Our Careteam

Elaine

Receptionist

A longtime dog owner herself, Elaine had taken her pets to Dr. Caughman for many years. One day as Elaine was talking with him, she jokingly asked if there were any open positions at the hospital. In fact, there were, and Elaine quickly accepted!

Elaine was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, with her parents, brother, and many pets. She came to Dogwood Animal Hospital in 2006, and serves as a receptionist and support staff to all her colleagues at the clinic. Offering emotional support and giving words of encouragement to clients and their pets are just two of the many rewarding parts of Elaine’s job.

At home, Elaine cares for two dogs of her own: Maggie, a nine-year-old lovable red Bullmastiff, and Zano, a three-year-old brindle Bullmastiff. Maggie enjoys kissing anyone who comes into the house, and Zano is the bull in the china shop, tearing apart his beds and toys in record time!

Outside of work, Elaine enjoys making watercolor pencil portraits of pets. She’s also passionate about cooking and baking, and gets a thrill from having people eat her creations! Photography, car racing, tennis, knitting, and reading are some of her other hobbies.

Mary Anne

Receptionist

Mary Anne has had a soft spot for pets ever since she was young. She frequently pet-sat for friends and family over the years while working full-time, and she always knew that she would love to help pets professionally. When the opportunity arose for her to join the veterinary profession as a member of the Dogwood Animal Hospital team, Mary Anne jumped at her chance!

Originally from Decatur, Mary Anne lived in various states and even in Germany and the Philippines while growing up, thanks to her father’s military career. Prior to joining the Dogwood Animal Hospital family, she worked for many years in the events field, a job that took her all over the country. When the COVID-19 pandemic affected that industry, she decided to make a change. Mary Anne heard about an opening here at the hospital through a mutual friend of hers and Dr. Caughman’s, and the rest is history.

Mary Anne has been a part of the Dogwood Animal Hospital family since October of 2020. She particularly likes the customer service aspect of her job, and talking one-on-one with the area’s pet owners is her favorite part of every shift.

Outside of the office, Mary Anne enjoys reading great books, learning new things, hiking, running and exercising, and spending time outdoors.

Brandee

Licensed Veterinary Technician / Hospital Manager

Brandee grew up in Orange County, California, where she was constantly bringing home stray animals. Her passion for pet care simply never wavered; she’s always wanted to serve as an advocate for the earth’s creatures! Brandee is proud to help animals and those who care for them as a Registered Veterinary Technician.

Brandee studied early childhood education in school before making the switch to the animal-care track; she attended Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville to earn her degree in veterinary technology. She completed an internship here at Dogwood Animal Hospital, and continued working at the clinic on weeknights and weekends until graduation in May of 2013. Afterward, Brandee signed on full-time as a Registered Veterinary Technician and has been caring for pets here ever since.

For Brandee, the most exciting part of her job is seeing a patient nursed back to full health. There is no better reward for her than seeing a pet wagging their tail happily when they’re feeling better!

Outside of her interests in the animal-care world, Brandee enjoys swimming and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Bryan, have a son named Beau and share their home with three fur-children: Huckleberry, Clover, and Petey.

Aaron

Veterinary Assistant

A year after Aaron adopted his dog Allie, she developed a knee disorder known as a luxating patella. Watching the diagnostic work the veterinarian performed to treat his dog, Aaron realized this career path was something he wanted to do himself!

Aaron was born and raised in Snellville, Georgia. During his senior year of high school in 2013, he was dual-enrolled in the Veterinary Technician program at Grayson Tech. Dr. Caughman sent out an email about an open Kennel Assistant position, and a few weeks later Aaron began working at the clinic! Currently, Aaron attends Georgia Gwinnet College and plans to go to the University of Georgia in a few years for veterinary school.

Aaron is the second-oldest of seven children. The family’s adopted dog, Allie, is three years old. She’s very nervous around new people, but will work up the courage to say hello after a few minutes!

Between work and school, Aaron likes to stay active. He ran cross country and track-and-field for four years in high school, and also enjoys biking around Stone Mountain when he gets the chance.

Brittany

Veterinary Assistant

Brittany was only five years old when she helped her stepmother’s cat birth a litter of kittens. From then on, Brittany was hooked—she knew that she wanted to one day help animals as a veterinary professional! Her passion hasn’t let up since, and Brittany is proud to now serve as a member of the Dogwood Animal Hospital Veterinary Assistant team.

A Georgia native, Brittany earned her degree in animal science from Georgia Southern University, and is currently finishing her veterinary degree online. She first joined the Dogwood Animal Hospital family to complete her externship for school, and found that she loved the clinic’s staff, clients, and patients too much to leave! Brittany has been here ever since. She has particular passions for surgical work and parasitology, and her favorite part of the job is getting to greet a wide variety of adorable pets every single day.

