Dr. Damian Giancola bought Westerville Veterinary Clinic in December of 2014 and brought a wealth of knowledge about emergency medicine and critical care to us. His previous 8 years of experience were with emergency clinics in several areas of the country, including a several year position with a local emergency clinic, where as their chief medical officer, he established the majority of their protocols.

His emergency veterinary experience not only made him one of the best resources for managing very sick pets, but it also inspired his creation of the Platinum Health Membership offered only by WestVets. He created the plan after years of seeing clients being unprepared to make last second life and death decisions for their critically ill pets. Clients who have pets actively on our Platinum Health Membership not only receive deeply discounted routine procedures, like vaccines, spays, and neutering, but are also rarely faced with such last second life and death decisions based upon financial concerns. A link to Platinum Health Plan Membership can be found here: https://westervillepets.com/membership/

Dr. Giancola is very thorough in his approach to diagnostics and treatment for multiple reasons. He is constantly striving to reach the level of care for our patients that his wife who is a hospitalist, provides to people who are very ill. He frequently purchases new equipment and researches new medication so we can always offer the best to our patients. Like our other doctors, Dr. Giancola will reach out to boarded specialists for their insight about cases that are unusually difficult.

When he is not at the clinic during the day, or after hours with an emergency, he enjoys time discussing tough medical or surgical cases with his wife Maggie, and spending time with his two daughters Kyrmina and Youstina. He generally enjoys sports, though has had his heart broken for roughly 40 consecutive years in a row, being a Cleveland Browns fan. As a former Division I wrestler, he especially loves to watch college wrestling and other combat sports.

Dr. Morgan Miller grew up in Colgate, Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Microbiology and Immunology in 2013. She moved to Columbus for veterinary school and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. After graduation, she settled in Columbus as a small animal emergency veterinarian and later joined Westerville Veterinary Clinic in 2019. Dr. Miller’s interests include emergency medicine, soft tissue surgery, and palliative care. Her favorite aspect of veterinary medicine is being able to care for a pet for the entirety of their life, from puppy or kittenhood to (hopefully very) old age.

Dr. Miller lives in Powell with her wife (an OBGYN) and two young children. They share their home with two dogs and a leopard gecko, although if she had it her way she would fill her home with chihuahuas (her favorite breed). When she is not in the clinic she enjoys anything outdoors, including hiking, gardening, and catching frogs with her son in the Metro Parks. In the winter months you can find her in her craft room tackling any project from sewing to knitting to embroidery.

Dr. Steve Horvath grew up in Toledo, OH and relocated to central Ohio for college. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2005 with a general zoology degree and later from the Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU CVM) in 2014. He worked for several years in Columbus in small animal and exotics private practice before returning to teach at OSU CVM for 5.5 years. There he was faculty in the Community Practice Section teaching small animal general medicine, surgery, and dentistry. He has now returned to private practice and is excited to have joined the West Vets team. His interests include everything in general practice from preventative medicine to surgery, but in particular he has a passion and talent for dentistry.

Dr. Steve lives with his partner Brad in Clintonville and they enjoy traveling and spending time with their crazy pack of dogs. In his spare time he enjoys a wide variety of hobbies. He is an avid soccer player, and he enjoys gardening, and the arts of bonsai and aquascaping. He is an accomplished mural artist known as Doctor Steve Art. He can often be spotted around town using spray paint to bring life, color, and beauty to otherwise boring walls.

Dr. Natalie Hoppe grew up in Rochester, NY and graduated with a DVM from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022. She received a Bachelor’s in Animal Science from Cornell University in 2018 (go Big Red!) and came to Ohio later that same year for veterinary school. She has always had a passion for nursing animals back to health since she was young, searching the web and researching treatments for an ailing pet.

She is excited to bring her passion to the WestVets team, helping any pet that walks through the doors. Her interests include internal medicine, surgery, and dermatology.

