BEDROCK VETERINARY SPECIALISTS - Key Persons

Andrea Smith was raised in Georgia and attended the University of Georgia for her undergraduate and veterinary degrees. She then completed a one-year rotating internship at Purdue University and a one-year surgical internship at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center in Texas. Dr. Smith then continued her training with a three-year surgical residency at the University of California, Davis, which she completed in 2014. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Smith enjoys all types of veterinary surgery, including orthopedic, soft tissue, and neurologic surgery. She believes in the importance of the human-animal bond and strives to improve the quality of life for patients and their owners. She feels that client education is an important part of medical treatment and the recovery process after surgery. Dr. Smith has three dogs: Elvira, Cricket, and Pip. In addition to spending time with her dogs, she has various hobbies, including sewing, woodworking, and learning new crafts.

Dr. Courtney Batchelor grew up in the Florida panhandle and has volunteered or worked in the veterinary field since 11. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school and was accepted into an early admission program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Batchelor graduated as co-valedictorian from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Following a rotating small animal internship at Colorado State University, she completed a 3-year surgical residency at Cornell University Hospital for Animals in 2010. Dr. Batchelor was welcomed as a diplomate into the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) in 2011. For the past 12 years, Dr. Batchelor has worked as a small animal surgeon in upstate New York, working with owners and their primary care veterinarians as a cohesive team to provide quality surgical care to the patients in her area. Dr. Batchelor has participated in various research projects over the years, focusing on oncology, pain management, and patellar luxation. She has also taken advanced courses in minimally invasive surgery and the treatment of angular limb deformities. She is the current author of a chapter on shoulder luxation in one of the leading veterinary textbooks. While Dr. Batchelor has many years of experience in all aspects of surgery, she particularly enjoys the treatment of knee and elbow issues, minimally invasive procedures, surgical oncology, and hemilaminectomy to treat disc disease. Dr. Batchelor firmly believes that the best veterinary care requires a team approach between pet parents, primary care veterinarians, and specialists. While her advanced surgical skills and attention to detail help set the stage for successful treatment in the OR, the primary care veterinarian and the pet parent are instrumental in the pre-and post-operative settings. Dr. Batchelor takes the time to describe the disease process and treatment recommendations with pet parents, as well as the risks of the procedure and the aftercare necessary for a complete recovery. Dr. Batchelor works alongside the primary care veterinarians to make a smooth transition of care and welcomes any input or discussion. Dr. Batchelor and her husband, Charlie, have two energetic young boys, who they are busy molding into respectful, empathetic, and responsible adults. To add to the chaos, they have three dogs collectively weighing almost 300 pounds and one cat that rules the roost. Dr. Batchelor enjoys hiking, camping, and woodworking, when not sitting in the cheering section at her son's Little League games or facilitating their violin lessons.

Dr. Todd Smith was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and grew up in Gainesville, Florida, and Plainwell, Michigan, before settling in Raleigh, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994 with a degree in Russian history. He then attended North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in 1999. Dr. Smith started his veterinary career as a general practitioner in Concord, North Carolina but quickly realized that his passions lay elsewhere. Dr. Smith started his emergency career in 2000 with a specialty/referral hospital. He has spent the greater part of the past 22 years as an emergency veterinarian practicing in the Charlotte area. During that time, he has served as an Emergency Director, a Medical Director, and a Regional Emergency Director at several locations. Throughout his career, soft tissue surgery has been Dr. Smith's ardor, and he is looking forward to focusing more on surgery in the future. Dr. Smith and his family have been residents of Cornelius since 2003. Dr. Smith and his wife, Jenifer, have two children, Ian and Ava, who are both students at Davidson College. They have four dogs and an American Saddlebred horse. His daughter, Ava, has a service dog named Daphne, which she acquired through paws4people. In his downtime, Dr. Smith enjoys playing the bass guitar in local bars and at area events with his band, Toxic Spouse.

Dr. Ritter was born and raised in Iowa, and he attended Iowa State University for his undergraduate degree and veterinary degree. After graduating, he completed a one-year internship at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a three-year surgical residency at Michigan State University. He earned his board-certification in veterinary surgery in January 2007. He then spent eight years at a referral hospital in Greenville, SC, before starting Acacia Mobile Veterinary Surgery (now Bedrock Veterinary Specialists) in 2014. Dr. Ritter loves performing surgery. He strives to help pet parents understand the issues affecting their pets so that they can make the most educated decisions when advocating for them. Dr. Ritter enjoys performing a range of surgical procedures, including orthopedic procedures like the TPLO and other knee surgeries, fractures, back surgery for disc disease, as well as other challenging soft tissue and oncologic surgeries. Dr. Ritter has performed over 3500 TPLOs. He has written the current chapter of salivary gland disease in the main veterinary surgery textbook. Dr. Ritter believes that a good surgeon evaluates all non-surgical and surgical options when assessing a patient's problem. In practice, his focus is three-fold: to educate well, to execute precisely, and to minimize complications Dr. Ritter and his wife, Stacia, have eight children, ten chickens, three dogs, three cats, and three rabbits. In addition to his hobbies of woodworking, camping, hiking, and traveling, he is also passionate about working with Set Free, a nonprofit organization dedicated to freeing children from child slavery in India's rock quarries. As someone who became a veterinarian to care for patients without a voice, Dr. Ritter sees his partnership with Set Free as an opportunity to be an advocate for those whose voices often go unheard.

Job Titles:

• Licensed Veterinary Technician

Monica Spence has been a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2004. She has always loved animals and knew she wanted to help animals from a young age. She currently lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. She enjoys spending time with her family and her animals, a golden named Phoebe and a cat named Willa. She and her family also enjoy camping, visiting her family in Ohio, and spending time at the beach.

Job Titles:

• DACVS - SA / about Dr. Roach

Dr. Roach is a native of Mooresville, North Carolina, and graduated from Davidson College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He earned his veterinary degree (DVM) from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, graduating summa cum laude. He then completed a one-year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee, followed by a one-year surgical internship at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center in Texas. Dr. Roach returned to the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine to complete a three-year residency in small animal surgery. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Roach enjoys all aspects of veterinary surgery, including orthopedic, soft tissue, oncologic, and neurologic surgeries. He previously worked as a surgeon in Nashville, Tennessee, from 2010-2021. His passion for helping injured, homeless animals lead him to start "Merle's Angels" in 2011 - a donor-advised fund through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee - to provide specialized surgery for animals that otherwise had no chance. Merle's Angels was named after Dr. Roach's dog, Merle. In 2021, Dr. Roach moved back to Mooresville to be closer to family. He enjoys his life with his wife Laura, their daughters Birdie Mae and Weezie, their sweet dog Ruby and mischievous cat Boone. Riding the tractor, playing guitar, sitting around the campfire, and tending to their chickens and honeybees are some of his favorite things.