WINTERVILLE ANIMAL CLINIC - Key Persons
Ashley joined our team in April of 2020. She's from Rome, Georgia but has lived in Athens since 2012. Whether it's been working at boarding facilities, animal control, as a pet sitter, or in vet clinics, she has been fostering and working with animals every since! Ashley has studied at both Kennesaw State University and UGA, but is planning on completing an RVT program soon. She's passionate about veterinary medicine because she loves learning new things and helping both people and pets. She's also a big husky girl and loves advocating for them through vet med hobbies! She enjoys working at Winterville because of how much everyone here cares about animals and their well being. She also appreciates how much we all care about each other and respects management and how willing everyone is to help each other. Outside of work, Ashley loves hiking, attending concerts, playing boardgames/videogames, trying new food, and fostering cats.
Corine joined the WAC team in April 2020 and recently moved to Athens with her husband and daughter. Her husband is in the military, so she's looking forward to settling down and having a 'forever' home! She's been passionate about veterinary medicine as long as she can remember. She completed Penn Foster's Vet Assistant Program and plans on receiving her RVT degree soon. Corine loves working here because she has been learning new skills and has been cross-trained in many different areas of the clinic. "Everyone here is very nice and helpful." On her days off, Corine enjoys going on adventures and hiking with her family. She also enjoys horseback riding and running.
Job Titles:
- Co - Owner / Acupuncturist
Dr. Anna McQuaid has worked at Winterville since 2015. Dr. Anna grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and received both her B.S. and DVM from the University of Florida.
Dr. Anna's love of veterinary medicine started at a young age with a love for all animals, both large and small. Her career began with 10 years of equine practice where she focused on equine anesthesiology and surgery. Later she decided to extend her area of interest, and began working with small animals and focusing on Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Anna is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. She practices integrative medicine (using a combination of Eastern and Western medicine therapies, including herbs and acupuncture) to give her patients the best possible outcome.
When not working at the clinic, Dr Anna spends time on her farm with her horses and dogs, loves spending time with her kids Ben and Lisey, riding horses, camping, and mountain biking
Dr. Anna has a strong faith and her love for the Lord is evident through the kindness she shows to all those around her. She loves working at Winterville because "WAC has helped me become a better doctor by working with other staff members who knowledgable and encouraging. I love working with people and animals, so this is the perfect job for me!"
Dr. Don Cole has been practicing veterinary medicine for 36 years after graduating from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1980. He received his B.S. from the University of New Orleans. He moved to Athens in 2001 and joined the team at Winterville in 2004. ! In 2011 he decided to make the jump into practice ownership and bought the growing practice from the founder and current owner at the time, Dr. Wayne Brubaker.
Dr. Cole has been married to his brilliant wife, Dr. Judy Saik, for 40 years. They met in veterinary school and have enjoyed sharing a love of animals and medicine ever since.
Job Titles:
- Associate Veterinarian / Surgeon / Founder of Winterville 's Wildlife Program
Dr. Emily Parsons did an externship while doing her clinical year at UGA's of Veterinary Medicine. She values the way we practice medicine. Dr. Emily has always had a special interest in exotic and wildlife medicine. She spent time in high school and college working in a sea turtle sanctuary and had the chance to work with some awesome wildlife rehabbers as well as boarded exotic specialists. In 2015, she received her wildlife rehabilitation license for the state of Georgia. She was born in Wisconsin but she received her B.S. from Virginia Tech. She began her vet school career at St. Matthews University School of Veterinary Medicine in Grand Cayman and finished her vet schooling at UGA. When she's not working at Winterville, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking with her dogs, spending time in her garden, and traveling. Dr. Emily states, "I love working here because everyone I work with truly loves his/her job and has a passion for what they do. I love that patient health is our number one priority while still being able to provide affordable care. I feel that this sets WAC apart from other clinics."
Job Titles:
- Acupuncturist / Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Julie Gayer was born and raised in England, and met her American-born husband when he was a foreign exchange student in a college class they shared together. Dr. Julie moved to the United States in 1992 and married her American sweetheart that same year. Fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian, she attended veterinary school at the University of Georgia. She graduated with her DVM in 2002 and has been practicing in small animal medicine ever since. Dr. Julie has 3 beautiful children: The family has a revolving door of rescue animals including one cat who only has 3 legs and dogs. In their spare time the active family competes together in triathlons. They also enjoy recreational swimming, running, and bicycling.
Dr. Groover was born in Statesboro, Georgia. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern University and obtained his DVM at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Groover has been a full time associate at Winterville Animal Clinic since 2010.
Dr. Matthew has always had a special interest in surgery, and is now our primary surgeon here at Winterville. He has trained with Dr. Jonathan Chambers, a former orthopedic specialist from UGA, and is now a pro at even the most complicated orthopedic procedures.
Dr. Groover is married to his beautiful wife, Breanna. Dr. Groover enjoys mountain biking, fishing, water sports, and activities with his kids. He is also very active in his church. Their family also includes several dogs and cats. Dr. Groover loves working at Winterville "because of friendly people, the family atmosphere, and great clients."
Emily joined the team in the fall of 2018. She is an Athens native and was hired right after she finished up her internship here and completed her RVT degree at Athens Technical College. She has always had a passion for helping animals. Emily has been a great addition to our team and performs most of our patients' dental cleanings! She has also been trained by some of the best avian rehabbers and is our go to about anything bird-related. These exotic patients can be easily stressed coming to the clinic, but Emily always knows how to comfort them and make them feel at ease. She says one of the most rewarding parts of her job is helping animals in need. Outside of work, she enjoys relaxing at home with her family and taking her dog Aiko for walks in the woods.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Practice Manager / Therapy Dog Tester
Jessica left the rolling hills of Pennsylvania in 1996, and traveled south to Georgia! She started her veterinary assistant skills in 1997.
