WALNUT STREET ANIMAL HOSPITAL - Key Persons
Abby started in the fall of 2022 shortly after graduating from Holly Springs High School. Despite her age, she has been working in veterinary clinics for almost four years now. She is currently pursuing her applied sciences degree in Veterinary Medical Technology and certification as an RVT. While she's not a North Carolina native, she has spent most of her time growing up here after moving from Chicago when she was young. Her home currently houses a menagerie of animals including her two axolotls, named Konami and Mona, and her two sugar gliders, called Sugar and Spice. Abby loves spending time caring for animals and can't wait to see you for your next appointment!
Dani grew up in the heart of the Black Hills in South Dakota, right at the base of Mt. Rushmore in Rapid City. She moved to Cary in the summer of 2021 and started looking to follow her passion for animal care. She joined the Walnut Street Animal Hospital team in November of 2021 and has been incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn about and care for the multitude of patients that they serve.
Dani lives in Cary with her husband, Logan, her two Miniature Australian Shepherds, Nyx and Calypso, her cat, Oliver, and is welcoming her first child in the Spring of 2022. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and fur babies and is an avid reader.
Dr. Amanda Matrai grew up in a small town in Brazil, where she always loved caring for animals, and as a child deeply enjoyed every veterinary visit. During her Veterinary school years, she spent a year in the US as an exchange vet student and an intern at a Zoo. After graduating in Brazil, she moved to North Carolina and decided to pursue her degree equivalency. While studying for the program, she worked with cardiovascular microsurgery in the research field at a local University and as a veterinary technician at animal hospitals, and volunteered with feral cat spay & neuter non-profits.
Upon completing her North American Veterinary Licensing, she has been working at Walnut St. Animal Hospital where she enjoys helping her patients while using the Fear-Free approach to minimize their stress and anxiety.
Outside work Dr. Matrai enjoys spending time with her husband and her two loving cats, Jinx and Rico. Her personal interests are pottery, swimming, martial arts, and outdoor activities.
Job Titles:
- Veterinary Director & Chief of Operations
After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced and managed a companion animal hospital for twenty years. He moved to the United States with a passion to work as an associate in advanced-setting animal hospitals. His main aim is to cultivate a positive, happy, and inclusive working environment for the staff, providing a friendly and welcoming environment for all the clients. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his better half, Jyotsna, and their two children, Bhuvan and Rutvi.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- Member of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. Sunil Kakarla, an experienced and compassionate veterinarian in Cary, NC, grew up in India. After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced as a companion animal veterinarian for five years in a metropolitan city in India. He moved to the United States in 2005 with a passion for practicing high-quality veterinary medicine in an advanced setting. During that process, he pursued his MS and Ph.D. in a renowned lab at Marshall University in West Virginia.
As a graduate student, Dr. Kakarla performed cutting-edge research and had several high impact publications to his credit. While pursuing graduate studies, he simultaneously completed the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) in 2010. Soon after this accomplishment, he began volunteering at several local animal hospitals. He completed his clinical experience program and obtained his license to practice in the US the same year.
In 2011, after graduating with a doctoral degree, he joined a small animal practice in Durham/RTP where he established a huge clientele and treated about 6000 to 7000 pets per year.
With his continued passion to provide the best quality veterinary care, he joined the state-of-the-art Walnut Street Animal Hospital in June 2016. As a veterinarian in the RTP area of NC, he strongly believes in quality care for pets and in being available to his patients when needed.
Sunil Kakarla is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and has special interests in dermatology and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, as well as emergency medicine. Dr. Kakarla is married and has a son and a daughter. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, including his 1-year-old Golden-Doodle, Brownie, and a 4-year-old Poodle, Milky. He enjoys serving his community by actively helping rescue groups and shelter pets, and in his free time, he plays volleyball.
Dr. Tiana Montell is a graduate of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She did her undergraduate studies at UC Davis where she earned her bachelor's degree in Animal Science. While at UC Davis she was also a Division 1 collegiate gymnast. Dr. Montell grew up in Hawaii and recently moved to North Carolina. She joined the team at Walnut Street Animal Hospital in February 2023; prior to this, she was the Medical Director of a practice in Oregon.
Dr. Montell knew she wanted to be a vet ever since middle school, and feels she definitely chose the right career. When seeing patients, she aims to develop a strong doctor-client relationship and to practice fear-free medicine. She has a special interest in geriatric pet care, dermatology, and surgery. She has two dogs of her own, an 8 yr old Goldendoodle, Gracie, and a 3 yr old American Bully, Storm. In her free time, Dr. Montell loves to spend time at the beach with her boyfriend and dogs. She also loves to fish, travel, and go out to eat.
Dr. Vani Jhaveri grew up in Mumbai, India, and spent most of her childhood, feeding and caring for stray dogs and cats in the city. She completed her Bachelor in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry degree from Bombay Veterinary College in India, in 2016, and spent the next few years working at a small animal practice, assisting at the racetracks with horses and volunteering at non-profits for homeless animals.
Unfortunately, her passion for working with horses didn't match the limited scope to do so in India, so she began pursuing her licensing exams to move to the USA. While in the process of doing so in the midst of COVID, she began her own private mobile practice, attending to dogs, cats, and horses in and around the city during and after the pandemic. She finally completed her North American Veterinary Licensing in 2022 and moved to North Carolina soon after.
