Island Animal Hospital,
Saint Simons Island, GA
Why did you become a vet?
I fell in love with horses when I was about 6 years old and knew then I wanted to have a career working with animals. I am a small animal vet now, but still love horses!
What is the favorite part of your job?
I really enjoy educating people on caring for their pets and building relationships with their families.
What inspires you now?
I’m inspired by nature and all the ways we, all animals and our planet are connected.
What was your favorite case?
One of my favorite cases was taking care of a chicken named Mary Ann. She taught me how tough chickens can be! Mary Ann was attacked by a dog and had several large wounds on her hind end. Luckily Mary Ann was very loved by two young kids and their family brought her every few days for weeks, for bandage changes. We always changed up the color of her bandage but the kids loved her in red. Because of the location on her hind end, the bandages also looked a lot like underpants. When she was finally healed, the kids brought me a drawing of Mary Ann wearing her red underpants as a thank you!
Why did you get involved in the GVMA?
I feel that one of our greatest resources in medicine, management and life, are our fellow veterinarians and veterinary professionals. We support each other, but can also learn so much from each other. Making more of these connections through GVMA has been a great experience for me, and also a way we can make real change for our profession.
Dr. Luckstone graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 and she completed her clinical year at North Carolina State University. She enjoys small animal internal medicine, pain management, and holistic medicine including acupuncture and laser therapy. Dr. Luckstone became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist in August of 2018. She also has a special interest in caring for birds and exotic pets. Two years after joining Island Animal Hospital, Dr. Jackie Luckstone became the managing veterinarian at IAH in 2015. Under her leadership, the doctors and staff have embraced the objective of being a progressive veterinary practice. In 2019 she led the team in Fear-Free training and certification, thereby placing an emphasis on the emotional well-being of all pets during their veterinary experience.
