Our Careteam

Ashley grew up right here in Covington, where her family always kept dogs around the house. For her, animal care has been a part of life ever since she can remember—a career in veterinary medicine is simply the perfect fit! Ashley has been a part of the Oak Hill Animal Hospital family since the fall of 2013.

After high school, Ashley worked for a local gun range before signing up to volunteer with the Department of Natural Resources, where she taught children about wildlife, firearms, and environmental conservation as a summer intern. She also got to work in the wildlife outreach program, which allowed her to take care of reptiles, birds of prey, and other native animals. The first time that Ashley convinced a Barred owl to step up onto her falconer’s glove, she was hooked! It wasn’t long before she started looking for jobs in the veterinary field—that’s when Ashley joined the Oak Hill Animal Hospital team as a Veterinary Assistant. Here at the clinic, she’s especially fond of surgical work and emergency care, and also likes educating the area’s pet owners on the best possible care methods for their beloved companions.

When she’s not at work, Ashley likes target shooting with her boyfriend, relaxing with a movie or television show, and enjoying the company of her own furry companions. She and her family share their lives with Ella, a spunky rat terrier; an elderly dog named Rascal who was rescued by Ashley when he was only five weeks old; and a pair of rescued cats named Sunny and JoJo.

Christina is a natural caregiver—before joining the Oak Hill Animal Hospital team, she worked in pediatric medicine. When the time came to look for a new position, Christina had a thought: why not combine her love of medical care with her passion for animals? Now, she gets to help pets and their owners daily as a member of the Oak Hill Animal Hospital family!

Christina grew up in Conyers, Georgia, and began her career as a phlebotomist at an after-hours pediatric clinic in McDonough. Next, she took a job at a primary-care office in Gwinnett, serving as a back-office medical assistant and a triage nurse, before joining the Oak Hill Animal Hospital team in the fall of 2016. As a receptionist, Christina particularly loves interacting with pet owners and their loved ones on a regular basis; she just never knows what might walk through the door at any given moment! She looks forward to getting cross-trained in the near future so that she can work hands-on with the area’s pets.

When she’s not tending to pet owners’ needs here at the clinic, Christina can be found journaling and writing, working on homemade decorations and projects, reading, listening to music, and enjoying the company of her own animal companions. She shares her life with three pets: Callie the cat, who insists on having the curtains opened each morning before Christina leaves for work; Lhasa Apso/Pomeranian mix Chewbacca—Chewy for short—who looks like a miniature version of his namesake; and Gabby, an affectionate black-and-white shorthaired cat.

Amber grew up between Texas and Louisiana and could often be found outdoors collecting frogs, lizards, and worms. She’s adored animals of every shape and size ever since her earliest days, and that fascination simply never left. Shortly after starting her first job in the veterinary world, Amber knew that she had found her true calling. Now, she continues to put her passion to good use every day as Oak Hill Animal Hospital’s Kennel Manager!

Amber secured her first job in the animal-care world when she was only a teenager, signing up at an exotic animal clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana. She eventually moved on to a larger dog and cat clinic in the same town. In early 2018, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia and took a job at a doggie daycare in Midtown, but soon realized that she missed working with other species.

Amber started searching for an opportunity closer to her new home in Covington, and that’s when she came across Oak Hill Animal Hospital. It wasn’t long before she was a member of the clinic family! Amber’s favorite part of her work is the variety it brings, because no two days are ever quite the same here at the hospital.

Away from work, Amber’s interests include photography—she especially loves capturing a dog while they’re attempting to catch a treat in mid-air—and spending time with her friends, family, and pets. She lives with a gorgeous Siberian Husky named Lilah, the smartest dog Amber has ever known, and a gray-and-black tabby cat named Neeko who knows how to sit on command.

Kate has always been fascinated by science, especially biology and medicine, and she’s felt an intrinsic connection with the earth’s creatures ever since she can remember. Veterinary medicine is where those two passions intersect. For Kate, getting to use her skillset and knowledge to better the lives of not only pets, but those who care for them, is a dream come true!

Kate grew up in New Jersey and started working as an Emergency Medical Technician there during her senior year of high school. She attended college to earn her Bachelor’s degree in public health education, continuing to work as an EMT during her studies, then moved to Georgia after her husband accepted a job with a local fire department. Kate worked as an Advanced EMT while her husband finished his fire training and graduated from paramedic school, and then she decided to chase her dreams—that’s when she joined the Oak Hill Animal Hospital family!