When not in the clinic you can find Natalie on running trails throughout Columbus or exploring new restaurants downtown (any and all recommendations are welcome). She loves watching hockey (go CBJ!) and football, and you can catch her rooting for the Buckeyes and Buffalo Bills! She also loves spending her spare time with her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Harper playing fetch or going on hikes. She is very excited to be joining the awesome team at Westerville Veterinary Clinic and cannot wait to meet you and your pets!

Dr. Tess van Kan grew up in Cleveland, OH. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Findlay in 2014, where she developed a deep interest for the intersection of human and animal health. This led her to pursue a master’s degree in infectious disease and global health from Tufts University in 2016. From there, she received a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Missouri in 2021. Throughout her academic career, she was involved with many research efforts, but especially focused on diseases that could affect both humans and animals (called zoonoses). She has even worked with tick and mosquito borne diseases for the CDC!

After graduation, she wanted to develop a more diverse approach to fostering the human-animal bond and went into clinical practice. One of the most exciting things she discovered about veterinary medicine is that no two days are ever the same and this is especially true in the case of emergency and critical care! She has found a real passion for being able to provide hospital services to her patients in their greatest times of need. On this front, she is committed to providing a high standard of care to help improve her patients’ quality of life and clinical outcomes wherever possible. Sometimes that also means providing a gentle and compassionate environment to help us say goodbye. Both ends of the spectrum are just as important.

In her spare time, she enjoys being outside (rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, paddleboarding) with her wife and two dogs. She is also an avid gamer and loves building/upgrading her PC and finding the next great computerized world to immerse herself in.

Dr. Hannah Kaplan graduated with a Bachelors in Animal and Veterinary Sciences from the University of Rhode Island and is a 2021 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. During vet school she was president of Buckeyes 4 Greyhounds and K9s and worked in the veterinary blood bank. She developed a strong love for greyhounds and has a particular interest in greyhound medicine. She also has strong interests in dermatology, dentistry and behavior medicine. She enjoys practicing low stress handling techniques with her patients and understands that good client communication is also important to see this succeed.

When not working Dr. Kaplan enjoys spending time with her Fiancé Cole and their two animals, Gritty the greyhound and Caramel the calico cat.

Dr. Paul grew up in rural Sugarcreek, Ohio. His love of animal care was ignited upon working on a local dairy farm in the area, then later spending time working at his father’s veterinary practice. He took that passion into his academic career, spending 4 years at Ashland University, where (along with playing basketball on scholarship), he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He went on to attend The Ohio State University, and graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. Paul decided to return to his roots and spent the next four years working as an associate at his father’s veterinary practice, The Sugarcreek Veterinary Clinic. This mixed practice not only allowed him to spend time helping pet owners better care for their furry friends, but also gave him the opportunity to strap on his muck boots and care for large animals and small ruminants as well. He has recently moved back to the Columbus area, and is excited about focusing on small animal practice exclusively; helping pet owners give their animals the care that they need.

Though his academic career would suggest otherwise, Paul is a fierce Michigan Football fan, and is proud to wear his maize and blue! Die-hard Ohio football fans will be relieved to know that he is a true Browns fan as well. When he isn’t practicing veterinary medicine, he also enjoys hunting, fishing, and working out, along with spending time outdoors with his pups. He and his wife, Alyssa, have a small “menagerie” of three golden retrievers (Finn, Max, and Jessie), and four cats (Baloo, Bagheera, Mowgli, and Louie).

Katie has had a love for animals of all shapes and sizes for as long as she can remember. She was an only child, but she always had a house full of dogs to keep her company. At 16, she got a job as a vet assistant, fell in love with the profession, and never looked back. Animals are Katie’s passion, and she has dedicated her life to helping them. Katie recently moved from the East Coast and loves all things Philadelphia. Her Temple University degree, Always Sunny obsession, and her pronunciation of the words “water” and “yesterday” make it obvious that Philly still lives deep within her. That being said, she just bought a house in Columbus with her husband and fur babies. She is very excited for the next chapter of her life.

Katie loves working at West Vets because the patient care is extraordinary, the doctors and support staff are incredible, and it has quickly become her home away from home. When she’s not working, you can find her hanging at home with her family or out exploring her new city!

