Meet Lorrie Boldrick, the “Barefoot Veterinarian” and Orange Park Acres resident we are so lucky to have.
Lorrie is anything but an ordinary Orange County veterinarian. With more than 30 years of practice under her belt, Lorrie brings a wealth of experience and knowledge covering a wide variety of species well beyond cats and dogs. In her book “The Barefoot Veterinarian” Lorrie shares a myriad of stories that detail her experiences with animals such as monkeys, manatees, goats, pigs, and beyond. Today she is back out of retirement for the 2nd time and proudly practicing in OPA as “The Barefoot Veterinarian” a name chosen because as she describes best, she is simply the most comfortable being barefoot!
Born and raised in Kentucky and New Mexico before moving to California, Lorrie was a doctor’s daughter and an animal lover from an early age. She considered following in her father’s career steps until realizing sometime in Middle school that she enjoyed the company of animals more than people. With that passion in mind, she pursued a career in veterinary medicine. Lorrie graduated at just 23 years old from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
She then settled in Orange Park Acres with her family and opened her first veterinary practice called “Quillie Acres”. (Affectionately named after her two children, Quin and Allie.) Lorrie picked OPA for its location and horse property, of course! Over the years her house has been home to a wide variety of animals from goats, horses, and even a monkey! Living here in OPA, her children were both active members of the local 4H Club. Now adults themselves, her daughter is a Radiologist who lives nearby in Redlands and her son is an engineer living in Idaho. Looking back, Lorrie attributes much of their work ethic and strong morals to their lifestyle with animals and involvement in 4H that growing up here allowed for.
Beyond running her local practice, Lorrie’s passion for helping animals of all species led her to a job at the Santa Ana Zoo. Her friends laughed when she took the job because it required her to wear shoes, and to all who know her well, that just isn’t her style! On the other hand, the zoo allowed her to work with exotic animals, which she greatly enjoyed. Around the same time her daughter was attending Med school and Lorrie recalls fun memories of sharing X-rays of the zoo animals with her daughters’ med school class. She would send images, such as a pregnant snake, to see if the students and professors could identify them. Entertaining for all involved! Having Doctors in the family has made her work even more fun. On one occasion, Lorrie even convinced her Dad, a physician, to jump in and help her with a complicated intestinal surgery on a bulldog!
When asked if she had a favorite animal to work with, Lorrie said she likes them all, but her favorite would be exotic animals. She even had a service monkey named Sarah for 30 years! How amazing is that? Sarah was a fun addition to the office, and she loved to greet all the visitors. Of the exotic animals Lorrie has worked with, she particularly loves manatees. She has even traveled to Florida on multiple occasions to perform physicals on the manatees, adding to her already large repertoire of animal knowledge.
Fast-forward to 2022, Lorrie says after trying to retire twice, she just isn’t ready. Today she is still busy and happily running her practice. In addition to such an impressive list of veterinary achievements, Lorrie
has also published several books that are available on Amazon. Her books cover raising and caring for a variety of animals such as pot-bellied pigs, pygmy goats, and dogs. You can find additional info regarding her books on her website, listed below.
At her OPA home, Lorrie currently has 4 horses, a dog, and a goat (who thinks he’s a horse) who keep her entertained. By running her local practices for more than 3 decades, first “Quillie Acres”, and now “The Barefoot Veterinarian”, Lorrie has met and helped countless local residents. She describes her career as being “extraordinarily rewarding and often entertaining”.
For Lorrie Boldrick, there is no greater joy than being with animals and helping others. We at Horse & Home Real Estate are so honored to have Lorrie in our community!
Thank You, Lorrie, for your many years of hard work, love, and commitment to all the furry friends who call Orange Park Acres home.
You can find Dr. Boldrick to help with all of your pet needs at her OPA office, The Barefoot Veterinarian is open
Mondays and Fridays. Call 714-365-5464 or Email barefootveterinarian@gmail.com to schedule an appointment. Located at 10592 Orange Park Blvd. Orange, CA 92869. For additional information and a list of her books, check out www.barefootveterinarian.com.