Dr. Penny Dowden knew she wanted to be a veterinarian long before she could spell “veterinarian”. She realized her dream when she graduated from Purdue’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. After working at various small animal veterinary hospitals in New York and Chicago, Dr. Dowden joined the Paw Patch team in 1993 as an associate veterinarian. After serving many successful years on staff, Dr. Dowden was offered the opportunity to purchase the Paw Patch. Doing just that, she purchased the clinic in February of 2009 and soon after renamed the clinic The Paw Patch Place. Dr. Dowden prides herself on being an open, caring veterinarian with a broad spectrum of knowledge. Already practicing conventional veterinary medicine along with surgery, she decided to introduce clients and patients to a special interest of hers, alternative holistic veterinary medicine. With Dr. Dowden the “do no harm” oath is always at the forefront of choosing the best treatment option, along with nutritional counseling and pet wellness. Her core belief is to provide quality veterinary care consistent with clients' and patients' needs. Dr. Dowden lives with her husband, Patrick, and two daughters, Courtney and Kaitlyn. They reside in Zionsville, Indiana along with their two dogs, Vader and Holi. When not spending quality time with her girls she likes to go hiking with her dogs, play tennis or just read a good book.