MEET OUR BOARD-CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS
As The COVE’s reputation for excellent care, service and accessibility has grown, so has demand for its services. As a result, the practice has tripled the size of its staff since its founding, and now employs more than 50 highly trained team members, including board-certified veterinarians with advanced, specialized expertise. Call us to lean more about our specialists at (757) 935-9111. They include:
Cardiologist
During her residency, Dr. Small earned numerous awards, including being named outstanding resident twice by her classmates, the Bedside Manner Award bestowed by the faculty.
A true local, Dr. Small grew up in Norfolk, attended Old Dominion University, and is deeply embedded in the fabric of life in Hampton Roads. She has been a member of the viola section in Symphonicity, the Symphony Orchestra of Virginia Beach, for over 20 years.
In addition to the satisfaction Dr. Small receives serving the community she calls home, she also enjoys gardening, and spending time with her husband, son, and pets.
Jeff T. Stallings, DVM, DACVS
Surgeon
After completing his DVM and an internship in small animal medicine and surgery, Dr. Stallings worked as an emergency veterinarian for a year prior to entering a three-year surgical residency at the University of Florida. After his residency, Dr. Stallings moved his family to Maryland to work in a referral practice before returning to the Tidewater region, where he established a mobile surgery service. His practice moved to a fixed location many years ago where he proudly offered pet owners and referring veterinarians the latest techniques in soft-tissue, orthopedic, oncologic, and neurologic surgical procedures.
As a Co-founder of The COVE, Dr. Stallings has been encouraged to pursue his dream by his supportive family.
Colleen Fox, DVM, CSAVP Dentistry
Dentistry and Oral Surgery
After earning her bachelor of science and DVM degrees at Cornell University, Dr. Fox has called Virginia home since 1998. She developed a deep passion for veterinary dentistry when she discovered how dramatically a pet’s quality of life and longevity could be improved through proactive oral health protocols and advanced corrective and restorative procedures to treat infection and oral pain. She is highly proficient in employing leading-edge veterinary dentistry technologies, techniques, and materials.
Dr. Fox has traveled thousands of miles and devoted countless hours to advance her dental knowledge and skills through continuing education and practice. She is a member of the American Veterinary Dental Society and has limited her practice to dentistry as a DVM. In 2020, she earned a Certificate of Small Animal Veterinary Practice/Dentistry (CSAVP Dentistry) at the University of Luxembourg in cooperation with the European School for Advanced Veterinary Studies (ESAVS). The CSAVP testifies that an intermediary level of theoretical and clinical competence (as defined by the leading European veterinary organizations) has been obtained in a chosen discipline.
In recognition of her innovative veterinary practice as well as her service to the community, Dr. Fox was honored in 2012 as one of Inside Business magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40 in Hampton Roads.” In 2017, she was awarded Inside Business – The Hampton Roads Business Journal’s with a Woman in Business Achievement Award.
Alicia Thomas, DVM
Emergency Care
Dr. Thomas was born and raised in Midlothian, Virginia, and is excited to be living back in her home state. She shares her home with Penni, a four-year-old Golden Retriever, and Lily, a cat she hand-raised since its birth in 2008. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Christine Reid , DVM
Emergency Care
Dr. Christine Reid studied Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Maryland before starting her veterinary education at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated in 2016 with numerous awards including Surgical Proficiency, Oncology, and Patient Care. Dr. Reid spent her first 2 years at a busy general practice in North Carolina where she expanded and honed her skills in surgery, diagnostics, and time management. Since that time, she has used and expanded those skills exclusively in the emergency medical field.
Her professional passions include the care of critically ill patients, surgery, and pain management. She is a member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society as well as the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management and is working towards becoming a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner.
Dr. Reid is a single mom to her 3-year-old daughter. They share their home with a Great Dane, a cat, and a turtle. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her family, reading, music, coloring, and video games.
Arriana Williams, DVM
Emergency Care
Dr. Williams obtained her DVM from Western University of Health Sciences in 2019, and a BS in Biology from South Carolina State University in 2014. She also did two externships at The COVE during her 4th year in veterinary school. Her interests include ultrasound, ophthalmology, soft tissue surgery and urology.
Her favorite part of her career is being able to utilize the special bond she has with animals and knowing she has the knowledge and skills to make a difference in their lives. During her free time, Dr. Williams likes to spend time with her kids, go to the beach, kayak, and cook with her family.
BVetMed, MRCVS
SA Rotating Intern
6/14/2021 – 6/10/2022
Dr. Vesterman is a Hampton Roads native; she grew up in Norfolk and is so excited to be back! She obtained her BS in biology from Sweet Briar College in 2016, and received her veterinary medicine degree from the Royal Veterinary College in the UK in May 2021.
Dr. Vesterman joins the COVE to complete a Small Animal Rotating Internship. This internship provides licensed Veterinarians an intensive year of training and mentorship in a mult-displinary facility and support from highly trained and experienced clinicians.
In Dr. Vesterman’s free time, she likes to run, bake, read, and spend time with her partner, their friends and families, and their 3 pets (Abby, a Pit Bull mix; Petri, a tabby cat; and Tiki, a red-rumped parrot).
Nicolette Brinkman, DVM
Emergency Care
Christian Lapp, DVM
Emergency Care
Leah Simons, DVM
Emergency Care
Dr. Simons is originally from New York and received her DVM from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating veterinary school she completed a small animal rotating internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey. She moved to Virginia after her internship and has been working as an emergency doctor in the Richmond area ever since. Dr. Simons appreciates the ability to have variety in her work life and supplements her time with frequent freelance work at emergency and general practice hospitals in the Richmond area. Even though she does not live nearby she is grateful for the opportunity to work at The COVE on a regular basis and is always in awe of the compassion and care that is provided to her patients and clients by her fellow staff members. She is a current member of the AVMA and VECCS.
In her free time, Dr. Simons enjoys yoga, pottery, exploring the outdoors, and spoiling her 3-legged cat Millipede (AKA MIllie).
Laurie Granata, DVM
Emergency Care
Dr. Granata graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. Since then she has worked in general practice, emergency/referral, and mobile ultrasound. Her special interests include ultrasound, surgery, and critical care. An original New Yorker, Dr. Granata moved to Virginia in 2014 and is enjoying southern living with her husband, son, and two dogs, Robert and Walker.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and backpacking in the national parks.
