Meet the Andrews Veterinarian Hospital Team
OUR OWNERS
Shanna Baker, DVM- Clinic Owner / Medical Director
Dr. Shanna Baker, an Eastern North Carolina native, has 24 years of veterinary experience in both large and small animal medicine. Dr. Baker prides herself in practicing quality medicine with a strong focus on client communication. Her positive attitude is infectious and we are excited to be bringing a DVM with her skills and experience to our area. Being a veterinarian is not just a job, but a lifestyle to Dr. Baker. She prides herself in being able to rise to any challenge and her primary interests include intriguing medical cases, critical care, preventative care, geriatric care, and hospice care. Dr. Baker enjoys working with owners and animals and seeing positive outcomes in both breeding and routine medicine.
Shanna Baker has not only dedicated her professional life to animals but also her personal life. She has spent the majority of her adult life living on a small farm complete with horses, goats, a mini pig, multiple dogs and cats, and a variety of reptiles. Dr. Baker grew up in Greenville, NC, obtained a Biology degree from ECU, and then in 1997 obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University. She then proceeded to Mississippi State University to pursue an equine internship and residency program up until 2000.
Dr. Baker originally started her veterinary career in Virginia as an equine mobile veterinarian for 6 years. Dr. Baker then found her way back to North Carolina and worked for 3H Veterinary Service for an additional 7 years. Throughout Dr. Baker’s time as an equine veterinarian, she experienced a series of unfortunate work-related injuries that lead her to a career as a small animal veterinarian. While her professional veterinary career started in equine medicine, she has found her passion lies in small animal medicine.
While Dr. Baker truly LOVES all animals, she has become quite the French Bulldog enthusiast and is excited to enjoy the mountain lifestyle with her 3 Frenchies and expansive crew of other household pets and livestock that will be relocating with her.
Besides working with and caring for animals, Dr. Shanna Baker is an outdoor enthusiast and self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie. In her free time, she enjoys planting, gardening, and any opportunity to be outdoors.
Leah Abrams- Clinic Owner / Registered Veterinary Technician
Leah grew up just over the mountains in a small town in East Tennessee. Leah graduated from Hiwassee College in 1997 where she went on a full basketball scholarship. She then moved to Tennessee Wesleyan University, where she graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science. Shortly after, she obtained her degree in Veterinary Technology at St Petersburg College.
Leah is a Registered Veterinary Technician that has been in veterinary medicine for over 20 years now. She has special interests in behavior, dentistry, and hands-on nursing. Leah has also completed the Fear Free certification and tries to make every visit less stressful for both the owner and the patient.
In 2014 Leah moved to Andrews, NC after purchasing AVH and served as the managing owner and Practice Manager. Leah devotes her life and strives every day to make sure Andrews Veterinary Hospital Veterinary Hospital is the best veterinary hospital in the area. Leah currently lives in Murphy with her wife and their crew of seven dogs and five cats, two of which are special needs. When not working Leah spends as much time as she can outdoors trail running, mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, and camping. A fun fact about Leah is that she is insane lol- she is a long-distance ultra runner and actually thinks running super long distances (we are talking 25-100 miles at a single time) is fun! If you are out on our local trails, chances are you may spot Leah out running, hiking, or biking with her wife and their canine running crew, which includes Eddie the walker hound mix, and Juneau and Journey the border collies.
Our Associate Veterinarians
Taylor Martin, DVM / Veterinary Surgeon
Dr. Taylor Martin is a native of Chattanooga, TN. She graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. She is a fear-free certified professional and certified feline-friendly practitioner. Her goal is to provide your pet with excellent, low-stress care. Dr. Martin is a skilled veterinary surgeon and her professional interests include feline medicine and ophthalmology.
Dr. Martin is our resident “cat lady” and she is usually spotted wearing at least one item of cat-themed clothing or jewelry. Dr. Martin’s hobbies include competing in triathlons, running, biking, skiing, and exploring America’s national parks. If you have ever noticed what looks like two flashes of light or 2 comments flying down Main Street around lunchtime, chances are that it is Dr. Martin and our Practice Manager Leah forgoing their lunch break for a quick run.
When she is not working or working out, Dr. Martin enjoys spending time with her husband Eric (who is also a DVM) and twin stepdaughters. They have one dog, a lizard, and too many cats. Recently, Dr. Martin became an official Iron Man after competing in the Chattanooga, TN Iron Man.
