The Pre-Vet Path: How Dr. Snyder Followed Her Calling to Be a Vet Missionary

When Dr. Cassie Snyder was asked in first grade what she wanted to be when she grew up, her answer probably surprised her teacher. It wasn’t a teacher, a police officer, or a princess. No, Snyder wanted to be a veterinarian missionary.

Growing up on a small hobby farm in Grove City, Pennsylvania, Snyder has loved animals for as long as she can remember. Her parents instilled in her from a young age that she was to use the passions God gave her to serve Him. So as a first grader, she reasoned in her heart that she would use her love for animals to honor the Lord and serve others, and that is precisely what she has done.  

As a senior in high school, Snyder went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic and enjoyed participating in medical clinics for people. 

“While many kids love animals, I recognized that to be a vet, I would also have to work on them medically,” said Snyder. “The DR is where I found my love for medicine.” 

With the support of her family, Snyder pursued her education to become a vet. Her prerequisites were simple; she wanted a Christian college with a pre-vet track.

Although Grace College did not have a pre-vet concentration then, Snyder visited and immediately knew it was the right place for her. She met Dr. Marcia Lee, a veterinarian who taught biology classes, and the late Dr. Richard Jeffreys, who oversaw the science department. She discovered that with some wiggling, a biology major and chemistry minor could satisfy the prerequisites for vet school. 

Throughout her education, Snyder put her studies into practice whenever possible – whether volunteering as a vet assistant over her summers or mucking stalls at a local farm sanctuary when she wasn’t in class.

As a senior, Snyder’s advisor allowed her to create her own course, where she studied diseases in small ruminants like sheep and goats. The highlight of the course was a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa, through Christian Veterinary Mission, where she vaccinated sheep and goats. 

“That solidified my vision for what it could look like to be a missionary veterinarian,” said Snyder.

At the recommendation of Dr. Lee, Snyder applied to the University of Missouri. One of only 33 veterinary science colleges nationwide, only 125 of nearly 2,000 applicants are accepted each year.

In 2014, Snyder was one of the 125. 

The next four years, she worked diligently toward her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Mizzou. After her first two years of didactic study, Snyder began her clinical rotations, where she fell in love with food animal vet medicine.

“I gained a deeper respect for the usefulness of cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats,” said Snyder. “Being on the farms with the farmers, seeing these animals’ livelihood — I just love the whole process.” 

While in vet school, Snyder continued to wrestle with the intersection of her faith and vet services. The passage Job 12:10 became foundational to her approach to vet ministry.  

“It was a great reminder that God controls every creature I work on, no matter what I do,” said Snyder. “He is the One who gives life and breath to every living thing.” 

Snyder was also an active member of the Christian Veterinary Fellowship throughout vet school. Her junior year, Snyder organized a trip to the Navajo reservation in Arizona through Christian Veterinary Mission. The group spayed and neutered cats and dogs, castrated horses, floated teeth on horses, dewormed sheep and goats, and initiated a church partnership that remains strong today. 

Snyder graduated in 2018 and began working full-time for Endless Mountains Veterinary Services in Rome, Pennsylvania. She spent two years there doing small and large animal work before moving north of Richmond, Virginia, to work for a food animal practice that serviced farms spanning 30 counties in Virginia.

In 2023, Snyder and her husband returned to Grove City to start a family, and Snyder established Medley Veterinary Services, a mobile livestock vet practice. Snyder’s practice services the rural farmers in her area, who would otherwise struggle to find a provider due to a nationwide shortage of food animal vets. Her mission is to support family farms, protect and promote food production, and help create thriving and healthy farms.

Looking forward, Snyder hopes to increasingly engage her local community by getting involved with 4-H groups and educating the next generation about sustainable ag and animal husbandry.

Whether in rural Pennsylvania or a country across the globe, Snyder continues to use the knowledge she has gained to share the Gospel and care for God’s creation.

It’s safe to say that first-grade Snyder is living her dreams.

Are you looking for a pre-veterinary program? Do you have dreams of becoming a veterinarian missionary?

Learn more about Grace’s pre-vet concentration.