ANIMAL ARK ANIMAL HOSPITAL - Key Persons
Beth is a Tennessee native and lives in Lawrence County where she has lived since she was 12. Beth graduated from Columbia State Community College with an associates degree in Veterinary Technology in 2023. She has three dogs, Spike, Randy, and Spot. Beth decided to become a veterinary technician to educate owners about properly caring for their animals. In her free time, Beth likes to read, spend time outside, and binge watch Netflix as well as work as kennel technician at Giles County Animal Shelter assisting with adoptions.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Veterinary Technician
Caitlin is a Tennessee native and lives in Lawrence County where she owns a farm with horses, cows, pigs, ducks and chickens. She graduated with an associate's degree in Veterinary Technology from Columbia State Community College in 2021 and started her career with Animal Ark immediately afterwards. Having such a passion for animals and how they impact the lives of humans Caitlin finds her favorite aspect of her job being the ability to help and care for the client's pets. When not tending to her farm animals, Caitlin enjoys spending time with her 3 dogs and 1 cat and participating in outdoor activities such as kayaking, camping and recreational activities at the river.
Job Titles:
- Independent Contractor
- Veterinarian
Carrie is originally from a small town in Kentucky. She graduated from Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. Carrie and her husband, Shane, have 2 sons. Carrie has been practicing general small animal medicine and surgery for the past 23 years but recently is expanding her education to include small animal ultrasound. Carrie works at Animal Ark as an independent contractor, filling in and assisting Dr Paula when an extra set of experienced hands are needed.
Dana is originally from Chattanooga where she attended the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga on a volleyball scholarship. She finished her degree and graduated from Columbus State University with a B.S. in Health Science. After serving as a counselor for troubled teens, Dana left counseling to start a family of 3 children, with her husband and settled in the middle Tennessee area. In 2019 Dana joined Animal Ark where she is passionate about the care of the clients and their pets and she enjoys being a part of a team that mirrors her beliefs. In her free time she loves riding around her farm on the side-by-side with her husband, knitting baby hats and blankets and enjoying a good book. Dana has 3 dogs and 3 cats that she adores.
Dr. Juliana Santiago grew up in Franklin, TN and initially worked as a veterinary assistant at Animal Ark throughout high school. She graduated from Mississippi State University with her BS in Animal Science in 2016 and again from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020 with her DVM. She enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine with a special interest in surgery. Dr. Santiago and her husband, Ben, live in Nashville with their two dogs named Todd and Lucy. In her free time, Dr. Santiago enjoys riding and competing with her horse, Winston, watching baseball, and spending time adventuring with her friends around Nashville. She is very excited to develop long-lasting relationships with both clients and patients at Animal Ark.
Paula was born and raised in Huntsville, AL. She attended Mississippi State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Agriculture/Animal Science (1992), a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (1995) and a Master's in Business Administration (1995). While attending MSU, Dr. Schuerer participated on the track and field team throwing the discus. She actively supports her alma mater by sponsoring several scholarships, serving as a board member for the MSU Foundation, and currently is involved on the College of Veterinary Medicine's Dean's Council. In 2010, Dr. Schuerer received the Alumna of the Year award for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Schuerer successfully passed the exam for becoming a specialist in Canine/Feline Practice granted by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2009 and has maintained her credentials to keep her specialty status. In 2017, she received a Master's of Science in Biomedical Science from the University of Missouri with her project focused on the fracture points of teeth relative to common chew toys for dogs. Dr. Schuerer enjoys all aspects of general practice with special emphasis on surgery/oral surgery, dermatology and exotic mammals. Animal Ark Animal Hospital was opened by Dr. Schuerer in 2002.
When not involved with veterinary medicine, Dr. Schuerer enjoys exploring local small towns in the middle Tennessee area with her husband as well as mountain biking, canoeing, sports and woodworking along with welding. Although not necessarily originally creative with the industrial arts, she does enjoy crafting decorative wooden boxes, picture frames, squirrel feeders and birdhouses. She is active in Brentwood Baptist Church where she "makes a joyful noise" in the choir and volunteers on the church's mobile Medical Dental Unit serving the dental needs of those in the greater Nashville area. She enjoys the company of her Boston Terrier, Zippy, adopted from Alabama Boston Terrier Rescue. You may see her commonly walking Zippy or riding her bike with Zippy in a special "dog backpack".
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Vet Assistant
I am a Middle Tennessee native and grew up in Brentwood. I graduated from Brentwood High School in 2018. I spent time at UT and MTSU. Murfreesboro is home now, though I still love spending time in Williamson County. I recently got married, and we have two dogs named Jacks and Levi. I love spending free time watching movies with my husband, spending time with family on their farm, or taking the dogs for a walk. I do not like to sit still and love to spend as much time outside as I can! I have always had a heart for animals and feel right at home working with them every day!
Job Titles:
- Administrative Manager
- Bookkeeper
Nancy is originally from Gainesville, FL and has called Franklin home for several decades. She graduated from Lipscomb University with a B.S. in Business Administration and from Christian Leaders College with a Bachelor of Divinity. In 2021, Nancy retired from a 25 year career as the Williamson County Director of Solid Waste. Nancy joined our team as a part time Bookkeeper and Administrative Manager. Her favorite part of her job is working with the compassionate team at Animal Ark. Nancy and her husband, Randy, have a passion for rescue dogs, especially Pomeranians. In her free time she enjoys painting, crocheting, knitting and spending time with her husband and their fur babies.
Rae is a Franklin, TN native who graduated from MTSU in 2008 with a degree she doesn't use. She has had many different jobs, but was thrilled when Dr. Paula asked if she would like to work at Animal Ark in 2019 after being a client for 9 years. She started in reception and now does a lot of the behind the scenes work with inventory management, social media and petting as many animals as she can. Her passion is senior pugs, and she has adopted 5 over the years. When not at work she likes to spend time with her husband Travis and daughter Ramona. They currently have Wilma the pug and Murray the tuxedo cat, and are in talks about a pair of Guinea Pigs.