Aside from her interests in the world of veterinary care, Brittany enjoys cheerleading, anything related to Disney or Pokémon, and spending quality time with her family. Brittany and her husband, Nick, share their home with their wonderful young son, Ryan, and a pair of dogs: Sarge the Doberman Pinscher and a Miniature Pinscher named Rascal.

Anthony

Veterinary Assistant

Anthony got his first dog at the age of four. That experience made a permanent impression, and his love for animals hasn’t let up since. He’s always known that he would love to help pets live happier, healthier lives as a member of the veterinary world! Now, Anthony’s dream has become a reality: he gets to help animals as a member of Dogwood Animal Hospital’s kennel team.

Anthony is from Snellville, Georgia and joined the hospital family in September of 2019. He loves to make sure that all of the clinic’s boarding pets stay comfortable and well-cared for, and his favorite part of his job is getting to learn something new on a regular basis. Anthony even hopes to continue his education in the future and advance his journey in the field of veterinary medicine.

When he’s not at work or school, Anthony enjoys spending time with his family, working toward his Eagle Scout badge, practicing the violin, and playing baseball. At home, he shares his life with four wonderful canine companions: Emma, Scooby, Sandy, and Rascal.

Teana

Receptionist

Teana became a member of the veterinary profession for one simple reason: she’s been an animal-lover her whole life and knew that she would love to make a difference in the lives of pets and owners. She gets to put her passion to good use as a member of Dogwood Animal Hospital’s front-desk team!

Teana is originally from California but has lived here in Georgia since the 1980s. She heard about an open morning-shift position here at the clinic and knew it was the perfect fit—Teana didn’t waste any time applying. The rest is history. She’s been a part of the hospital family ever since, and couldn’t be happier to serve the pets and animal parents of the area at the front desk.

Around the hospital, Teana likes getting to know the area’s pet owners on a personal level. She’s also fond of learning something new from the clinic’s staff on an almost daily basis.

Most of Teana’s free time away from work is spent with her family. She and her husband have two wonderful daughters: Emma is a University of Georgia graduate who currently works in children’s healthcare, and Ella is in high school and is heavily involved in the ROTC program there. The family shares their home with one pet: Tippy, an aging Chihuahua who still acts like a puppy.

Erin

Receptionist

As a young girl, Erin found a stray cat near her childhood home and brought it home. The creature became her first pet, and she’s been hooked ever since! Erin always knew she would love to help animals hands-on in the veterinary profession, and now she gets to do just that. She’s a proud part of the Dogwood Animal Hospital family.

Erin grew up on a chicken farm in Georgia, where animal care was a part of life ever since her earliest memories. She ended up working in the human healthcare field for many years; when the time came to make a change, she knew veterinary medicine was the perfect fit. Now, Erin gets to use her background in medical care while helping pets and their loving owners! She joined the clinic family in 2021 and serves as a member of the hospital’s front-desk team.

Outside of work, Erin likes crocheting, making wreaths and mosaics, and thrift and antique shopping with her mother and daughter. She has been married to her husband, Mike, for more than 26 years, and the couple has two wonderful children, Ryan and Rachel. At home, the family shares their lives with Rachel’s dog, Tucker, and a loveable kitten named Ellie.

Ian

Kennel Assistant

What drove Ian to work with animals was his passion to make the world a better place. He’d always been a very caring person and knew he wanted to do something that would allow him to use that part of him. Initially, he debated between becoming a surgeon or a vet, but soon came to realize that his love of animals was deeper than just their adorable ears and fluffy tails. Working with animals gives Ian the chance to save the lives of many fur babies, just as another vet did for him. He likes to think of his job as his own little way of taking care of the Earth, one animal at a time!

Ian volunteered at Dogwood for a year before he was hired. He officially became an employee in June of 2022. One of his favorite parts of being an assistant is being able to observe surgeries, because it provides a constant opportunity to learn and grow. He also loves being able to meet new people every day and getting to share his knowledge and love with all of our clients. Ian has a particular soft spot for our feline patients.

Outside of the clinic, Ian has a number of pets of his own. His rabbit, Ninja, loves to be the center of attention and enjoys having his head rubbed. His other rabbit, Violet, is very sassy and enjoys flopping on the ground. Pebbles the cat loves to do nothing more than to make biscuits on any blanket she sees. Hermit crabs, Vanessa and Sushi, like to swim and dig in the sand. And last but not least, there is Slay the rat, who would spend her whole day climbing on the couch if she could.

Besides animals, Ian’s other passion is dancing. He practices a variety of styles, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and acro. One of his biggest achievements as of recently has been moving up to pointe in ballet – something that requires a lot of strength. He also loves theatre and has been in a number of shows, including playing lead in a musical.

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