About Our Hospital

Even as a child, Dr. Connie Kirk was fascinated by how things worked—everything from electricity to engines to living things inspired her to learn more. Animal anatomy and physiology held her interest the longest, and she read everything she could get her hands on regarding those subjects. As she got older, one thing became quite obvious: for Dr. Kirk, a career in veterinary medicine was the only choice that made sense!

Dr. Kirk was born in Pennsylvania as the youngest of four girls, then moved with her family to an upstate New York farmhouse at the age of five. She was fortunate to have dogs, cats, ducks and horses as she grew up. She also had the opportunity to help various species of injured and orphaned wildlife. After high school, she joined the United States Army, where she received her first formal veterinary training and became a Veterinary Technician. Dr. Kirk worked with many wonderful veterinarians along the way, all of whom encouraged her to attend veterinary school herself. She took the plunge and began her training, graduating from Ross University with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2002.

After working in various private and corporate practices as an Associate Veterinarian and later as a Medical Director, Dr. Kirk decided to pursue her long-time dream of owning her own practice. Almost from the moment she walked through the doors of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, she knew it was the perfect fit! Dr. Kirk took ownership of the hospital in March of 2015, and loves working with her wonderful team to provide compassionate, client-centered care for the area’s pets. Dr. Kirk particularly enjoys the hands-on work of surgery, wound care, and dentistry. She also has a passion for exotic pet medicine and surgery. She has many years of experience with birds, reptiles, rabbits and other small mammals, and some marsupials as well!

Dr. Kirk and her husband, Ken—who is largely responsible for Dr. Kirk’s decision to go to veterinary school and is now a tremendous help behind the scenes here at the clinic—live here in Salisbury with several pets of their own. They have two goofy rescued Akitas, Zumi and Mishu, and a beautiful Amazon parrot named Abby. At work, Dr. Kirk also has a rescued green iguana named Vern, and Sophie, a sassy young Amazon parrot that you might hear singing, crying, whistling or conversing with herself during your visit to SAMS!

When she isn’t spending time with her own pets or caring for animals here at the clinic, Dr. Kirk enjoys spending time with her son Alan, her daughter Traci, and her grandchildren. She and Ken are also motorcycle enthusiasts and enjoy taking advantage of the many great motorcycle roads in North Carolina and neighboring states.

When she has free time, Karrie enjoys fishing, camping and hiking. She lives with her loving husband, Brandon, daughter, Scarlett and six pets of her own: Skittles, a cat who acts like a dog; a Chihuahua named Riley who is terrified of Skittles; an energetic Puggle named Scooby; Bella the Staffordshire Bull Terrier; Nala the Chihuahua; and Ellie the Standard Poodle.

Katlyn and her husband, Josh, have two loveable black Labradors at home: Ansley and Essie. In her free time, Katlyn loves going drag-racing, playing volleyball, going to the beach, and spending time with her family. If Katlyn had to describe herself as an animal, it would be a Panda - because she's cute and always hungry.

Jodi joined the team in 2023. When she is not working, you can find her visiting different vineyards and spending time with her family. Her one and only cat, Weener, is also photographed with her. A fun fact about Jodi is that she owned and operated her very own pet sitting business for 18 years!

When she’s not busy manning our front desk or tending to her family (two and four legged), Jamie enjoys reading, hiking, camping, running, and learning new skills on how to be self-sufficient. Her lifelong goal is to hike through the Appalachian Trail.

Outside of work, Gina is a passionate baker and loves to try new recipes. She is notorious for bringing in birthday goodies for her coworkers. Gina and her significant other, Tim, share their lives with Cara, a Rottweiler and Vader, an Akita.

In 2022, Lucy was looking for an internship, which she needed in order to apply to veterinary school. She joined the Small Animal Medicine & Surgery team as a kennel technician and has since been cross trained as a veterinary assistant. Professionally, Lucy loves the unpredictable aspect of the job. No two days are the same, no two patients are the same. She also enjoys learning from Dr. Kirk and her colleagues. In her spare time, Lucy can usually be found at the bowling alley. She and her family play on multiple leagues throughout the week and are very competitive. Her long term goal is to go to veterinary school and earn her DVM.

Outside of the clinic, David enjoys spending time with his wife, Janie, and their son, Zachary. The family has two rescue dogs: ButchE, a pit bull mix, and Oreo, a lab mix. ButchE is David’s shadow and loves to accompany him to the local coffee house as often as possible. In addition to his passion for animals, you can find him outdoors in nature, fishing, and cooking on the grill. If David had to describe himself as an animal, it would be a Seahorse - He enjoys the water, but can't swim that fast.

Renée, our newest team member, joined Small Animal Medicine and Surgery in 2024. Renée has multiple pets running around the house including, 5 Dogs: Beckham, Juliete, Baby Girl, Harley & Bane, 4 Cats: Butterball, Sunshine, Iggy Pop & Loki and 2 Guinea Pigs: Pierre and Pepe. She enjoys working in her yard and planting flowers.

Vern has been with Dr. Kirk since 2011. His branch management skills are second to none! A graduate of Jungle University, Vern’s interests include sunbathing, leaves, and green energy.

Sophie comes to us from deep in the Amazon (Okay, she was actually born in Florida, but she is a Yellow Nape Amazon parrot). She spent her first few years in Virginia, where she first “worked” for Dr. Kirk as Entertainment Committee Chairbird. Sophie was a natural at this position, but felt that she needed to broaden her skills. She took on the challenge of the Complaint Department Director at SAMS in June 2017. It’s a good thing that SAMS doesn’t receive very many complaints, because Sophie is much better at talking than listening, and her rendition of “Wheels on the Bus” sure won’t resolve anyone’s complaints!