We're a full-service animal hospital

Dr. Sunil Kakarla, an experienced and compassionate veterinarian in Cary, NC, grew up in India. After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced as a companion animal veterinarian for five years in a metropolitan city in India. He moved to the United States in 2005 with a passion for practicing high-quality veterinary medicine in an advanced setting. During that process, he pursued his MS and Ph.D. in a renowned lab at Marshall University in West Virginia.

As a graduate student, Dr. Kakarla performed cutting-edge research and had several high impact publications to his credit. While pursuing graduate studies, he simultaneously completed the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) in 2010. Soon after this accomplishment, he began volunteering at several local animal hospitals. He completed his clinical experience program and obtained his license to practice in the US the same year.

In 2011, after graduating with a doctoral degree, he joined a small animal practice in Durham/RTP where he established a huge clientele and treated about 6000 to 7000 pets per year.

With his continued passion to provide the best quality veterinary care, he joined the state-of-the-art Walnut Street Animal Hospital in June 2016. As a veterinarian in the RTP area of NC, he strongly believes in quality care for pets and in being available to his patients when needed.

Sunil Kakarla is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and has special interests in dermatology and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, as well as emergency medicine. Dr. Kakarla is married and has a son and a daughter. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, including his 1-year-old Golden-Doodle, Brownie, and a 4-year-old Poodle, Milky. He enjoys serving his community by actively helping rescue groups and shelter pets, and in his free time, he plays volleyball.

After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced and managed a companion animal hospital for twenty years. He moved to the United States with a passion to work as an associate in advanced-setting animal hospitals. His main aim is to cultivate a positive, happy, and inclusive working environment for the staff, providing a friendly and welcoming environment for all the clients. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his better half, Jyotsna, and their two children, Bhuvan and Rutvi.

Motivated from an early age by growing up in the farmland and by my love of animals and passion for science, I always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. I graduated from The College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati, India, in 2004 with first class.

As a new graduate, I worked in India in a small and large animal practice for two years. With a passion for advancement in my career, I then moved to the United States of America and pursued my Masters and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences. I relished the experience of living and working in a different country. After completing my higher education, I worked in a busy small animal practice in Fayetteville, NC, for six years and helped pets and pet owners with preventive care, dental prophylaxis procedures, dental extractions, and soft-tissue surgeries.

I made the move to Charlotte in June 2018 to take on the veterinarian role at Best Care Animal Hospital in Matthews. In April 2022, I relocated from Charlotte to San Diego to be the chief veterinarian at Grand Animal Hospital and enjoy the beaches of the West Cost. I live with my wife, two kids, and a dog - Candy. In my spare time, I like to travel and play volleyball.

I try to offer the best care to my clients and their pets, and I have special interests in surgery, emergency care, and internal medicine.

I had always hoped to grow up to be like Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone who were my heroes in the 50’s and 60’s – eons ago. Instead of making friends with Native Americans like they did, I try to make friends with animals and help them when they need it. I grew up in Miami, Florida with lots of wildlife around. I loved alligators, crabs, turtle, snakes… you name it, I would watch it! School was always fun for me, as was ballet, tennis, orchestra, Honor Guard, French club, and various other activities and sports in high school. I attended college at Florida Institute of Technology to study Oceanography with plans to be like Jacques Cousteau with my own 2-man submarine and TV show. After moving to California, I switched to pre-veterinary studies at SDSU upon the realization that I could combine my two interests of nature and medicine into my career. Then, after graduating from UC Davis in 1983, I worked in emergency for 10 years before purchasing Grand Animal Hospital. I spend my free time with my animals and enjoy swimming and hiking with my husband of 16 years. I appreciate all my wonderful clients and their furry families, who are the best part of my busy days. Thank you. If you would like to find out more about my background, please ask!