New Client and Missed Appointment Policy Updated March 15, 2023

We continue to experience an increase in pet owners missing scheduled appointments.

Therefore:

All NEW clients will be asked to provide a credit card when making an appointment. A deposit is required to schedule an appointment. The non-refundable deposit charged to your card will be equal to the EXAM fee for each pet to be seen. The policy also applies to existing clients with a history of missing appointments. The deposit will be credited to charges generated during the appointment.

A missed appointment is when you fail to attend an appointment without notification of at least 48 hours of BUSINESS DAY notice. Canceling over the weekend via email, PetDesk, or voice mail is not sufficient notice for a Monday or Tuesday appointment. You will not be refunded if you fail to attend your pet’s appointments. 

A veterinary/client relationship is built on mutual trust and respect. House Paws’ goal is to provide quality, individualized medical care in a timely manner. As such, we strive to be on time for your scheduled appointments and ask the same of you. As a courtesy to you, we provide reminders via email, PetDesk, or a phone call before your appointment. However, you are responsible for remembering your appointment regardless.

Other pet owners cannot obtain routine or urgent care for their pets when scheduled appointments are missed without sufficient notification.

You will be charged (25% of your estimated fee) if you have a missed surgery appointment. We allocate a fixed number of time slots depending on the type of surgeries scheduled and are unable to re-book a missed surgery appointment (for whatever reason) at short notice due to the prerequisites for surgery.

We hope this allows us to serve you and your pets better.

How to Cancel/Change Your Appointment: To cancel or ask to change your appointment, you may do so on our Petdesk app or call/email the hospital where your appointment is scheduled. If you do not reach the receptionist upon calling, please leave a detailed message on our voicemail. 48 hours business hour notice applies. If you cancel or need to reschedule before the 48 hours limit, your deposit remains on your account until the appointment is rescheduled.

New modified Curbside Service Policy

When making your appointment, please let us know if you wish to come into the exam room with your pet or remain in your car while your pet is being seen. This affects our scheduling as we minimize the number of people in the building and also the number of pet interactions that would occur in our waiting room.
One pet parent will be accommodated.

1. Upon arrival, please call into the hospital to check-in. If we are not quite ready for you at that time, we will call you back and ask you to bring your pet into the building. From there, one of our technicians will escort you to an exam room, or go back and wait in your car.

2. Technician and re-check appointments will remain curbside while you wait in your car.

3. When you are waiting in your car, we will call you when your pet’s appointment is finished and review the appointment with you. We will then ask you to come into the building for checkout while the technician gets your pet (and any meds that might be going home) ready for discharge.

4. For surgery or other drop-off procedures and other day-long drop-offs, a technician will come out to your car with the surgical authorization paperwork that you will need to sign and obtain all related medical history. We will call when your pet is ready to be picked up.

Meet Our Team

We’re one big family.

LOCATIONS
7

We’re dedicated to your pet’s health.

Our network of hospitals were opened to provide the same calm, fear-free, stress-free experience to veterinary hospital clients known to our house call clients. Scroll down to meet our veterinarians and management team!

Leah Knode V.M.D.

Owner and Medical Director

Dr. Knode is a 1993 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and is licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Dr. Knode has many years of experience in veterinary emergency and critical care medicine and has worked in many of the leading 24-hour veterinary emergency hospitals in our area. Dr. Knode has developed a very practical approach to veterinary medicine to the benefit of the pet and client. Dr. Knode is passionate that old age is not a disease and that senior pets can do very well if their people are willing to help.Dr. Knode is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Dr. Knode is also a member of the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners. Dr. Knode obtained her BS and MS at Shippensburg University. Some of the work on the MS degree was done at Johns Hopkins while working for the Chief of Surgery in his research laboratory.Dr. Knode sees small and large animals. Dr. Knode is particularly excellent with cats, loves Big White Dogs, has (too) many cats, sheep, goats, and horses. Dr. Knode lives with her husband and Practice Manager John Ebersold near Purcellville, VA. Dr. Knode is licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.Dr. Knode can be requested to be seen in any of our facilities and our mobile practice.

https://northernvirginiamag.com/best/veterinarians/leah-knode/

Tibor Lazar, DVM

Visiting Surgeon

Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons

Dr. Lazar grew up in Fairfax County, graduated from Robinson High School in 1987, and received his BA in biology at the University of Virginia in 1991.

