Dr. Hargrove was raised in Colorado, initially on a dairy farm, but then he grew up as a city kid surrounded by animals. From around the 8th grade, he volunteered at a mixed animal veterinary practice where he gained valuable veterinary experience, but by the time he started vet school, he had decided that he would concentrate on companion animals.
While in vet school at Colorado State University, he joined a national society (then known as the Delta Society) devoted to the connections and interactions between people and animals. He went on to co-found a community group (Larimer Animal People Partnership) and a student group (Students for Human/Animal Relationships and Education – SHARE) whose main purposes were to educate about and celebrate the bond between people and animals.
After graduation, he was employed as an associate veterinarian at Lakeland Veterinary Hospital in Brainerd, MN. In January of 1993, he moved to Duluth and joined the staff at North Shore Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Hargrove joined NSVH because of the work Dr. Larry Anderson and Dr. Daphne Hall had done to develop a practice culture that recognized and celebrated the human-animal bond.
Dr. Hargrove became a partner in NSVH in 2004 and has been the sole owner since 2009. His goal has always been to continue to develop the culture of compassion and high quality care that recognizes and supports the unique role each pet plays in the life of their human companions.
