Veterinary Hero: Khalfani Carr

Unlike other professionals within the industry, Khalfani Carr has an interest in veterinary medicine that came at an older age. He is now an honoree of the 2024 Veterinary Heroes program, as the award winner in the veterinary paraprofessional category.

Photos courtesy of Khalfani Carr

In an interview, Carr shared with dvm360 that he originally pursued a career as a veterinary paraprofessional because a friend was working in a similar position and encouraged him to get a similar job. Carr soon fell in love with the industry and continued to grow and work in the role. He got his start at the VCA Woodbridge in Virginia and expressed sincere gratitude to the team there for giving him his start.

In winning a Veterinary Heroes award, Carr said that he has shown that just by doing your job and applying yourself, you will eventually be recognized for that dedication and hard work and could potentially inspire others as well. “If you just keep your head down and just keep doing the work that you promised to yourself, someone somewhere is going to recognize you and you’re going to motivate other people who you don’t know about, because people may see the award, but they may not ever talk to you. That may motivate them to say, ‘Hey, next year, I want to go and get that award’ and they’ll change lives, better patients, and get more education,” Carr explained.

One of multiple colleagues who nominated Carr for the Veterinary Heroes award said he is the "mentor of all mentors" and recently a clinic develop a program for career growth. "He created the training program that my job recently adopted and [he] refuses to take credit. That's what makes him so valuable, his selflessness and humility to make all staff feel valued," this nominator wrote.

Although Carr has moved on from VCA Woodbridge to Regional Veterinary Referral Center in Springfield, Virginia, he has continued to do the work to better the lives of his patients, including the creation of his brand WOOFU2. Carr created WOOFU2 to advocate for breeds being bullied because of discrimination policies around the world. He advocates by educating people of all ages on how to understand and approach dog behavior.

A second nominator for Carr's award said the paraprofessional changed their opinion on certain breeds through the WOOFU2 program. "We have a lot of heroes in the [veterinary] field but what makes him stand out, in my opinion, is that no matter what, rain or shine, he has a smile on," this nominator wrote. "He cares for all but has a soft spot for people with trouble situations whether it's money or life issues."

A third nominator noted Carr's work as a volunteer basketball coach, working with youth in his community. "What makes Fani a hero is his determination to spread positivity and lift everybody up. He wants everybody to be their best self and is willing to help them get there. Fani sees potential in everybody even if they don't see it in themselves," this nominator wrote.

Carr will receive his award alongside 11 other distinguished inductees of dvm360’s Veterinary Heroes program during a luncheon celebration at the Long Beach Convention Center. The special event will take place during the Fetch dvm360 conference on December 8, 2024, at 11:30 AM PST. All conference attendees are invited to attend.

The 2024 Veterinary Heroes program is supported by corporate sponsor Schwarzman Animal Medical Center.

The paraprofessional category for the 2024 Veterinary Heroes program is supported by Thrive Pet Healthcare.