Jack F, our lead RVT, is a native Ohioan, born and raised in Columbus. Growing up with a veritable ‘zoo’, he’s always had a deep rooted passion for animals. He started full time with the Westerville Veterinary Clinic after graduating from the Bradford school in 2011 and has been with us ever since. That’s 10 years experience–Not only in the veterinary medicine field, but experience in this specific building! Jack has a keen interest in veterinary dentistry, keeping your four legged friend’s mouth looking and smelling its best. He’s no stranger to late night emergency calls, whether it be for hospitalized patient rounds or a sick pet in need. These days Jack is using his experiences and passion to help guide other techs and assistants to hone their skills across the range of duties their jobs entail. When he isn’t working, Jack enjoys taking care of his numerous houseplants, watching the Browns lose and watching badly made horror movies. Mostly he loves spending time with his growing family that includes his wife Rachel, infant daughter Elowyn, a cat named Nighthawk and dog Mogli. Elowyn keeps Jack on his toes: being mobile and curious about the world around her, 4am ‘please just go to sleep’ butt patting sessions ,but he couldn’t be happier (even if he’s been looking a little more tired lately). While he’s taken a step back from some late nights at the Westerville Veterinary Clinic, there’s still a chance you’ll see him after hours if your furry friend is in need, he’s usually up anyway trying to get his little one back to sleep!

Welcome back Jennifer!

Jennifer first came to us from Rascal Animal Hospital. She then worked with us for about a year before branching out and moving to South Carolina where she worked for Carolina Forrest. She realized while working there that Westerville Veterinary Clinic was her home. She moved back in December and we welcomed her back with open arms.

Jennifer is a wonderful technician who you can depend on for anything when it comes to your pets, especially cats! She has 6 cats of her own at home named Archer, Roxanne, Riley, Lady, Graham and her youngest Olive who she actually adopted from us! She also has the most adorable little pup named Jazz who enjoys coming with her to our doggie daycare, her during her shifts.

In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her animals, as well as, watching “How I Met your Mother” and “That 70’s Show”. She also enjoys playing soccer whenever she can.

My passion for animals started when I volunteered at a horse farm for 3 years in high school. I took many animal health classes whenever they were offered to me and decided I wanted to be a veterinary nurse. I am currently attending Columbus State to get my Veterinary Technology degree and become a registered veterinary technician. My main goal is to go to school for a masters in Zoology and work at the Newport Aquarium or the Columbus Zoo. I have a passion for reptiles and aquatic animals, I currently have 4 lizards, 2 bearded dragons, Irwin and Jethro, and 2 leopard geckos, Nyx and Helios. I also have three dogs, Arlo (pictured), Petey, and Odin. In my spare time, I like to make music and play video games, as well as volunteer at local humane societies whenever I can!

I’ve been a veterinary technician for three years but my love for animals started way before that. I grew up on a goat farm in the middle of nowhere, helping does birth and raise their kids. My whole life I’ve never had a dog not by my side. Being surrounded by their company and kindness of animals filled me with the desire to give back. Though our clinic doesn’t see reptiles, snakes hold a special place in my heart. I have three corn snakes: Zephyr, Aurora, and Asra. In my spare time I enjoy rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, reading, and drawing. Leading the pack is my hiking partner Odin, my Shiba Inu.

Bio Coming Soon!

Lindsay comes to us from North Carolina, where she worked as a doggie daycare technician for 5 years, then moved to Ohio and to start working at veterinary clinic as a veterinary nurse, pursuing her childhood dreams. Lindsay grew up with multiple dogs in the home, always fueling her true passion for loving and helping animals in need.

Lindsay has a special place in her heart for senior pets and outside of work, she rescues as many as she can handle from a foster or shelter system and give them a warm, loving home throughout their final days.