Jessica joined our team in February of 2016, after moving here from Greene County. She had a passion for animals as a young girl and pursued her dreams of working with them starting in a local pet store during high school. For the past 26+ years she has been working in the animal field. In 2000 Jessica earned her Animal Care Certification. A few years later in 2003; she decided to pursue a dream of earning a dog training certification. Jessica enjoys volunteering in her community and giving back. Jessica is a Tester/Observer (T/O) for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and can help you and your dog become a therapy team!
She enjoys educating and meeting clients and getting to know them and their pet on a personal basis. "Each pet should be treated as if it is your own." Her passion lies in senior medicine, and of course puppy kisses! Jessica enjoys reading, watching movies, cooking, spending time with her husband and rehabilitating wildlife on their small homestead. Jessica personally owns several friendly felines and a Shepherd Mix that is a registered Therapy Dog.
Job Titles:
- Veterinary Assistant / Receptionist / Acupuncture Assistant
Nicole's passion for veterinary medicine is driven from growing up in the rural Midwest with horses, wildlife, and many family pets. Nicole grew up in Iowa but moved to Athens in 2015. She actually started out as an A.P. client in 2016 and was hired in 2018! She loves working here because "the staff is like family. My favorite part of working here is seeing all of the cases that have happy endings." On her days off, Nicole enjoys cooking, watching sports (the Green Bay Packers and the Iowa Hawkeyes), kayaking, playing cards, and spending time with her dogs.
Job Titles:
- Senior Veterinary Assistant / Surgery Technician
Sharon, our head surgery technician, has worked at Winterville since 2010. She hails from Flint, Michigan and is passionate about veterinary medicine because she grew up watching her grandfather take care of homeless dogs. She has been working in the field of veterinary medicine since 1978, when she started working for Dr. Maxwell here in Athens, Georgia, right after graduating high school. After 13 years working for the University of Georgia's Health Center as a pharmacy technician, Sharon came back to the veterinary side of the medical field. She especially enjoys performing dental cleanings, assisting with surgery and interacting with clients as she discharges surgery cases and helps clients understand how to care for their pets in the post-surgical period. She loves working here because "it's not like a job really, it's more like spending time with family who all like the same things as you. My favorite part of the job is helping make pets healthy and teaching owners how to properly take care of them so that they can live a long life. Dr. Cole is also like a brother to me!"
When Sharon is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her husband and daughter. They share several dogs. Together Sharon's family enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking (Sharon once owned her own restaurant!) swimming in their pool and being active in their church.
Starla Rutledge, RVT and Office ManagerIf you ever wonder how everything runs smoothly at Winterville Animal Clinic, despite being a busy practice seeing over 100 patients every day, you can look no further than our amazing office manager and head RVT, Mrs. Starla Rutledge!
Starla has been working in the field of veterinary medicine since she was 16 years old and started working with Dr. Henry "Doc Henry" Brubaker, long before Winterville Animal Clinic even existed! Through the years Starla gained her Associates degree in Animal Science and later studied to become a Registered Veterinary Technician.
From managing the books, sorting out scheduling and making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes, there is really nothing that Starla can't do. She is also always willing to help our younger RVTs as they work on their newfound skills.
Starla has been married to her wonderful husband, Dwight. They have 3 children who they adore The family is rounded out by their dogs, cats, goats and chickens.
When not working at Winterville Animal Clinic, Starla loves spending time with her family. She enjoys going to farm auctions and touring old farm houses with her husband. She also enjoys weekend getaways with her mom and aunt, who are her best friends.
Starla puts her whole heart into her work at Winterville Animal Clinic and considers her employees and clients her extended family. Starla says, "I hold my clients and their pets best interests at heart. I love my job, and try to treat each client as I would family."
Stuart joined the team in 2019 and quickly stepped up as our treatment lead. With his years of experience in emergency medicine, organization, and determination, he has become an essential member of our team. We don't know what we would do without Stu! His love for animals is what has driven him to be able to throw catheters/draw blood easily, log medications, and assist in emergency situations. Stuart's favorite part of the job is working with his coworkers. "They're my home away from home." Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 children. He is also a great cook and finds smoking meats therapeutic! He hopes to open a restaurant when he retires. He would also love to travel to space.
Job Titles:
- Senior Veterinary Assistant and Pharmacy Manager
- Staff Team Leader
Tonya is our longest-term employee here at Winterville. At 15 years old, Tonya and her mother brought their dog in to see Dr. Brubaker with a gunshot wound. After Dr. Brubaker saved her dog, he offered the young animal lover a position at his newly opening clinic and the rest is history.
Tonya married her husband, Jason, in 1996 and welcomed identical triplet daughters a few years later. Together they care for a 34¬-acre farm which includes: horses, cows, goats, chickens, rabbits, hamsters, fish, and of course her rescued dogs and rescued cats.
Tonya currently works as our staff team leader and manages our inventory and pharmacy. Tonya also helps with Winterville Animal Clinic's Wildlife program and has helped numerous rabbits, squirrels, raccoons and opossums be rehabilitated and released into the wild.
In her spare time, Tonya enjoys reading historic Civil War novels, traveling to the mountains and visiting Civil War Monuments with her family and being active in her church where her husband serves as the minister.