Todd Riggan knew he would be a veterinarian long before he could spell the word.
As a child, his home and yard were filled with animals he had rescued - abandoned dogs and stray cats, rabbits, rats and mice, hamsters, turtles, fish, birds. His room was like a cabin on Noah's Ark.
In high school, he took his love of animals to the local veterinary clinic, first as a volunteer, then as a paid assistant. After four years at the University of Texas, he applied for vet school at Texas A&M. There was no Plan B. He was accepted. Perhaps it was his grades, his interview, his recommendations, but its more likely he was accepted because in his mind and heart any other outcome was unthinkable.
After graduation, his first position was with the Jackson Veterinary Hospital in St. Augustine, Florida. Dr. Jackson was one of the founding members of the American Heartworm Association. A major client of the Jackson Clinic was the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and the young doctor was often called to see patients there, including monkeys, birds, and, of course, various members of the crocodile family.
It was here the Dr. Riggan's interest in rabbits was kindled, an interest that has remained at the heart of his practice ever since. After his time at the Jackson Clinic, he took a position at Jacksonville's Beltway Emergency Clinic where he saw an amazing variety of cases from dogs that had eaten batteries to birds that had been shot out of trees.
After his stint as an emergency clinician, Dr. Riggan returned home to Texas. He began working at Austin's Brykerwood Veterinary Clinic in 1993. While at Brykerwood, Dr. Riggan began to develop an extensive rabbit clientele. He worked with local rabbit groups and soon was know as "The Rabbit Doctor".
He continued to be popular with the owners of other small animals and in 1997 was voted "Veterinarian of the Year" by Austin Family Magazine.
In May 2001, Dr. Riggan opened White Rock Veterinary Hospital in Pflugerville. And it is here that his old dream of bringing health and healing to the animals that share our world and our lives is being made real.
