Dr. Sylvia Zapien-Garcia is excited to be joining the Arcadia Animal Hospital team in January and looks forward to caring for pets and the people who love them throughout the San Gabriel Valley. With a career rooted in general medicine and preventive care, Dr. Garcia is passionate about helping pets stay healthy—and supporting them through illness when they need it most.
Dr. Garcia knew she wanted to be a veterinarian as early as sixth grade, after reading every book she could find about dogs and horses in her elementary school library. That early interest grew into a lifelong calling, inspired further by the classic James Herriot stories and a deep respect for the human-animal bond.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from California State University, Los Angeles, before completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of California, Davis, Class of 1990. Dr. Garcia is an active member of both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Garcia and her husband have lived in Monrovia for more than 35 years and are deeply connected to the local community. From 2009 to 2020, they proudly owned and operated Family Dog and Cat Hospital in Monrovia, and Dr. Garcia has been grateful to practice in this area for most of her career.
Outside of the hospital, Dr. Garcia shares her home with her beloved English Springer Spaniel, Morning Glory Candy-Girl—better known as Glory. She’s a devoted World Champion Dodgers fan, enjoys live music and theater, and spends her downtime collecting recipes, tending to her vegetable garden, and enjoying time with her three grown sons and two cherished granddaughters.