He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1996 from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. In 1997, he completed a one-year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City.

Following a year of private practice in Manhattan, Dr. Lazar moved to Maitland, Florida, and spent four years in a small animal surgery internship and residency at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists. In 2003, he earned board certification by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Since 2002, Dr. Lazar has focused on small animal specialty surgery in Northern Virginia. He lives in Reston with his wife, two sons and a plethora of pets including dogs, cats, birds, snakes, and fish.

House Paws will evaluate your pet’s need for surgery and consult with Dr. Lazar regarding his opinion of the same need.  We will then schedule your pet as needed for surgery at one of our hospitals.

Jessica Brown

Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)

Jessica provides general LVT support for all locations and most importantly in surgical assisting, anesthesia monitoring and dental cleanings, and x-ray. Jessica provides technical education and leadership to all staff, veterinary assistants, and kennel assistants.

Darlene Hajduk

Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)

Darlene obtained her B.S. in Biology from Gallaudet University before furthering her education at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) and becoming a Licensed Veterinary Technician. She is owned by four rescue animals: a Shepherd mix (Nacho) and three cats (Juno, Chase, and Hobbes). Darlene enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, fostering kittens, reading, traveling, and going to wineries.

Bella

Team Lead

Bella is our committed Team Lead at House Paws. She joined us in 2022, marking this her first role in the veterinary field. She is currently studying at Penn Foster to become a licensed veterinary technician. Dedicated to ensuring everything runs smoothly, Bella oversees daily operations at the animal hospital, fostering an efficient and supportive environment for the veterinary team and the clients. Outside work, she enjoys capturing memories through photography and spending time with her three beloved dogs—Duke, Lou Lou, and Meka.

Emily

Receptionist

As our dedicated receptionist, Emily brings over two years of experience in veterinary medicine to our team. With a passion for animals and a commitment to educating their owners about preventative care, she plays a vital role in ensuring our furry friends receive the best possible support. At home, Emily shares her life with Apollo, her black cat that resembles Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, and Nova, her German Shepherd who believes he’s a lap dog.

Elizabeth

Receptionist & Marketing Advisor

With a strong background in sales, advertising, and marketing, Liz brings valuable expertise to her role as a Receptionist & Marketing Advisor. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Communication and Public Relations and has been working in veterinary medicine for about 3 years. Fascinated by human behavior, Liz enjoys cooking, watching bad sci-fi movies, and living in the middle of nowhere. A devoted Washington Commanders fan, she cherishes every moment with her three bulldogs—George, Paul, and Fred—and her partner, Clint.

Sherice

Kennel Assistant

Sherice is a committed kennel assistant with a background in research and insect care, having gained valuable experience as a student at Shepherd University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. In her free time, Sherice enjoys watching animal documentaries and spending time with her two furry companions—a needy kitten and a spoiled dog. Sherice comes from a family of teachers and is an avid learner and a very helpful veterinary assistant.

Rebecca

Assistant

Becca is a part-time assistant for our mobile veterinary service, helping ensure smooth care for our patients on the go. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her two barn cats, Tigger and Loki, and her two dogs, Finn and Mali. An avid equestrian, Becca loves riding her horse, Wallace, whenever she can.

Get to know our management team.

John Ebersold

Co-Owner and Business Manager, Technology Support, etc. John has over twenty years of experience in the corporate world as a computer programmer, consultant, consulting manager and project manager in a diverse set of industries and government locations. John has been growing and managing House Paws and House Paws Animal Hospitals since 2000. John manages his farm in his “spare” time. John has learned much about veterinary medicine from Dr. Knode and his own on-going study and is an experienced veterinary assistant as well.

We have two locations and an in-home service.

We proudly serve pets in Lovettsville, Round Hill, and mobile services all over Northern Virginia. To contact us or request an appointment, find the location nearest you below.

Emergency Services

Click here for contact and service information.