Meet our newest Doctor on board, Doctor Makenzie Rankin. We are very proud to have one of UGA’s finest join our team and she is already making friends with our wonderful patients! Doctor Rankin is here to be a voice for your pets and she absolutely enjoys sending them home feeling their very best. Doctor Rankin has a passion for dermatology and preventative care, and we know we definitely see a lot of itchy pets in Georgia! Please stop by to meet Doctor Rankin and ask her questions about your pet’s needs.

Meet our Hospital Manager Sandra Canales. Sandra has been with us since June of 2020, so Welcome! She moved here recently from Virginia, but has managed veterinary practices in several states. You can find her in both of our Hospitals working with Doctors and Staff to provide the gold standard services our clients deserve. She has been working with animals nearly her whole life, in addition to being a business owner and canine obedience and behavioral trainer. Sandra is dedicated to the evolution of the Veterinary field as she hopes to change the lives of as many pets and pet parents as possible. If ever you need to talk to our Manager, she is always available for you and wants to hear how we can create the best experience possible for you and your loved ones.

Jillian is Gaines School Animal Hospital’s lead technician. She has been working in the veterinary industry for 17 years. A native of Athens; she has also lived in New Mexico and Atlanta only having recently returned to her hometown. She has worked in small animal practices, emergency medicine, and managed a hospital in Lilburn; her first job was with Dr. Brewster 17 years ago!! Jillian graduated with her veterinary technician degree from Penn Foster College in October of 2019. After over a decade in the industry, getting a degree in the field has been one of her most rewarding achievements to date. She has what she would call ‘too many animals’; two dogs, two cats, a turtle, and two fish. If Jillian is not working you can find her in her garden, reading a book, spending time with her husband, or enjoying a good TV show!!!

Meet Meagan Watson. Meagan has worked as a Veterinary Assistant since June of 2017. Megan enjoys seeing our patients day in and day out, as well as working with an amazing team. Meagan specializes in offering a gentle and confident touch with some of our more nervous patients. She tells us she loves her job as much as she loves Mexican food. Meagan is currently studying to be a Licensed Veterinary Technician.

Meet Hannah! Hannah has been with us since August of 2020 and is in her 4th year at UGA studying Applied Biotechnology with minors in Ecology and Avian Biology. Hannah says her greatest experience in her position has been being surrounded by a litter of kittens and watching intricate surgeries and procedures. She has a general love of all animals but is especially fond of felines and geriatric patients. Hannah plans to use her degree to help everyone receive veterinary care regardless of financial status.

Meet Anna Kate Foshee, Anna Kate is a receptionist and assistant at our Gaines School location. She is a recent graduate in biology and ecology with a strong background in wildlife science. She shares her love of all things outdoors with her 2 adventurous dogs, 4 carefree cats, and 1 lively leopard gecko! Anna Kate loves everything that walks, swims, crawls, or slithers and hopes to be working with and studying animals in their natural habitats in the future.

Meet Joe Gwiazdzinkski, he is one of our longest running employees having been with us for 20 years. He is the inventory manager for both of our hospitals assuring we always have what we need to provide the best care for your loved ones. Joe enjoys working with our teams to help us learn about the newest advancements in animal medicine and what are the best products on the market for our patients. When Joe is not at work you can find him walking his pup; Josie, enjoying movies or playing video games.

Hi! I’m Robin, the resident groomer at Gaines School Animal Hospital. I have been grooming for 18 years, mentored by some of the best women and men in the industry. I am assisted by Marina, a Certified groomer with over a year of experience. We seek continuing education yearly and strive daily to become better people and stylists. I started my grooming career as a bather at PetSmart in 2001 and moved forward with my education, apprenticing with several Master Groomers and AKC show dog handlers/breeders. I focused on the sporting, terriers and nonsporting breeds as well as extensive education in all areas of pet grooming, including advanced training for skin care and feline grooming. The greatest grooming challenge for me, as well as the most rewarding, is transforming pets from those that are afraid of being groomed, that require extra patience, into pets that enjoy the whole experience. I am highly motivated with a unique ability to read a pets’ body language to determine how they prefer to be handled. I find each pet has its own individual and unique history to tell, and I am here to listen. Also, since coming to Gaines School Animal Hospital in 2015 and working closely with our amazing Veterinarians and support staff, I diligently work to help alleviate skin conditions, of all kinds, as prescribed and directed by the doctors. Most of my career was spent in a “Pet Spa” environment, spoiling and making your pets beautiful, utilizing technical standards and abilities, all of which I continue to utilize daily. I have also found that the marriage of veterinary care and grooming not only creates a convenient option for busy schedules, but also a complete healthy, happy life for our furry family members!

Doctor Brewster attended UGA and finished his DVM in 1988. Doctor Brewster has long since been the face of both Barber Creek Veterinary Hospital and Gaines School Animal Hospital. In September of 2020, Doctor Brewster decided it was time to retire from day to day Veterinary Medicine and focus on enjoying his family, travel, and relaxing at home.

Doctor Brewster has left us with a legacy to carry on in his honor; one of true compassion and love for not just our patients, but our community and the folks that make up our wonderful home. He is and will remain a part of these practices in one sense or another. We embrace his vision in our daily lives and will always ask ourselves; how would Doctor Brewster do it! Stay tuned though… We suspect Doctor Brewster may join us from time to time in the future to catch up with long time friends and check in on some of his patients!