About Synergy Veterinary Center
Welcome to Synergy Veterinary Center! We’re a Fear Free certified team in Lindsay, ON, that chose to start a different kind of practice—together as a team, from the very beginning. Discover our story and see how we’re bringing warm, compassionate care to pets across the Kawartha Lakes.
Founding a New, Better Kind of Veterinary Care in Lindsay, ON
Dr. Cherie Knox founded Synergy after years of working in corporate veterinary practices. She believed there could be a different way to practice, not only for herself, but also for her team. So, she built one.
Every member of our team has worked with Dr. Knox before. Every one of them chose to leave their previous positions and build this clinic alongside her—not because they had to, but because they believed in what it could be. That kind of commitment doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people share a vision, trust each other, and genuinely love the work they do.
That foundation shapes everything at Synergy—how we communicate with each other, how we show up for our patients, and how we support the families who trust us with their pets.
Veterinary Healthcare Built on Teamwork, Not Hierarchy
The name “Synergy” isn’t incidental. It’s the core of what we do and how we do it.
In many veterinary practices, the structure flows in one direction—from the veterinarian down. At Synergy, we believe the best outcomes for patients come from a team where every member’s expertise is valued, every voice is heard, and every role carries genuine weight.
The Heart Behind Our Logo
Created by Dr. Knox’s daughter, every part of our logo tells a story and makes it a daily reminder that everything we do begins with heart.
The hands represent the partnership between our healthcare team and the families we serve. The heartbeat symbolizes both the science of veterinary medicine and the compassion that guides it. The circle reminds us that pets, families, and care teams are all connected—supported together within a circle of trust, kindness, and shared purpose.
From Lumber Company to Synergy Veterinary Center
For more than 150 years, our building has been part of Lindsay’s history. Originally home to the Carew Lumber Company—one of Lindsay’s founding industries—this remarkable heritage-designated building was showing significant signs of age. What began as an extensive renovation quickly became a family project to restore an important piece of our community and give it a new purpose.
Every part of Synergy has been thoughtfully designed around the people and pets who will use it. A bright, main floor holds four exam rooms, two operating rooms, and a dedicated comfort room with its own entrance for fearful pets and families who need a quieter, more private experience. The lower level provides our rehabilitation and behaviour room as well as an additional exam room. Upstairs, we have created something equally important: a space dedicated entirely to our team. Their own office, lounge with a library, and a large balcony with a garden overlooking the river.
We have poured an enormous amount of time, energy, sweat, and love into restoring this building because we believe the environment in which veterinary medicine happens matters. Synergy is not simply a new veterinary practice inside an old building. It is the next chapter in the life of a Lindsay landmark—and we are incredibly proud to bring it back to the community.
Fear Free & AAHA: Standards We Hold Ourselves To
From the very beginning, we wanted Synergy to be built around a commitment to excellence, not simply in the medicine we provide, but in every aspect of how we care for pets, their families, and our team. That is why we chose to pursue AAHA accreditation.
American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accreditation demonstrates adherence to rigorous veterinary practice standards that fewer than 15% of practices in North America meet, and one that’s especially rare among Canadian clinics. We are currently pursuing AAHA accreditation to reflect our commitment to quality at every level of care.
We didn’t choose Fear Free certification because it looks good on paper. We chose it because we’ve seen what stress can do to animals, and their caregivers, in a clinical setting, and we wanted to provide a better experience.
Every member of our veterinary team is individually Fear Free-certified and we’re actively pursuing full Fear Free Practice Certification. This would make Synergy the only certified practice in Lindsay and among a very small number in Ontario. Fear Free isn’t a technique we apply; it’s a lens we look through for every decision we make.