WEST ASHEVILLE FAMILY VET - Key Persons
I love all dogs, big and small, working or toy breeds. The relationship that we have with our companion animals is incredible, and it transcends our persona and personality. I have a BA in US history from UNC-Asheville. I love working with people and love being around animals. Working in the Veterinary industry has allowed me to indulge in both areas. I enjoy hiking, camping, and paddle boarding with my dogs and wife. I love going to a brewery and having a beer with friends and pets. My wife and I live on a small farm in East Asheville, where we have a horse, goats, and chickens.
Job Titles:
- Associate Veterinarian, Veterinary Acupuncturist
Dr. Kimberly Couch was born and raised on the Southwest Florida coast. She received her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Chemistry at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL. While in college, she worked as a veterinary technician. She then received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.
She is a certified veterinary acupuncturist. She is also in the process of obtaining her certification in Canine Rehabilitation (similar to physical therapy) as well as Chinese herbal veterinary medicine. She is fear free certified and believes strongly in making veterinary visits more positive experiences for pets. Her veterinary interests include senior pet care, integrative medicine, dermatology, and small exotic mammal medicine.
Dr. Couch is new to the Asheville area and is enjoying exploring all the new things! She currently has two cats (Gypsy and Pebbles ) and a Golden retriever puppy (Franklin Floopo Mykonos). In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, tending to her plants, and anything to do with the outdoors.
Dr. Hubbard grew up in rural Nebraska with a menagerie of pets ranging from mudpuppy salamanders from the local bait shop to a sassy doe rabbit won at the county fair (even though animals shouldn't be prizes!). She completed an animal science bachelor's degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and finished veterinary school at Iowa State University.
After a few years as a small animal veterinarian in South Dakota, Dr. Hubbard headed south to Mississippi State University for a three-year residency in population medicine, where she became a board-certified veterinary epidemiologist and completed her master's degree. She loved teaching veterinary students surgery and on-site disease outbreak investigations on everything from nutrition disorders in cattle herds to virus outbreaks in animal shelters. Following her residency, she spent the last four years in Utqiagvik/Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States on the shore of the Arctic Ocean with 67 days of continuous darkness during the winter months and temperatures down to -72F. During her stay, she helped with the Iditarod sled dog race, visited rural Alaska communities to provide veterinary services, and had amazing wildlife neighbors, including polar bears, caribou, whales, and snowy owls, making for an unforgettable experience.
Dr. Hubbard is excited to be in Asheville with access to farmer's markets, great restaurants, and amazing outdoor activities after her isolation in the Arctic. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, biking, gardening, reading, woodworking, and fiber arts. She provides rent-free accommodations to Murgatroyd (a one-eyed, grumpy old man cat), Berlioz (a three-legged orange tabby), Mannheim (a Mississippi foster failure kitten), and Silent (a very mixed breed dog from Alaska's North Slope).
Dr. Lauren Komanski was raised in Winston-Salem, NC. She attended Columbia University in NYC for her undergraduate degree and continued on to NC State University for veterinary school. She is currently in the process of completing a certificate in veterinary rehab and pain management from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Komanski's special interests include pain management, GI disease, and dentistry.
Dr. Komanski lives in Asheville with her husband, son, and two dogs. She enjoys cycling and was previously a professional cyclist and raced for the USA national team. Now in her free time, she is happiest exploring nature on a bike or foot with her family.