Northwest Houston Veterinarian
Dr. Pelton
Dr. Steve Pelton is a general practitioner and the owner of Hearthstone Animal Clinic since August 2007.
Dr. Pelton was born in Churchville Chili, N.Y. His home in western New York was surrounded by open fields, woods and farmland, which Dr. Pelton enjoyed roaming with his young and curious Irish setter. During one late night walk on a cold snowy night, his Irish setter took off running. Dr. Pelton was only about seven or eight at the time and when he finally found his dog, there was an older Black Labrador curled up in the snow, barely alive. With his father’s help, the two wheeled the dog to their home and then on to a local veterinarian. After a great deal of care, the poor dog recovered and his owner was located. That dog went on to live many more happy and healthy years.
“However, a year later we lost our Irish setter to a rare type of kidney cancer,” Dr. Pelton says. “He was only 4 years old and the loss hit me very hard at the time. These two experiences really were defining moments that led me to recognize I wanted to spend my life caring for animals.”
After moving from New York to Kingwood, Texas, Dr. Pelton started on a path towards becoming a veterinarian. He attended Texas A&M University where he received the Dean’s Award for Biomedical Science during all four years of his undergraduate education. In 1996, he earned Bachelor of Science degrees for Biomedical Science with an advanced Biotechnology option and Veterinary Science. Later that same year, he enrolled in Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine where he earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, cum laude, in 2000.
Though he mostly practices general medicine, Dr. Pelton has a few areas of particular professional interest, including internal medicine and soft tissue surgery. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association and the Harris County Veterinary Association.
Dr. Pelton and his wife Amanda have two young daughters, Kylie Addison Pelton, born November 2009, and Kynlee Kathleen Pelton, born July 2013.
At home, Dr. Pelton has a number of pets. Ava is a Rhodesian ridgeback that he purchased after the death of his beloved white Labrador named Callie. Ava comes from a very distinguished line of champion ridgebacks that have excelled in shows for obedience and agility. Abby is a black Labrador and English spaniel mix that was rescued under a bayou bridge as a very young puppy. Osiris is a purebred Ragdoll cat.
"A client at my old practice came in one day with two little Ragdoll kittens and I fell in love with them," he says. "So, later that week I found a breeder and got Osiris."
Stoli is a cat that Dr. Pelton rescued after a client had found him as a kitten in a ditch one cold rainy day. Stoli had been hit by a car and his front legs were mangled and broken, but otherwise he seemed okay. Dr. Pelton decided to provide care for the kitten and provide a temporary home for him. “That was three years ago, so I am pretty sure he is our cat now,” he says.
Dr. Pelton’s interests include running, working out, golf and doing as much as possible with his daughters.
Pets lost, but not forgotten:
Callie - August 1993 - March 2007
Zeta - August 1999 - January 2012
Holly - Adopted 2005 - March 2011
Ebony - Adopted 2001 - March 2011
Calvin - Rescued on side of road August 2011, Died January 2012 (Rare fungal infection)