Dr. Sonja Lapinski is one of Guardian's best assets. She is not only super smart, but her intuitive and refreshing approach bonds her easily to both patients and clients. After graduating from Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011, she completed a rotating internship in Arizona before returning to her hometown of Portland, Oregon.
Dr. Lapinski served on the board of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association where she helped launch and facilitate the first “Power of 10” cohort – a personal and professional development program for early-career veterinarians. She is passionate about the wellbeing of veterinary professionals at all levels and dedicated to personal and professional growth.
Sonja settled in Yamhill county with her husband and son, Barnaby. She, like most vets, has a menagerie of pets at home, including over a dozen chickens. Our staff benefits regularly from a surplus of farm fresh eggs, and our clients benefit from Sonja’s knowledge of poultry medicine.
Dr. Lapinski has a strong background in emergency medicine and general practice and along the way, has developed a few special interests, including behavior, senior pet care, and pain management. She loves to work with senior pet owners to manage chronic or complex cases using a holistic approach. Her interest in behavior management and modification is a huge asset to our practice, and pairs very well with her being a Fear Free Certified professional in a gold certified AAFP Cat Friendly practice. She is also interested in the intersection of human psychology and veterinary medicine, and how it affects what happens in the exam room, the treatment area, and beyond.
In addition to being a veterinarian, Sonja is a birdwatcher, artist and life-long learner. She enjoys being outside and spending time with family and friends.