Lara Downs studied at Western University, the first veterinary school in the nation to provide a curriculum through problem-based learning, nurturing and strengthening the investigative and communicative nature of veterinary professionals. She graduated as a member of the charter class from Western University in 2007, with Betty Whites’ blessing, as the keynote speaker During four summers as a youth, Lara volunteered at the San Diego Zoo, and loved it Even as she discovered and pursued varied interests in life, whether performing classical piano or various forms of dance, the care of animals had always been her strongest passion. Dr. Downs has been constantly and deeply involved in the care of animals since 1996. She and her husband Dan, along with their many fur and feathered animals, moved to live, work, and play in the Temecula Valley. Her fur and feathered family now consists of two female dogs Shay & Soleil, three male cats Crookshanks, Modelo, and Pinot, and one cheeky male Senegal parrot named Buki Dr. Downs has been listed among Top Doctors by Inland Empire magazine (September 2019) [citation].