Hello! I'm Dr. Kelley Wallace, veterinarian, DVM. I graduated from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama in 2002 with an undergraduate degree and a bachelor's of microbiology, and I graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine with a doctorate of veterinary medicine in 2006.
Why did you choose this profession?
I chose this profession because, like most veterinarians, it's just what I always wanted to do. As a young child, I always wanted to play with dogs and cats, and it was just a passion that I was naturally drawn to. Some people struggle with finding what they want to do or don't really have a passion or a drawing to a certain field. For me, I was naturally drawn to veterinary medicine as a young child. I knew that's what I wanted to do from day one, and that's what I pursued.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job has to be forming relationships with the clients, the owners, the pet parents, and then watching their pets grow from puppies to adults into their senior years. I also love surgery. It's a passion of mine. Surgery can be quite fulfilling because you can fix the pet almost instantly, as opposed to medicine which can take many visits. But sometimes medicine is very rewarding because with some medications and tweaks of things, you can really change the life of the pet.
What are your personal hobbies and interests?
My personal hobbies and interests include traveling. I'm a world traveler. I love to go hiking and be outside. My family and I like to go to national parks and explore those. I love to knit and cross stitch. I'm also very athletic; I grew up playing soccer, softball, and competitive swimming. Currently, I've gotten into running. I run weekly, and my current love is attending the Run Disney events in Disney World and Disneyland, participating in various events like 5ks and 10ks. Recently, I completed a half marathon and in the future, I hope to complete a marathon and possibly do the Dopey Challenge at Disney World, where you do a 5k, a 10k, a half marathon, and a full marathon. We'll see if that happens.
Can you tell us about your career journey?
As I mentioned, I went to Auburn University from 2002 to 2006 for veterinary school and graduated in 2006. I met my husband in undergraduate school. He was living in Atlanta, so after I graduated in 2006, I moved to Atlanta. I worked in three different practices in Atlanta from 2006 to 2019. I was an associate veterinarian in various parts of west Atlanta, north-central Atlanta, and east Atlanta areas. In 2019, I decided it was time to own a practice, be my own boss, and get into ownership. I found Catawba Heights Animal Hospital, met with Dr. White, and in April of 2019, I purchased Catawba Heights Animal Hospital from Dr. White. It has been the biggest blessing in our life. I absolutely love every aspect of ownership. I love being able to see the clients, make the decisions, and create that really wholesome family-oriented atmosphere here at the hospital. We are locally owned and operated with no corporate involvement, which is a passion of mine. Being here at Catawba Heights for the past five years has been the best decision I ever made. I absolutely adore all of our clients and all of our pets. We have the nicest, sweetest clients, and some of the best pets. Every day is a joy to come to work. I never knew that you could truly love your job until I purchased Catawba Heights, and since then, it has been an absolute dream being here with this community and clientele. It’s just absolutely amazing. It's been an amazing adventure.
Are you a member of any professional associations?
I am a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the North Carolina American Veterinary Medical Association here locally.
How do you participate in the community?
We participate in some of the school fundraisers locally, like Belmont Central or Belmont Middle School. We also support our local YMCA with memberships for our staff and sponsor some of their teams and events, like a recent ladies' night out. I like to give back to the community and work with those around us with their pets and kids. We also work with the local Boy Scout groups. Recently, a Cub Scout pack was here working on their veterinary badge, and I’m working with a couple of Boy Scouts to earn their veterinary badge to help them work towards their Eagle Scout. We're very family-oriented, and from time to time, you might see my kids here. They think coming to work is the best thing ever—seeing the pets, looking at things under the microscope, looking at x-rays, seeing the pet's teeth being cleaned or the surgeries. It really fills them up and lets them know that pets are something to be taken care of. They enjoy seeing the clients and the pets as well. So, if you see some little kids running around here from time to time when you stop by, they're probably mine.
Do you have any pets?
I have a couple of animals. I have Cheyenne, an English Bulldog, Norman, an English Bulldog, and Hazel, who is kind of a pity mix. A client of ours found her on the side of the road about a year and a half ago, and she ended up at my house. She’s in her senior years, so she’s living her best life as a geriatric dog in my home and has fallen in love with my husband. We have two cats at the house, Jet and Earl, and a lizard, a bearded dragon named Crouton, because when we got him, he was the size of a crouton. At the hospital, we have four cats. There's the red one, Mr. Red, a black and white one, Miss Kitty, a rather large rotund brown tabby, Rocky, who is a lovely, sweet boy, and another black and white one, Blackie. Blackie and Rocky came to us as owner relinquishments due to a living situation, and they love being here. Rocky loves the clients and loves to sit up front, so you might see them around the office as well.
If you have any other questions, please give us a call at (704) 827-0616. You can also email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we are able. Don't forget to follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram