Leadership

The Critter Fixer of Central Florida

Dr. James Bogan is a 1994 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is double board certified through ABVP in canine and feline practice as well as reptile and amphibian practice. Additionally, he is a certified aquatics veterinarian through the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association. James has also been a member of ARAV since 1994 and served as treasurer from October 2014 through 2017. He is the owner of a mobile practice, The Critter Fixer of Central Florida, as well as the Chief Veterinary Officer for Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.

His veterinary interests include medicine and surgery of snakes and crocodilians.

Avian and Exotics Department, The Animal Medical Center

Dr. La’Toya Latney is an Assistant Professor and Service Head for Clinical Zoo and Exotic Animal Medicine Services at PennVet. As Cornell undergrad alum and Ross Veterinary school alum, Dr. Latney then finished her last year at Louisiana State University, home of raptors and reptiles, under the tutelage of Mark Mitchell DVM, PhD, DECZM (Herp), Thomas Tully, DVM, MS, DABVP-Avian, ECZM (Avian), David Sanchez Migallon Guzman, LSV, MS, DECZM (Small Mammal, Avian), DACZM (Avian), and Javier Nevarez, DVM, MS, PhD, DECZM (Herp), DACZM (Herp). Latney then completed an all exotics internship under Heidi Hoefer, DVM DABVP (Avian), at Island Exotics Veterinary Care in Long Island, NY. After completing the Exotics Residency at PennVet, Latney has remained at PennVet for 9.5 years and serves as a consulting veterinarian for Brandywine Zoo and Elmwood Park Zoo. At PennVet, she teaches 4 courses, including a 16-hour course on reptile medicine and surgery. In addition to serving as a clinical instructor on service at PennVet for fourth year students, Latney serves turtle rehabilitation laboratory instructor for the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association (NWRA), and lectures regularly on reptile medicine and surgery at NWRA, CVC, PVMA, NYSWRC, FWRA, and NAVC. For students, Dr. Latney hosts reptile handling laboratories biannually for the Special Species Symposium at PennVet and most recently at the national SAVMA symposium, in which 40 students were in attendance for two 2 hour laboratories. She serves as a proud mentor who has trained 8 specialty interns, one of whom co-chairs the Education Committee for ARAV.

She is a diplomat of the European College of Zoo Medicine (Zoo Health management) and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Reptile and Amphibian specialty. She is credentialed to sit for the American College of Zoological Medicine specialty exam 2018. Most of her publications review reptile and amphibian nutrition and novel treatment approaches, and a brief overview can be found at http://www.vet.upenn.edu/people/faculty-clinician-search/LA'TOYALATNEY. Her special interests include adaptive critical care, reptile nutrition, comparative anatomy, novel development of surgical techniques, evidence based medicine, infectious diseases, and classical Indian dance.

I am currently a PhD candidate at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. I completed my undergraduate degree at the
University of California, Santa Cruz, earning a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavior. Then I completed my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences in 2013. Since graduating veterinary school, I’ve completed internships in both emergency and critical care and small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced in the Marathon Veterinary Hospital in the Florida Keys. I’ve continued practicing both emergency and zoological medicine during my PhD. My dissertation topic focuses on the development of artificial reproductive technologies in captive reptiles as a translational model for endangered species. I’ve authored and co-authored peer reviewed journal articles and popular press articles for Reptiles Magazine; in addition to book chapters in Mader’s Reptile Medicine and Surgery, Current Therapy in Exotic Pet Practice and Veterinary Clinics of North America. My professional interests include, Theriogenology in zoological species, specifically reptiles and amphibians, minimally invasive imaging and surgery, emergency and critical care in exotic species, and aquatic animal medicine.

Pekin Animal Hospital

Dr. Kourtney Grimm graduated with her DVM from the University of Illinois in 2012. Like most, she has been an animal lover all her life, but reptiles became her focus after receiving a Fulbright Scholarship to study sea turtles in Costa Rica prior to starting vet school. She continued pursuing her passion in exotic animal medicine during school and practice with mentorship and continuing education, specifically through organizations like ARAV. She is twice published on Leptospiral seroprevalence studies, one of which is focused on Blanding’s turtles and printed in the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery. Community outreach is another passion of Dr. Grimm’s, and she has given presentations at schools, scouting events, libraries, and local herpetology clubs discussing exotic/reptile animal care. She is currently working under her long-time mentor and friend, Dr. Nikki Johnson (ARAV past president), at Pekin Animal Hospital in central Illinois. There, she is able to provide high quality medical and surgical care to exotics and specifically enjoys her reptile patients. She is also the main veterinarian for Wildlife Prairie Park, an 1800-acre zoological park that is home to 60 different species and over 150 animals that are or were native to the area and helps care for their reptile and amphibian population. A larger and more diverse reptile caseload has allowed her to explore the opportunity of pursuing the practitioner pathway for ABVP Reptile and Amphibian Boards. She has also  previously served as an ARAV Development Committee Co-Chair.

Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital of Georgia

Stacey Leonatti Wilkinson is a 2006 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Since that time she has been an associate veterinarian at Avian and Exotic Animal Care in Raleigh, NC, a practice devoted exclusively to the care of exotic animals. She recently left that position to start her own practice, Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital of Georgia, in the Savannah, GA area, continuing to treat only exotics. Stacey became an ABVP Diplomate of Reptile and Amphibian medicine in 2013. She has been a member of ARAV since 2006, and has been the chair or co-chair of the In Depth Session at the annual conference every year since 2011. She has also spoken at the conference and served as a lab instructor, and is a member of the Legislative and Animal Welfare Committee.

She is very excited about the position of treasurer and the opportunity it provides to become more involved in ARAV. The ARAV does an excellent job of serving and representing exotic animal veterinarians. She believes her experience as a private practitioner in the trenches would be a great fit for this. She and her husband have a collection of over 50 reptiles, and her favorite reptile is the Grand Cayman blue iguana, which she finally got a chance to see in their native habitat this past year.

Oasis Veterinary Hospital

Louisa Asseo is the proud owner of Oasis Veterinary Hospital in Martinez, CA. She opened this small animal and exotic animal medicine full service hospital in the East Bay of San Francisco, CA in April 2016.

She has been an active member of the Association of Amphibian and Reptilian Veterinarians (ARAV) since graduating from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002.

She has been serving on the ARAV committee for membership and PR since 2011 and has since served as the co-chair of this committee since 2013.

Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital

Anna-Marie Ruoff grew up in Colorado surrounded by nature, wildlife, and a small zoo of exotic pets. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology at Pomona College with a senior thesis project on lizard ambulation. Ruoff worked as a technician at an exotic animal exclusive hospital before veterinary school, broadening her experience with exotic pet medicine. She earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences in 2018. She joined Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital for an internship in exotic animal medicine, stayed with the practice to complete a residency in reptile and amphibian medicine, and is now an associate veterinarian. Ruoff enjoys exploring reptile behavior, enrichment, and training — both in practice and with her own pets. Ruoff also loves tea, hiking, and both solving and writing crossword puzzles. She has been a member of ARAV since she was a veterinary technician.

VCA All Pets Hospital

Kelly Rockwell is an associate veterinarian at All Pets Hospital in San Francisco, CA where she oversees the exotic care service. She graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017 where she managed the Wildlife Medical Clinic and began her career in reptile-focused research under the guidance of Dr. Mark Mitchell DVM, PhD, DECZM (Herp). She followed this with a rotating internship in Monterey, CA, then zoological medicine internship at Louisiana State University before returning to the west coast for private practice. She has authored several peer reviewed journal articles on reptile clinical medicine and epidemiology in addition to book chapters in Mader’s Reptile Medicine and Surgery, Manual of Exotic Pet Practice, and Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery. She plans to pursue board certification through American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in reptile and amphibian practice as well as a PhD in reptile epidemiology. She also enjoys teaching veterinary students in exotic pet and wildlife medicine. She has been a member of ARAV since veterinary school.

Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine

Dr. Elizabeth Hyde grew up in North Carolina. She attended North Carolina State University, graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences with minors in zoology and nutrition, and again in 2017 with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hyde completed a small animal rotating internship at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and an exotic animal medicine and surgery internship at Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital. She is now an associate veterinarian with the Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine in Bothell, WA, and is focused on emergency and critical care medicine for exotic animals. Dr. Hyde has been a member of ARAV since 2013 and looks forward to representing the ARAV general membership through the Member-At-Large position.

Abby Needleman currently practices exclusively with exotic medicine in a specialty department at a large referral facility. The majority of her day is spent educating clients, technicians, and colleagues on preventative care, natural habitats, as well as humane and ethical management of exotic mammals. As a clinical veterinarian exclusively practicing exotic medicine, a wide range of reptile and amphibian patients make up her caseload. Exotics have become an increasingly popular pet as clients are more and more interested in seeking high quality veterinary care. ARAV stands to set that standard of high quality care for reptiles and amphibians while bringing new and creative ideas to the forefront. I am excited to be an instrumental part of making these ideas a reality.