Alpine Animal Hospital
Where pets are family!
of Murphy, North Carolina
About Alpine Animal Hospital, PC
Local. Family. Doctor.
Alpine Animal Hospital, PC is your pet's local family doctor. Our practice is locally owned and operated, family owned and operated, and doctor owned and operated. That means, you can expect a personal touch with a commitment to quality care for your pets and yourself. Alpine Animal Hospital provides routine well care (parasite screening, vaccines and preventative care), illness diagnosis and chronic care, and surgical services (both routine sterilization surgeries as well as soft tissue surgeries, dental care, and others). We pride ourselves in helping you take the best care of your furry friend because we believe pets are family, too!
Our Services
Wellness Exams & Preventative Care
Comprehensive Checkups
Regular wellness exams are essential for early disease detection and maintaining your pet's health. Our hospital offers thorough comprehensive checkups to keep your beloved pets healthy and happy. At Alpine Animal Hospital, these routinely include parasite screenings.
Surgery & Dental Procedures
Advanced Surgical Care
In complex medical situations, our skilled veterinarians perform advanced surgical & dental procedures with precision and care. Rest assured that your pets are in safe hands for any necessary surgeries with safe anesthesia practices, monitoring services, and support throughout the surgery. We also regularly do routine spays and neuters!
Medical Diagnosis & Management
Illness and Chronic Disease Management
Whether your pet has an acute illness or needs help with diagnosis and management of chronic illness, the veterinary team at Alpine Animal Hospital can work to find a treatment plan for your pet and continuing ongoing care for illnesses such as Diabetes, Cughing's Disease, Addison's disease, Chronic Dermatitis, organ disease, etc.
Our team is comprised of passionate veterinarians and caring staff members who are committed to the well-being of every animal we treat. Meet the faces behind the exceptional care your pets receive.
Our Veterinary Team
Veterinarian & Co-Owner
Dr. Carlton Van Horn
Our Story
Alpine Animal Hospital
Veterinarian & Co-Owner
Dr. Amanda Gambill
Dr. Van Horn graduated Murphy High School 1971 and went on to pursue Veterinary Medicine as his career path. He established Alpine Animal Hospital and has been practicing Veterinary Medicine in Murphy, NC since 1983.Married to Patti, the Van Horns have 3 children who are young adults and pursuing their careers. Patti works alongside Doc as his Office Manager. Doc and Patti celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2015. As of July 3, 2025, married for 40 years. Education: Associate of Science Degree Young Harris Jr. College 1973 B.A. Zoology UNC Chapel Hill 1975 Attended NCSU to complete Pre-veterinary studies Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Auburn University 1981 Community Involvement: Past Board of Directors for MEAC (Mountain Emergency Animal Center) Past Board of Directors – Valley River Humane Society Past Member Cherokee County Board of Health (three terms) Past-Chairman Cherokee County Board of Health Past-President of Murphy Chapter of American Red Cross Past-President of Murphy Little League Baseball Past-President of Cherokee County Soccer League Coached Little League Baseball Coached Recreational Soccer Past-Referee High School Soccer Past-Referee High School Wrestling “Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” – Robert A. Heinlein
Dr Van Horn and Dr Gambill decided to join forces in early 2025. It took a few months to plan and work out all of the so-called kinks but their former practices of Alpine Animal Hospital and Marble Veterinary Hospital merged together in August 2025 into the Alpine Animal Hospital Murphy location at 950 Hwy 64 West. While meeting to explore the option of merging together to better serve their clients, their community and their professional goals, both doctors realized they practice medicine similarly and have a common goal to treat pet's like family. You will recognize most of the old faces from both practices here at Alpine Animal Hospital and see some new caring faces!
Dr. Gambill is a graduate of Andrews High School (2002), Western Carolina University (2006) and the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University (2011). Though a former Army brat, she considers herself a local and a Cherokee County native with parents hailing from Robbinsville and Nantahala. She established Marble Veterinary Hospital in 2020 after working as an associate veterinarian, relief veterinarian, and owning a practice in a neighboring county. And then in 2025, joined forces with Dr. Van Horn at Alpine Animal Hospital to better support one another and their clients. Dr. Gambill has a special interest in comfort or palliative care for pets and is a certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian. She also maintains her USDA accreditation for small animals. Dr. Gambill and her husband, Andy, have two growing daughters and are members of Marble Springs Baptist Church. Together, they enjoy spending time with their friends and family, watching their favorite show, Survivor, and vacationing. Dr. Gambill also enjoys reading fiction and cooking in her free time. Over the years, they’ve had a menagerie of pets that tend to always include a rescue of some kind, a few pugs and a couple of cats!
For after hour and weekend medical emergencies, please call the Mountain Emergency Animal Center (MEAC) located at 1163 Windy Ridge Road, Blue Ridge, GA 30513. You can reach them at (706) 632-7879
Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian
Dr Gambill has obtained the Peaceful Euthanasia Certification from CAETA, demonstrating her commitment to compassionate end-of-life care for your beloved pet.