BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL CLINIC - Key Persons

AKA Wild Bill or Bill Bill. Billy joined our office a little over a year ago after he was found wandering in the ‘tundra' behind one of our technician's houses. Despite his ear tip that marked him as a feral cat, he settled in rather quickly. He spent his first couple of days with us hiding in his kennel, then he started to meander down the hallway, then ventured up towards the front of the building. He now spends most of his days lounging in the sunshine and soaking up love from all of our employees as well as our wonderful clients. Ol' Wild Bill loves kittens, and if there is one in the building for the day, he can usually be found nearby.

Dr. Conrad grew up in Georgia and knew from an early age she wanted to work with animals. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in Biological Sciences and a minor in Genetics in 2008. She attended Louisiana State Veterinary School and graduated in 2013. From there, she went on to complete a primary emergency rotating internship at the Regional Veterinary Referral Center in Springfield, Virginia. After working exclusively in emergency medicine for four and a half years, both as a solo overnight doctor and as a part of a specialty hospital team, Dr. Conrad became a relief doctor (like a substitute teacher but for veterinarians). She works mostly around Charleston in general practice, emergency, and house call practices. She became certified in small animal veterinary acupuncture in 2018 and enjoys practicing integrative medicine. Dr. Conrad and her husband love living in Charleston and near the beach with their five cats and three dogs. Dr. Conrad also enjoys running, reading, and traveling in her spare time.

Charleston native Dr. Kerry Stone is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor's Degree in Animal and Veterinary Science and a minor in Business Administration. After graduation, she obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Iowa State's College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Stone enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine and has a special interest in surgery, physical rehabilitation, and immune-mediated diseases. She also enjoys the continual learning needed to stay current and provide excellent veterinary care for her patients. When Dr. Stone is not working with your four-legged family members, she enjoys Clemson football and exploring the Lowcountry with her dog Oakley.

While growing up on the south side of Chicago, Dr. Melanie Mokos realized that she loved animals, science, and helping people. Veterinary Medicine was an obvious career path, and she had thought of doing nothing else since the age of four. After getting her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the Loyola University of Chicago, she entered the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated in 1984 with her DVM degree. The first two years after graduation, she was employed in private practice in the Chicago area. In 1986, she accepted a position at the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago and found a calling in shelter medicine. While employed at the shelter, she performed hundreds of spays and neuters, treated the pets of private owners in the low-income based clinic, and cared for the homeless animals. In 1992, she was promoted to the Chief Veterinarian of the shelter. In 1995, after nine wonderful and challenging years, she made the difficult decision to pursue other opportunities in veterinary medicine. However, she remains committed to promoting the plight of homeless animals and has a deep respect for those who continue to work daily in a shelter or rescue organization. For the next six years, Dr. Mokos worked as a relief veterinarian in the Chicago area and practiced at over 30 clinics. This allowed her exposure to a variety of practice ideas and styles. From 2001 until April 2012, she practiced emergency medicine exclusively. From 2005 until 2008, she was the Medical Director of a high-volume, well-established emergency practice in the Chicago suburbs. The last two years, she was employed at the Veterinary Specialty Care in Mt. Pleasant, working closely with specialists in surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, and oncology. In the spring of 2012, she realized her lifelong dream of owning her own clinic. Her varied career path allows her to practice high-quality medicine, coupled with tremendous respect for the bond between pets and their owners and the impact that animals have in our lives. She considers herself lucky to work with animals daily and call it a "job." In 2009, Dr. Mokos left the snowy winter wonderland known as Chicago for kinder, gentler weather. Although she misses Chicago pizza and the Cubs, she feels at home in the warmth of South Carolina. She resides in North Charleston with her six furry friends - two dogs and four cats. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, biking, long walks, and reading.

Dr. Borakove was born on Long Island and had a love of animals and science from a very early age. She knew she wanted to work with animals, so she became an assistant at a veterinary clinic during the summers while she majored in Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. She continued at the University of Pennsylvania's vet school and graduated in 2001, ready to go into the world of small animal medicine. She worked for ten years at a small animal hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, where she got a lot of great experience with medicine, surgery, and dentistry. In 2011, she moved to Charleston, drawn here by the warm weather, beaches, friendly people, and delicious food! Dr. Borakove started filling in at various veterinary practices and also was able to fulfill her interest in studying acupuncture after a positive experience having her cat's back pain treated with that modality. She began studies at the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in Florida, where she became certified in Small Animal Acupuncture in 2014. Then she became a certified Veterinary Chinese Herbalist in 2017. Dr. Borakove now splits her time between filling in at a couple of veterinary clinics in the Charleston area and treating dogs and cats in their home with Chinese herbs and acupuncture. She has a one yr old pointer mix and four cats who keep her very busy. She also enjoys traveling, watching movies, eating out, and going to the beach.

Emmet Otter plays many roles at Best Friend's Animal Clinic, from guard dog and mascot to therapist and muse. Emmet Otter came in as a very sick little puppy, and our veterinary team wasn't even sure he would make it through the next few days. Dr. Mokos and her staff put their heads and hearts into it and nursed him back to health. When finally healthy enough and strong enough, they started looking for Emmet Otter's forever home. After a couple of tries at placing him, they finally realized Emmet Otter was already exactly where he belonged! Where else are you going to find a home where your mom is a doctor? She will keep him healthy, and he gets to go for rides with her every day. She even has her staff of minions to do Emmet Otter's bidding! Not to mention all the adoring fans that pop in here and there just to say hello to him, and sometimes they even bring doggie friends! Thank you all for being our friends here at Best Friends Animal Clinic.