Earlysville Animal Hospital

Catherine Bega, LVT

Catherine has been a licensed Veterinary Technician since she graduated from Blue Ridge Community College in 1988. She has been a member of the Earlysville Animal Hospital staff since October, 2000 and is the head of our Licensed Veterinary Technician Team.

Catherine has two Beagles, Daisy and Rascal and a cat named Goldilocks. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Melody Billups

Melody has been a Veterinary Receptionist at Earlysville Animal Hospital since November, 2008. She has lived in Greene County all her life. She lives with her husband and six dogs: 4 Shih-tzu's, 1 Yorkshire Terrier and 1 Yorkie-Lhasa Apso mix.

When not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as watching and attending Nascar races.

Leslie Cook, LVT

Leslie moved to Charlottesville in 2000 after graduating from Georgetown University with an undergraduate degree in English. She worked for two years in a small animal practice in Charlottesville, then spent two years working in an administrative position in an equine clinic. Leslie attended Blue Ridge Community College to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician and started working here right after graduation in April, 2006. 

She has two dogs, a cat, 9 chickens, and two horses. Leslie enjoys spending her free time riding and going for hikes with her dogs. Leslie lives in Earlysville with her husband, Jimmy, and two young daughters, and is happy to have found such a wonderful place to work so close to home. 

Katya Grant

Katya was born in Pskov, Russia and came to America when she was 3 years old. She joined our staff after being an intern student for a year in 2009.

In her free time she enjoys playing soccer, salsa dancing and being with her  friends and family.

She currently pet-sits and hopes to get an official business started in 2011. She lives in Charlottesville and has a cat named Kittles.

Jeannie Skelton, LVT

Jeannie was born and raised in Waynesboro. She became a Licensed Veterinary Technician in 2001 after graduating from Blue Ridge Community College and has been an employee of the hospital since April, 2003. 

She lives with her husband Joey, Chihuahua, Olive and three cats, Jane, Emmit and Clara. When not working, Jeannie enjoys spending her time with family, including three nephews, and friends.

Kim Myers

Kim is the head of our Veterinary Assistant Team.

Kim is a native of California and moved to Virginia in 2001.  She joined our staff in March, 2004 after her Corgi, Lucy, ruptured her first cruciate ligament and we got to know both Kim and Lucy very well. 

She lives in Somerset with her two dogs, two cats and horse. In her spare time, she enjoys natural horsemanship, trail riding, trap shooting and training her young border collie named Riki.

Deb Piereman, LVT

Deb moved to Charlottesville from Chesapeake, Virginia with her husband and their three dogs, Jack, Tammy, and Penelope.

She has been a Licensed Veterinary Technician for eight years and graduated from Blue Ridge Community College as part of their first distance education program. She joined our staff in January, 2009.  She has a daughter who lives in Richmond and a son who is in performing arts and lives in Chicago. Her husband, Chris, is a retired Navy Master Chief and business management consultant.

Deb has also been a volunteer for the Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue for many years and loves assisting adopters find their special pet.

Kelley Herring Shifflett

Kelley is a native of Albemarle County and has been with the practice since June, 1993. Kelley is the head of our Veterinary Receptionist Team. 

She lives in Earlysville with her husband, Stan, their son, Logan, and their cat, Ashley.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Michelle Shifflett

Michelle joined our receptionist staff in January, 2010 just in time to help us adapt to our new paperless computer system!

Michelle lives in Earlysville with her son, Dylan and dog, Zoey.

Jessica Townsend

Jessica was born and raised in Earlysville. She was home schooled from fourth grade through high school graduation. 

She joined our staff in May, 2004 and graduated from the Veterinary Assistant program through Blue Ridge Community College. 

In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing and spending time with family. Jessica currently shares her home with a cat named Molly and a mixed breed dog named Nikki.

Stephanie Williams

Stephanie joined our staff in June 2010.  She was born and raised in Greene County, where she lives with her husband and 2 children.

Stephanie has 2 dogs, a Doberman Pinscher, Raevin, a Shih Tzu, Gizmo and 2 cats, Paris and London.  She also has a pot-bellied pig named Bonnie.

She enjoys vacationing at the beach and researching her ancestry.