Ashley came to us from a local veterinary emergency clinic where she gained a lot of knowledge working emergency/critical care. Her passion for animals started at a young age. Being around horses, dogs, cats, and other exotic animals growing up has pushed her way to following her heart to work in veterinary medicine. Ashley has been a veterinary assistant since 2017. At home, she has two cats (Leo and Frankie), one dog (Charlie), and a horse (Charger). When not in the clinic, she enjoys horseback riding, taking Charlie on hikes, playing guitar, going to concerts and spending time with friends and family. She is currently enrolled in Penn Foster to get her Veterinary Technology degree

Alice comes to us from Milan, Italy. She is currently working toward getting into veterinary school and also obtaining a Master’s in Public health. She is calm under pressure and enjoys emergency medicine as much as routine pet care. When not working at the clinic, you can find her hanging out with her horse Deeds and her dog Stich. She also enjoys showing her horse and hiking with her dog.

My passion for veterinary medicine started with my first horse Dillon. Dillon was old and cranky but I absolutely adored him. As time went on Dillon developed arthritis and other health issues and I was always fascinated by the treatments he would receive when the vet came out. I learned how to keep up with his treatments and found a love in the medical side of his care. Through high school I attended Tolles Career and Technical Center for two years of Pre-Veterinary Medicine classes and my interest in animal care branched from equine medicine to also small and exotic animals. I hope to continue learning and growing in this field! I currently have a zoo of my own with three cats, three dogs, a plethora of pocket pets, and another horse! In my free time I enjoy working at my barn and showing my horse Brahms whenever I can, as well as hanging out with my friends and trying new restaurants!

Grace was born and raised in Columbus Ohio and is 23 years old. Grace has been working in Vetmed for 3 years after finishing a contract with the United States Air Force she decided it was time to do what she loved and work with animals. Grace is a very bubbly personality and is always looking to learn new things and make friends along the way. Grace enjoys spending her free time with her husband, dog, and cat. She enjoys hiking, singing, and playing the ukulele. Grace is currently enrolled in Ashworth College for her registered veterinary technician license.

Ziggy has been working at Westerville Veterinary Clinic for 13 years, if not longer, since nobody quite knows his origins. Some speculate he simply spawned in his bed the day the hospital was built.

Ziggy lives a very hard life of doing absolutely nothing all day. Nobody is quite sure how somebody so lazy got hired as manager. You can usually find him snoring on Dr. Miller’s keyboard, although he is known to occasionally saunter to the lobby for a drink of water. When he’s not sleeping you can usually find Ziggy sneaking into exam rooms, dressing up for holidays, and judging you from afar.

Taylor has been a beam of light for the clinic for over six years. She is beloved by clients and patients alike, and some people will even specifically ask for her when they call to schedule an appointment.
Taylor is the mother of two beautiful girls, Izzabella and Marinette. With these two under her belt, Taylor is very family oriented and is always there to help those in need. She is naturally empathetic, and we can see that she truly relates to the emotions of many of our clients. Many people new to the veterinary field start off strong and excited, but grow weary, and then eventually burn out from constantly adapting to the diverse situations that clients and their pets must often face. Others continue to work by “keeping a safe emotional distance” from clients. Not Taylor.

Taylor gains energy from helping people–And if that person is ungrateful, she gains energy from helping the innocent pet they brought to us for care! Taylor’s four personal pets are just a small sampling of the amount of pets she has tried to help her entire life. As a child, she made numerous attempts to bring home every cat she saw, often kicking and screaming when she didn’t get her way most of the time. In high school, she was voted the most likely to grow up to be the crazy lady who lives with dozens of cats. Her love of animals and people, and overall positive energy are the perfect combination!

Miranda grew up in Cordova, Tennessee and moved to Ohio with her parents when she was seven years old. She always had lots of pets growing up, including two dogs, a cat and sometimes her brother would have frogs and fish. Miranda has always loved animals, and once she started grade school, she began volunteering at animal shelters, gathering food, cleaning kennels and walking dogs. She became a big Pit Bull advocate after volunteering at Franklin County Dog Shelter when she was 16. She then graduated from Hilliard Bradley High School in 2014 and met her future husband, Noah, who she has now been married to for 5 years. They have a small army of pets at home– 2 dogs, (one named Buck and the other is Ginger), 2 cats named Huey and Koda, 2 ferrets named Milly and Milo and a Florida king snake named Sonny, and even recently added a giant lizard! You may have heard her bubbly voice over the phone, or seen her smiling face at the front desk.

