About Altavista Animal Hospital
Altavista Animal Hospital was established in the early 1960’s. In 1988, with excitement and a passion for helping animals and owners, Dr. Bullins purchased the practice. After working as a solo veterinarian for 5 years, the practice had grown to the extent that another veterinarian was required. Dr. Stephanie Chmiel came on board at that time. We continued expanding our services and on site medical equipment. In 1998, a major expansion and renovation was undertaken to grow from an 1800 to a 3200 square foot facility. Dr. Lilla Howle joined the veterinary staff in 2007.
Our Staff
Dr. Sandra Bullins grew up in Henry County, Virginia where she doted on stray animals and her pets and hoped to become a veterinarian. She attended Radford University to graduate with a B.S. in 1977. She worked as a veterinary assistant for several years before entering the Virginia-Maryland Regional Veterinary College to graduate with the class of 1985. Small animal medicine and surgery are her primary areas of interest. Her hobbies and other interests include her horses, riding, camping, reading and gardening.
Dr Lilla Howle is originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She hold a B.A. in Journalism from UNC, and received her DVM from North Carolina State University. She has a small farm in Amherst where beef cattle are raised, and enjoys the company of 2 dogs, five cats and a donkey. In addition to working on the farm, in her spare time, Dr. Howle enjoys traveling and scuba diving when she gets a chance.
Dr. Patricia Haskins, DVM, MS – Originally from Franklin County, VA, Dr. Patricia Haskins attended Ferrum College for her undergraduate studies. She then went to the University of Georgia, where she earned her Master’s degree in Infectious Disease and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Haskins met her husband during vet school at the Lynchburg Livestock Market (he was selling cows and she was working for the state veterinarian’s office). Together, they manage a century-old farm with a cow-calf operation. They also have two boys who keep life exciting and definitely ensure there’s never a dull moment!
Dr. Haskins is passionate about providing a “spectrum of care” to meet the individual needs for each patient and their family. She enjoys educating owners so that together they can work as a team. During her first 15 years of practice she worked at two local clinics full time, provided relief services to some of the surrounding clinics, and also operated her own veterinary house-call practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her free time, Dr. Haskins enjoys reading books, spending time outdoors in nature, working puzzles, and volunteering in her community and church. She has a great sense of humor, loves a good dad joke, and brings a lot of laughter and smiles with her silly antics. Laughter is good for the soul.
