Meet Your Veterinarian in Newport Beach, CA

Looking for a veterinarian in Newport Beach, CA who will actually remember your dog’s name? We are solely dedicated to your pet’s care. UrbanVet is led by two brothers, Dr. Raj Garhwal and Dr. Hersh Garhwal, and we look forward to getting to know you. Take the time to scroll down and get to know us.

Veterinarian

Dr. Raj Garhwal

Dr. Raj’s love for animals began when he was a small farm boy in India. He had the privilege of being around many different kinds of creatures and developed an intimate bond with them all. This passion for pets led Dr. Raj to pursue veterinary medicine, leading him to achieve his Doctorate at Virginia Tech’s Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2017, Dr. Raj became Head Veterinarian and Medical Director at Greenwood Animal Hospital in Seattle, Washington, a position he still holds today.
Dr. Raj has observed the veterinary industry up close and personal for over a decade, noticing what it lacks in innovation and customer experience. To bridge these gaps, he created UrbanVet offering pet owners access to 24/7 virtual veterinary services and surgeries at budget-friendly prices. His mission is clear: ensuring that no pet owner should ever be concerned about their adored animal’s health or well-being!
Dr. Raj aims to make pet care accessible and affordable for all. To achieve his mission, he desires to break down the barriers between veterinary assistance and those who need it most. Furthermore, Dr. Raj seeks to enable every pet owner with the data and tools required for the optimal health of their beloved animal companion. Because of UrbanVet’s modernized solutions tailored to each individual case and their commitment to providing transparency throughout the process, Dr. Raj is confidently on track to making his dream a reality!
During his free time, Raj relishes precious moments with his family, including his wife, Arushi, and three-year-old son, Viraj. On his days off, you can find Raj and the whole family on an adventure to the zoo, the beach, or wherever you can find fun, friendly creatures! 🐾
Veterinarian

Dr. Hersh Garhwal

Dr. Hersh, younger brother to Dr. Raj, has loved animals from a very young age, helping his parents with farm animals and caring for the many pets they had as a child. From there, it grew into a lifelong passion for helping all animals, from the common to the most unusual.
Dr. Hersh earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from the modern and exceptional Midwestern University after completing his Biomedical Science degree from the University of Washington. At Midwestern University, he was privileged and proud to be part of their small animal focus curriculum. This allowed him ample experience before graduating from vet school and, for instance, performing 52 surgeries by the end of the second year, whereas other schools commonly allow experience with three surgeries. This spiked a particular interest in surgery, however, Dr. Hersh also has interests in preventative care, emergency medicine, and internal medicine.

Being in the industry and around animals his entire life, he believes in strengthening the human-animal bond. He believes pets are part of the family and should be treated as such. His vision transformed into reality upon joining his elder brother to create UrbanVet. Your furbaby can expect lots of love, treats, and a thorough examination during their visit.

Outside of work, Dr. Hersh loves spending time exploring the outdoors, hiking with his husky, riding his motorcycle, listening to and producing house music, and hitting the gym. He will always love dogs and cats but sees himself owning a couple of horses and other farm animals like goats in the near future.
Veterinarian caring for a dog in a modern Newport Beach clinic

What it means to have one veterinarian in Newport Beach, CA

Most pet owners have had the experience of explaining their dog’s history from scratch to a new face at every visit. That is the thing we set out to avoid. UrbanVet is small on purpose. When you book here you see Dr. Raj or Dr. Hersh, and the exam findings from last spring are in front of them while they examine your pet today.

It changes the medicine, not just the mood. A veterinarian who saw your cat’s bloodwork a year ago can tell the difference between a value that is abnormal and a value that is abnormal for her. That is the whole argument for continuity, and it is why we would rather grow slowly than hand you to whoever is on shift.

Both doctors, one standard of care

Dr. Raj earned his Doctorate at Virginia Tech’s Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and became a Head Veterinarian in 2017 before founding UrbanVet. Dr. Hersh earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Midwestern University after a Biomedical Science degree at the University of Washington, in a small animal focused curriculum that put him in surgery well before graduation.

Between them they cover general practice, dentistry, soft tissue surgery and orthopedics, so a referral out of the building is the exception rather than the default. If your pet needs a procedure we do not perform, we will tell you plainly and help you find the person who does.

Questions worth asking any veterinarian

Choosing a practice is easier if you know what to ask. Will I see the same veterinarian each visit, or whoever is available? Is diagnostic testing run in house or sent out, and how long do results take? Is surgery performed here or referred, and if referred, to whom? Do you publish prices for routine services? What happens if my pet needs help outside your hours?

We answer all of those the same way whether you ask on the phone or in the room: you see Dr. Raj or Dr. Hersh, bloodwork and imaging run in house with same visit results, surgery is performed in our own suite, routine prices are published on our pricing page, and we will tell you directly which local emergency hospital to use after hours and make sure your records follow you there.

If a clinic will not answer those plainly, that is information too.

Primary care, and what we are not

Both of our doctors work as a primary care veterinarian first. That means we are the practice that knows your animal over years, handles wellness, dentistry, diagnostics and surgery, and coordinates anything that goes elsewhere. It is the least glamorous role in veterinary medicine and the one that changes outcomes most.

We are not an emergency veterinarian in Newport Beach. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and we do not staff overnight. If your pet collapses, is struggling to breathe, has been hit by a car, is straining unproductively to urinate or is seizing, do not wait for us to open. Go to a dedicated emergency hospital, and call us the next working day so we can pick the case straight back up.

People sometimes search for the Newport Beach veterinary hospital as though there is only one. There are several good options locally and they do different jobs. Ours is continuity of primary care with surgical capability, and knowing which building to be in at which moment is genuinely part of good pet ownership.

Booking with us

We see dogs and cats at 1220 Bison Avenue, Unit A7, Newport Beach, CA 92660, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can book online, call (949) 520-7440, or walk in and speak to the front desk. We accept cash, checks and all major debit and credit cards.

New to the practice? Bring vaccine records if you have them and arrive a few minutes early. First visits run longer than follow ups because we take a full history, and we would rather not rush it.

Contact Us

Frequently asked questions

Yes. UrbanVet is a two doctor practice, so you see Dr. Raj or Dr. Hersh, and whoever examines your pet has the full history in front of them. That continuity is the main reason we have chosen to stay small.

Yes, we are. Call (949) 520-7440 or book online. Bring vaccine records if you have them, and allow extra time for a first appointment because we take a complete history rather than a summary.

We are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Outside those hours you should go to a local emergency hospital, and we will tell you which one and make sure your records follow. Call us the next working day and we will pick the case back up.