Conveniently located right off of I-430 in Little Rock, this full-service branch of Providence Veterinary Care offers high-quality orthopedic surgery options for fracture repair and degenerative joint disease.
Many of the surgeries performed at PVC-Little Rock are referrals from surrounding clinics in central Arkansas. Dr. Chris Nelson is available for consult by phone, or in-person to veterinarians as well as pet owners. Please make an appointment for in-person consultations.
Mon, Tues, Thurs, & Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Meet The Team
Chris Nelson, DVM
Dr. Chris Nelson, owner of Providence Veterinary Care, is a Malvern native who has practiced veterinary medicine in Malvern since May 2011. Dr. Nelson graduated from Malvern High School in 2002 and Henderson State University in 2006 with a B.S. in Biology. He received his D.V.M. from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, in May 2011. On September 27, 2013, Dr. Nelson purchased Hughes Animal Hospital, from Dr. Richard F. Hughes and changed the name to Providence Veterinary Care.
Dr. Nelson’s exposure to animals from an early age helped to cultivate his interest in the veterinary profession. He grew up in Lono, AR and was active in 4-H, showing livestock. While attending college, he worked as a veterinary assistant at Hughes Animal Hospital and Arkadelphia Pet Care. Dr. Nelson was also involved in community service while in college serving on the Hot Spring County Fair Board and as a volunteer firefighter in Lono.
Dr. Nelson is married to Malvern native Piper Finley Nelson. They are members of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Dr. Nelson and Piper have 2 sons, Grant and Noah, and 3 dogs, a yellow Labrador Retriever named Lily, a mixed breed named Nutmeg, and an Australian Shepherd named Charlee. Both Dr. Nelson and Piper are excited about the opportunity to return to their hometown to provide quality veterinary care.
Dr. Nelson provides both small and large animal (farm) medicine. He enjoys maintaining the health of family pets through preventative medicine as well as diagnostics and small animal surgery as needed. It is also very important to Dr. Nelson to provide on-site health maintenance and ambulatory emergency care for the farms of Hot Spring County and other surrounding counties.
Sarah Finn Whitley, DVM
Dr. Sarah Finn Whitley is a Little Rock native and second generation veterinarian. She attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where she graduated with honors before graduating from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. She has practiced in the Little Rock area since 2014.
Dr. Whitley met her husband, Jack, during veterinary school in Baton Rouge. He is a Project Manager for East Harding Construction. They have two boys, Finn and Ford, who constantly keep them laughing. They also have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a hound mix, a Belgian Malinois rescue, and a domestic longhair cat. As a family, they enjoy camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing.
Dr. Whitley has a special interest in preventative medicine, soft tissue surgery, and ultrasonography. She loves developing relationships with her patients and clients and assisting in developing healthy lifestyles for pets. Dr. Whitley is excited to call Providence Veterinary Care her new work home!