Maghen is incredibly passionate about animals, especially cats. She used to work at a cat cafe, where they would take in stray or surrendered cats to make sure they were healthy, vetted and ready for a furever home.

Maghen has 8 pets of her own at home. 5 cats named Mishka, Frankie, Alex, Annie, and Peter. As well as 3 dogs, Daisy, Marvin, and Igor. Igor (pictured) comes to work with her every shift and is also a valued employee of WestVets!

In her free time, Maghen loves to hang out at home with her fiancé and son, play video games, and pursue her passion for music by playing the drums.

Sabrina is from Westminster Maryland, and has moved to Ohio in the recent years. She is a true East coaster and loves all things lacrosse, hockey, and Old Bay.

She comes from a diverse background of working with animals starting with shelter care at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter in Baltimore, Maryland where she developed a soft spot for bully breeds. She then went on to work at a small veterinary clinic in Westminster, Maryland as a veterinary technician. Sabrina also has experience as an animal care technician at a canine boarding facility while living in Virginia.

Sabrina has a passion for canine cognitive behavior and takes any opportunity to learn and expand her knowledge.

Surrounded by mostly military family and friends throughout her life, her work ethic reflects the “above and beyond” standard she was brought up with.

While she is not at our clinic, Sabrina is most likely with her dog pack at home. She is a huge Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd fan and has 3 Shepherd or Malinois mixes at home. All four of her dogs come from local rescues or shelters including Ziggy, the basset hound mix. She loves spending time with her fiancé Kyle, who is an Army Veteran and an amazing dog dad.

Sabrina is versatile, using her customer service experience and knowledge of animals to give WestVet’s clients and patients the best care possible.

Bio coming soon. Until that time we can tell you that Hanna is empathetic, passionate about her job, and works tirelessly!

Carrisa comes to us from the west coast. After having s variety of careers that included the culinary arts, being a canoeing instructor, a judge for intermediate level choirs, and quality control inspector for a large specialty retailer, she decided to build on her lifelong love of animals by joining the veterinary profession.

Her love of her new career choice is evident in everything she does!

When not at work, she spends time with her cats Grendal and Skitty or is out hiking, fishing and golfing. She also is a beer connoisseur while attending concerts.

Skylar has been a loyal employee of Westerville Veterinary Clinic for over four years. He is our Care Team Lead who takes care of all of the boarding and daycare dogs/cats. He makes sure pups have fun the whole time they stay with us, even if it’s just for a day!

Skylar has a love for animals and sports. He spends his free time with his family, and his pets Lucy, a 3 year old pit bull mix and his cockatoo Murphy. He loves watching MMA and playing UFC.

He acquired his love for sports from wrestling in high school and playing football. His love for sports was so strong that he played football for a week with a broken thumb and even won a wrestling tournament with 9 stitches in his ankle.

Skylar is what we call “Mr. Do it all”. He is our go to guy for doing things around the clinic. He helped the staff with, Dr. Giancola, paint the exam rooms and the treatment area. He works hard to make sure not only the patients are happy, but the clients as well.

Katie is one of our newer employees, but is already proving how wonderful she is.

Katie works as our Kennel Technician, where she takes care of your pets while they are boarding or just here for a play day in daycare.

She has a deep love for animals that stems from growing up with 4H where she would take care of all kinds of animals! This includes goats, chickens, cows, horses and ducks. She started her 4H club when she was 7 years old and is now a 4H advisor. She also has many pets at home including her beautiful horse Spencer, who she has had for 11 years.

Katie is currently in school for criminal justice where she hopes to become an animal cruelty investigator and help pets who are being abused or in bad situations.

We are more than happy to have Katie as a part of the WestVets family!