Kate has been a member of the clinic team since March of 2019 and finds that she has a special interest in running diagnostic tests in the lab. Finding connections between the clinical signs her patients present with and the results she finds in the lab is extremely rewarding for her! Kate also loves to work directly with hospitalized pets and help their progress improve day after day.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Kate is interested in crafting, cooking, reading, music—she sings and plays the trombone—and spending time with her husband and their pets. The couple shares their home with a Carolina dog mix, Sheldon; Turner the Black Mouth Cur who is the tough guy of the family; a loving Pit Bull mix named Austin who wants nothing more than to sit in someone’s lap and give kisses; and a stoic bearded dragon who goes by Jörmugandr.

Alexus has always been fascinated by the world of medicine, especially diagnostics. For her, helping to discover what is ailing a pet when they can’t tell her what’s wrong is extremely rewarding. The payoff is even better—Alexus loves doing everything in her power to help pets live happier, healthier lives! She gets to do just that as a member of the hospital’s Veterinary Technician team.

Alexus is a Georgia native and started her animal-care journey at another local hospital, where the doctor took her under his wing and showed her the ropes of the veterinary profession. She then took a job at another practice, expanding her skillset even further, before signing on at a hospital assisting almost 10 different veterinarians and undergoing more extensive training.

In March of 2019, Alexus joined the Oak Hill Animal Hospital family and is thrilled to continue using her skills in an area she’s especially passionate about: surgery. No two days are ever quite the same, and she loves honing her skillset with Dr. McElhenny’s guidance. Alexus also enjoys performing challenging blood draws. Above all, she likes meeting the area’s pets and animal parents on a daily basis!

When she’s not at work, Alexus enjoys cooking and loves to try out new recipes. She also likes spending quality time with her family and pets at home. She shares her life with Henry, a rescued dog whose favorite pastimes are playing fetch and doing flips; a rescued cat named Pixie; Midnight the family cat; the family dog, Lucy; and her brother’s dog, Rockie.

Julie has been passionate about animal care and grooming ever since she was young—she recalls working on her own family pets’ hairstyles when she was only a teenager. Julie’s ambition never wavered! In total, she’s been grooming for 36 fulfilling years and is proud to serve the area’s pets and animal parents here at Oak Hill Animal Hospital.

Julie is a Georgia native and has been grooming pets locally for the past 20 years. She’s a certified Master Pet Stylist, pet stylist instructor, and a certified behavior specialist, and also serves as a pet dermatological consultant.

In her time away from work, Julie enjoys practicing her photography skills, swimming, horseback riding, and spending time with her family. She has three children and a grandson, and loves going on new adventures with them whenever the opportunity presents itself!

Tara owned and operated a 10-acre hobby farm for nine years, where she trained and boarded horses and bred Nigerian Dwarf goats. She loved what she did, but always wanted to learn more about the medical side of animal care. That’s what inspired Tara to join the veterinary world! She couldn’t be happier to serve the area’s pets and animal parents alongside a team of fellow animal-lovers here at Oak Hill Animal Hospital.

Tara grew up in Gwinnett County, Georgia and has lived in the state her whole life. She was first introduced to the veterinary field by a friend of hers who worked for a large-animal veterinarian, and Tara immediately knew that she wanted to learn more. She began working here at Oak Hill Animal Hospital in the spring of 2019, and now helps pets and their owners on a daily basis as a Veterinary Technician and front-desk receptionist.

Around the clinic, Tara likes collecting laboratory samples and running diagnostic tests. She’s also passionate about working with nervous or aggressive patients to help them stay calm and comfortable during their time here at the hospital.

When she’s not here at the hospital, Tara enjoys traveling with her partner, caring for her wonderful young daughter, and spending time with her animals at home. She has four cats named George, Shiloh, Bagel, and Macey; a long-haired Chihuahua named Nemo; Lexi the Border Collie; and a playful German Shepherd named Okami. Tara also keeps several goats—Ice Cream, Frankie, Max, and T-Bird—as well as a Paint Horse named Nevada, a miniature donkey who goes by Honkey, and a loveable chicken named Bok-Bok.

Sandi has been enjoying the company of pets nearly all her life, so she knows just how valuable animal companions are to the families of the area. She’s thrilled to be able to use her analytical and mathematical skills to improve the lives of others—four- and two-legged—every day! Sandi serves as the clinic’s bookkeeper.

Sandi is originally from Arizona, and has been involved with the financial community since her time serving in the United States Army. She further developed her skills by earning a degree in mathematics, and she has served military service members as a tax consultant. Sandi joined the Oak Hill Animal Hospital family in April of 2015 in order to combine her passion for animal care with her knack for numbers, and hasn’t looked back since. Her favorite part of the job is working alongside a team of compassionate animal-lovers just like herself!

Sandi and her husband have seven children and six grandchildren. Currently, they live with a rambunctious feline friend named Libby who tends to act more like a dog than a cat. When she isn’t spending quality time with family or enjoying Libby’s antics, Sandi likes staying active in her church community, practicing yoga with her husband, and quilting.