Dr. Dennis with Sally.

Sonnya Dennis, DVM, DABVP (c/f)

​
​Dr. Sonnya Dennis received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. Since 1996 she has been the owner and full-time veterinarian at Stratham-Newfields Veterinary Hospital. Throughout this tenure, Dr. Dennis has been determined to advance the quality of veterinary care for her patients by growing her skills as a practitioner and promoting the growth of her staff. In keeping with this mission, Dr. Dennis became one of fewer than 450 world-wide who is Board-Certified in Canine and Feline Practice with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. She is 1 of 4 in the state of New Hampshire and is the only Board-Certified veterinarian in primary care in the Seacoast.

Under the leadership of Dr. Dennis, SNVH became the first American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited hospital in the NH Seacoast Region. AAHA is known for its standards of veterinary excellence and is the only voluntary organization that accredits veterinary practices in the U.S. and Canada. AAHA-accredited practices are evaluated on 900 quality standards that encompass all aspects of pet care - ranging from patient care and pain management, to team training and medical record-keeping. Hospitals undergo rigorous evaluations by AAHA practice consultants to achieve and maintain accreditation and less than 15% of pet hospitals in North America meet these stringent requirements.

Dr. Sonnya Dennis' excellence in veterinary medicine has been recognized by her veterinary peers, and she has was honored with an appointment to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Board of Directors (2012-2014).

Dr. Dennis has successfully blended current academics with clinical and practical experience. In 2001, she co-founded the New Hampshire Veterinary Technician Association and hosts technician and senior veterinary students. As an Adjunct Professor of the Veterinary Technician Program of the Great Bay Community College (formerly the NH Community Technical College at Stratham), Dr. Dennis supervised the Clinical Surgical Externship for senior veterinary technicians from 2000-2008. Additionally, Dr. Dennis taught Anatomy and Physiology Lab for Veterinary Technicians from 2001 to 2005, which included developing and teaching a new course in Clinical Pharmacology in 2005. 

Some of Dr. Dennis' other volunteer activities, publications, and appointments:

• Co-author of article about Models for COVID-19
• Co-author of the AAFP Feline Diabetes Educational Toolkit
• Co-author of the AAHA Dental Care Guideline
• Co-author of the AAFP Feline Hyperthyroid Guidelines
• Peer-reviewer for veterinary medical journals
• Chair of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Maintenance of Certification Committee. 
• Past President of the Association for Veterinary Informatics (AVI).  She has a particular interest in Clinical Informatics, the application of informatics and information technology to deliver improved healthcare, and the veterinary aspect of SNOMED clinical terms.
• Member of the New Hampshire State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners 2015-2020.

• Volunteer instructor for the Pet First Aid and Emergency Response Classes for the Great Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross since 1999.

---

Dr. Dennis lives with her husband, daughter, their dog, Sally, and their cats, Stella, Melba & Jake.