Dr. Vani goes on hiking trips and explores close-by cities with her rescue pup, Joy, and on weekends, you can find her playing the drums on the worship team of her local church in Apex. Inspired by her own journey, Dr.Vani's dream is to someday have a shelter for homeless and aged animals of all kinds, and be able to provide a safe haven, through them, for people who need some extra love and care in their lives.
Gracie is a senior studying Animal Science with a minor in Genetics at NC State. She is passionate about all animals, especially cats. At home she has three cats: her tortie Cher, her Russian Blue Grei, and her newest addition Bean.
Job Titles:
- Veterinary Assistant
- Member of Our Team
Jada has been a member of our team since 2021 and is currently a student at NC State. She has a plethora of different animals, and her home is nicknamed "The Zoo". She is owned by a dog, cat, snake, frogs, bearded dragon, cockatiel, fish, and a rabbit. She loves her job and the amazing work that she gets to do! Her favorite activities outside of work include equestrian activities, weightlifting, and spending time with her family and her fur/scaly babies.
Hi there! My name is Jania Madlala. I am 20 years old and I'm currently going to school at Central Carolina to become an RVT. In my downtime, I like to play video games or go to the gym to work out. I have two pets at home, my 14-year-old cat named Jasmine and my 6-month-old cocker spaniel puppy, Ursaluna. I am so happy to be a part of the team and I'm looking forward to helping your pet live a long and healthy life!
Kaydee is a graduate of N.C. State with both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Animal Science. She recently joined the company in 2022 and is excited to be part of the team. She has worked in the veterinary field for over 15 years as a veterinary assistant, from small animal practices to emergency medicine, most recently at NC State CVM. She has recently taken a step back from her hands-on role to work on the administrative side of the practice. When she isn't working, she is spending time with her husband and two beautiful daughters, as well as their four crazy cats.
Hey everyone! My name is Kay, I'm a Vet Assistant at Walnut Street Animal Hospital as well as Maynard Urgent Care. I'm also a student at NC State University in the Pre- Veterinary Program and am planning on attending Vet School. Your four-legged friend will be in good hands!
Kiara originates from New Jersey and is a new resident of the Raleigh area. She graduated in May 2022 from the University of New Haven with a degree in psychology and a concentration in forensics. Kiara is an avid animal lover and grew up with all kinds of pets. In New Jersey, she had a blue-fronted parrot named Amazon, a golden retriever named Cinnamon, and a cat named Mystique. With her in Raleigh, Kiara also has two pittie mixes named Lola and Hela. Over the next few years, Kiara plans on expanding and utilizing her veterinary skills to give the best care to all of our patients. In her free time, she loves cuddling with her animals, dancing, and trying new foods.
Kimmie joined our team in 2021 and is currently a senior at North Carolina State University. She is majoring in Animal Science with a concentration in Veterinary Bio-Science and a minor in Zoology. Since the age of 5, she has been very passionate about animals and wanted to work with them. During her free time, she likes to take her two dogs, Mojo and Auggie, on hikes at the park. She also enjoys traveling and exploring new places and cultures.
Lucy graduated from SUNY Farmingdale in 1982 as a New York State Licensed Veterinary Technician and has been in the veterinary industry for more than 35 years! She moved to North Carolina in 2008 and worked at Banfield for some years before joining the Walnut Street Animal Hospital family when it opened in the summer of 2016. She has been happily married since August of 1995 and has three dogs and three cats with her husband, Eric. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, needlecrafts, and gardening. She has even made some of the decor we have here in the clinic!
Maliah joined our team in 2022 and is currently one of our lead receptionists. Ever since Maliah was a child, her passion has always been animals, with the dream of working in a veterinary setting. She got her first horse as a teenager and now owns a farm of 12 horses along with a jersey cow, goats, and other livestock. Maliah resides in Godwin with her partner, Ryan, two Golden Retrievers, and a Labrador Retriever. Her future plans are to expand her personal business and continue to live life to the fullest!
Rebecca's educational background is in languages and linguistics. She studied at both UNC Charlotte and UNC Chapel Hill. She is excited to join the veterinary field where she combines her communication skills and love of animals (especially Corgis!) to happily work with our clients at the front desk. At home, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Watson, reading, and playing video games.
Renee is a graduate of NC State University and has a degree in Animal Science. She has been with us here at Walnut since 2021. She's grown up with pets her whole life and has always had a passion for working with animals. She has worked as an assistant for the past six years, through high school and college, at previous animal hospitals and Walnut. She feels honored to have been given the opportunity to do what she loves and take care of your precious fur babies. When she's not at work, you can find her reading on her Kindle or out exploring the Cary food scene.
Sarah is an NC State graduate with double majors in Animal Science and Applied Nutrition. She has lived with animals her entire life and has always had a special place in her heart for them. She has been with the company since 2019, and she loves her job. Not only does she have the opportunity to meet new people and pets on a daily basis, but she also gets to help those fur babies stay happy and healthy with their families. Her favorite things to do outside of work include spending time with her furry kiddos; two dogs named Ochi and Denali, and two cats named Juniper and George. When she's not at work, you can find her hiking with her dog, or taking part in any other activities in which she can include them.
Hello! I'm Sohaila Salem and an aspiring vet! I've been working at Walnut Street for 8 months now and love the people I work with!
Taylor lived most of her life in New York, then moved to North Carolina in 2017. She joined the Walnut team in 2022 to help others and their fur babies! Taylor currently resides in Raleigh with her partner, Hayden, and their baby boy, Grayson!