A new veterinary hospital opened its doors in Boerne on Oct. 5, bringing full-service pet care — and a notably different exam-room philosophy — to a city whose population has nearly doubled in a decade. Highview Veterinary Hospital, located at 5 Coughran Road, Suite 105, is a privately owned, family-operated practice led by husband-and-wife veterinarians Dr. Amelia Rauch and Dr. Mike Rauch, who say they built the clinic to serve pet owners throughout Boerne and the surrounding Hill Country.
Keeping Pet and Owner in the Same Room
Unlike many traditional practices that whisk animals to a back treatment area, Highview conducts most exams, treatments, and procedures right in the exam room with owners standing beside their pets, according to the Boerne Star. Dr. Amelia Rauch said the best veterinary care happens when the doctor, pet, and owner are part of the same conversation. The approach, the outlet reports, tends to keep animals calmer while giving owners a clear view of their pets' care and letting doctors explain findings and answer questions while they work.
The open-room model mirrors a broader clinical movement known as Fear Free, which the American Animal Hospital Association says began in 2016 and relies on gentle control, owner presence, and stress-reducing techniques to minimize animal anxiety during visits — a response to the heightened anxiety that can come from separating pets from their owners in traditional back-room settings. Dr. Mike Rauch said building lasting relationships with the people and pets of Boerne is the heart of the practice, per the same Boerne Star report.
Two Classmates, One Practice
The Rauches met as classmates at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated together in 2020, then practiced across Texas and abroad in England before settling in Boerne. Dr. Amelia Rauch's own professional background, detailed on Highview Veterinary Hospital's website, shows she earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Texas A&M in 2016 and her veterinary degree in 2020, gaining emergency and critical care experience in Austin, La Grange, and Brighton, England before moving to Boerne in 2024. She is a Fear Free Certified veterinarian and a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Mike Rauch, who grew up in Frisco, earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and graduated alongside his wife in 2020, practicing in Texas for three years before the pair launched Highview. The two married in 2022 after meeting as veterinary classmates. They have called Boerne home for the past two years and are raising two young sons, ages 2 years and 5 months, in the city.
Full-Service Care, Plus Exotics and Backyard Chickens
Highview offers full-service care for the whole life of a pet, including wellness exams and vaccinations, preventive care, dental care, diagnostics, surgery, and sick and injury treatment. The practice has also expanded its scope beyond traditional cats and dogs to include medical care for backyard chickens and exotic animals, alongside allergy care, as The Boerne Life reports. Local coverage noted the clinic treated its first canine patient on opening day.
The clinic is staffed by a team of six and is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. New clients can reach the hospital at 830-470-8414 or through its website, highviewvets.com.
A Community Growing Fast Enough to Need It
The hospital's arrival comes as Kendall County's population surged 20.3% between 2020 and 2025 to reach 53,289 residents, driven primarily by domestic migration, according to U.S. Census Bureau data cited by Community Impact; the county ranked 40th among all Texas counties in growth rate during that span. The city of Boerne itself reached an estimated 24,047 residents in July 2025, a 94% increase over 2015 figures, according to the Boerne Kendall County Economic Development Corporation, which also projects an additional 12% population growth in Boerne through 2030.
That growth has translated into rising demand for pet care nationally and locally. U.S. pet industry spending is projected to reach $165 billion in 2026, up from $158 billion in 2025, with routine and preventive care accounting for over 82% of veterinary visits nationwide, per the American Veterinary Medical Association. Average yearly household veterinary spending in 2025 reached $598 for dogs and $529 for cats, the association's data show.
Ribbon-Cutting Set for Next Week
The Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce will host an official public ribbon-cutting ceremony for Highview Veterinary Hospital on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to noon at the Coughran Road facility, and the public is invited to attend. The Rauches, both graduates of a veterinary college that the university says rose to No. 3 in the nation and No. 5 globally in the 2026 QS World University Rankings, say the new hospital reflects years spent building toward a practice rooted in their adopted hometown.