Cynthia Post, BSc, MSc, DVM
Dr. Post, originally from Ontario, Canada moved to Cherokee County about 8 years ago after selling her veterinary practice. Dr. Post and her husband Jeff, like many of us fell in love with the area and decided it was the perfect place to call home and “retire.” Since “retiring”, Dr. Post has been working part-time at Andrews Veterinary Hospital for about 7 years now. We at AVH are so glad that Dr. Post does not seem to know what the word “retire” means and we don’t plan on ever telling her either.
Dr. Post and Jeff live in Robbinsville where they run a busy bed and breakfast. She has a passion for helping animals and is also a wildlife rehabilitator, specializing in opossums, and volunteers at the Wildlife Center in Asheville. She and her husband Jeff have a crew of canines and enjoy riding their motorcycles and hiking.
OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES
OUR VETERINARY NURSES
Beth
Beth has been working in the veterinary field since 1998, has 24 years of experience in veterinary medicine, and loves working with animals of all kinds. She is originally from Florida and moved here with her husband and son in 2008. She brings diversity to AVH as she is cross-trained in small animals, large animals, and exotic pets.
Beth resides in Andrews with her husband, son, and their “small” menagerie of pets including 3 dogs, 3 cats, and an aquarium of community fish. Outside of work, Beth likes to spend time with her family, hike, fish, bike, read and garden.
Beth has been with us at AVH for many years now and her skill, knowledge, and dedication are so greatly appreciated. Her nickname around the clinic is Beth the builder as she always takes charge of helping us fix lots of odds and ends.
Dillon
Dillion began working in the veterinary medicine field in 2010 at the tender age of 15. While he is sometimes superficially known as “the guy with the super cool car” (he is the proud owner of a new head-turning Ford Bronco), there is more to him. Dillion, originally from Florida, lived in many places in the Southeast, before settling in the Western North Carolina area.
Dillon holds a degree from Haywood College in Natural Resource Management with a specialization in Forest Management Technologies and loves the outdoors. In his free time, Dillion loves spending as much time as he can with family, reading, hunting, and fishing. Dillion has a 24-year-old African Grey Parrot named Fletcher, a 6-month-old Rottweiler, named Freya, and a Pit Bull named Tucker.
Christine (Chris)
Christine recently relocated to WNC from Knoxville TN. While originally from Philadelphia, PA, Christine has lived in the South since the age of seven, after her family relocated to TN. Christine graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2001 with a Master of Science after obtaining a Bachelor of Science with a dual major in Biology and Chemistry and a minor in Animal Science also from UTK. Following college, she spent 7 years teaching High School Advanced Placement and Honors Biology and then spent 15 years as a Realtor/Real Estate Broker. In 2020 Christine returned to her science roots and is currently enrolled at Penn Foster working on obtaining a Veterinary Technology Degree.
Christine has two adult daughters, Kylie (20) and Hannah (18) and her wife has a combined crew of 7 dogs and 5 cats (2 of which are special needs). In her free time, Christine enjoys spending time outdoors, trail running, mountain biking, camping, backpacking, kayaking, and her newest addiction, tropical fish aquariums. Christine also has a special love of power tools and enjoys woodworking, building things, completing DIY projects, and repairing and fixing things. At AVH Christine works as a veterinary nurse as well as overseeing IT, marketing, and advertising. While she loves all animals, her favorite dog breed of all time is the border collie and has two of her own- Juneau and Journey.
Mincey
Mincey was born and raised in Western North Carolina. While she loves animals of all shapes and sizes. However, she holds a special place in her heart for big dogs Mincey like many of us at AVH wears multiple hats. While Mincey originally joined AVH as a Veterinary Assistant, she recently started also working as a front desk receptionist and excels at both positions. Mincey is currently enrolled at Penn Foster in the Veterinary Technician Program as well.
In her free time, when not working, or doing school work she loves working on anything with a motor, traveling, enjoying the great outdoors, and spending time with her high school sweetheart and wonderful boyfriend of 8 years, Gage, and their much loved (and super cute) 3-year-old heeler/hound mix named Belair. Mincey and her boyfriend Gage both are car lovers and Belair is appropriately named after one of their favorite cars. Belair constantly entertains them as she loves to chase after pretty much anything that moves, especially their goats and her favorite toy, which is, of course, a toy tire. If you see a great view, especially during sunset, that’s likely where you will find Mincey, Gage, and Belair as they soak up the beauty of the great outdoors.
Abby