HCHS Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Rob Sharp, DVM: Hillsboro Veterinary Hospital ‘the best of the best’

By Steve Roush
HCP columnist

NOTE: This is Part 5 of a series leading up to the Highland County Historical Society's induction of five new members into its Hall of Fame on Aug. 16. This week, we profile Dr. Rob Sharp.

Ladies and gentlemen, on West Main Street in Hillsboro, there is a place where anxious pet owners have long found reassurance, where wagging tails and nervous purrs have been part of the daily rhythm for nearly half a century, and where one veterinarian has helped shape not only the health of countless animals, but also the character of a community.

For generations of Highland County families, Hillsboro Veterinary Hospital has been more than a clinic. It has been a trusted stop in moments of worry, a familiar place where pets are treated with compassion and owners are greeted like neighbors. The praise from clients says as much: “We think of everyone in the practice as family,” one wrote. Another called it “the best of the best.” Others have said they would trust no one else with their “fur babies.”

At the center of that legacy is Dr. Robert T. “Rob” Sharp, a lifelong Ohioan whose career has blended science, service, storytelling and a deep devotion to animals. When he opened his Hillsboro practice nearly 50 years ago, he began a chapter that would become part of the town’s story.

Born in Niles, Dr. Sharp earned his A.B. in zoology and his master’s degree in aquatic ecology from Miami University in Oxford. He then served five years in the U.S. Air Force as a KC-135 instructor/evaluator navigator with the 17th Bomb Wing of Strategic Air Command. A Vietnam veteran, he later turned his attention to veterinary medicine, attending The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and receiving his DVM degree in 1979.

From there, Hillsboro became home.

Dr. Sharp practiced at Hillsboro Veterinary Hospital from the time he graduated until his retirement on Dec. 28, 2023, after more than 40 years of service. In that time, he helped care for generations of dogs, cats and other animals, becoming a steady and familiar presence for families across Highland County and beyond.

The hospital itself has become something of a family enterprise. Dr. Sharp’s son, Dr. Reid Sharp, has practiced veterinary medicine for more than a decade, and Reid’s wife, Maddie, is also part of the practice. Dr. Sharp’s daughter, Amy Sharp-Schneider, joined the group in 2007. Veterinary technician Melissa Shelling has been there from the beginning and has now spent 46 years at the clinic.

That kind of continuity is rare, and it helps explain why so many clients speak of the hospital with such affection. For them, it is not just a place to bring a pet in need. It is a place where they have been known, remembered and cared for over time.

Dr. Sharp’s talents, however, have never been limited to the exam room. He is also an author whose first book, No Dogs in Heaven?, was published to critical acclaim and later translated into Czech. The book caught the attention of an editor in New York, who invited him to write “Ask a Country Vet” for Country Living magazine. For five years, his thoughtful and often charming answers to readers’ questions reached millions, extending his voice far beyond Highland County.

His newest collection, The Bull in the Darkness and the One-Eyed Dog, continues that tradition, drawing from the life of a country veterinarian and the many memorable moments that come with treating animals on both ends of the lead.

In addition to Dr. Sharp, this year’s Hall of Fame inductees include Dr. Brad D. Nelson, Ph.D., Dinah Phillips, Leslie Ramsey and the late Paul Turner.

The inductees will be honored during a ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Hillsboro. A reception and social hour will immediately follow at the Highland House Museum. The Highland County Historical Society cordially invites the public to attend and help recognize this outstanding group of honorees.

For more information about the Highland County Historical Society or the Hall of Fame ceremony, call (937) 393-3392 or email hchistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

Steve Roush is president of the Highland County Historical Society and has served as both chairman and vice chairman of the HCHS Board of Trustees. He is also a board member of the Highland District Hospital Foundation, vice president of an international media company, and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached at roush_steve@msn.com.