity to create not just a hospital but an environment that is warm, welcoming and nurturing for both pets and their humans.
Both doctors are well rooted in giving back to the community. As inner city, minority women, they have overcome obstacles and wish to serve as a familiar face to others who aspire to break boundaries and follow their dreams. They are committed to community service and mentorship, especially for young women looking to enter the field and empowering children to remain curious and continue to dream.
