Dr. Jay M. Empel

Dr. Jay Empel grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. As a child he raised Manchester Terriers and his determination to take care of his puppies inspired him to become a veterinarian. He obtained his undergraduate degree from The University of Georgia in 1966 and his doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from Auburn University in 1970. In 1973 he founded Vernon Woods Animal Hospital (VWAH) with Dr. Ray Dunahoo. Since that time he has enjoyed watching it grow from a 2-doctor and 1–secretary practice to a practice employing over thirty people, including seven doctors. He currently serves as medical director of VWAH. He loves the personal relationships that he has been able to foster with both employees, clients and patients. He has special interests in internal medicine, dermatology, dentistry, and some orthopedic procedures.

Dr. Empel has been married to Elise for over thirty years. They have three children (Andrew, Ivy and Ashley)—two of which are also veterinarians! When not at the clinic he enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, playing sports and watching football. He shares his home with a very loveable golden retriever, Kylie.

Dr. Andrew M. Empel

Dr. Empel was born and raised in Atlanta. As a child he was inspired to become a veterinarian by his father and his experiences working at Vernon Woods Animal Hospital. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida in 1996 and graduated from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. In July of the same year he joined his dad at Vernon Woods Animal Hospital.

Dr Empel has special interests in internal medicine, dermatology, and orthopedics. In his free time he enjoys attending sporting events and participating in team sports, skiing, boating and spending time with his Golden retriever, Taylor.

Dr. H. Ray Dunahoo

Dr. Dunahoo was a founding member of Vernon Woods Animal Hospital with Dr. Jay Empel in 1973. He obtained both his graduate and doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from The University of Georgia. His interests lie in internal medicine and dermatology. He is one of the few doctors in Atlanta that does cosmetic ear crop surgery. Dr. Dunahoo retired in May 2007, but still occasionally sees appointments.

Dr. Kristie Wood

Dr. Kristie Wood is a 1997 graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. She attended both UGA and Georgia Tech to complete her undergraduate degree. She has been a part of the Vernon Woods Animal Hospital team since 1997. She treats dogs and cats and has a special interest in both abdominal and cardiac (ECHO) ultrasonography.

Apart from her life as a veterinarian, Dr. Wood enjoys spending time with her husband, Kyle, and her daughter, Kaitlyn. She also shares her home with three wonderful Labrador retrievers, Tanner, Dixie and Woody.

Dr. Elizabeth Nix

Dr. Nix joined Vernon Woods Animal Hospital in July 2005. She grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana and then Jacksonville, Florida. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in less than four years and then headed to the University of Florida to complete her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. While in school she was extremely active with the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) and served two years on the SAVMA Executive Committee as International Exchange Officer. She graduated in the top of her class from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. After that, she moved to Atlanta to complete a one-year internship at Georgia Veterinary Specialists. There, she worked with specialists in Internal Medicine and Oncology, Surgery, Ophthalmology, Cardiology and Dermatology. She also spent many long nights and weekends caring for patients in the GVS emergency room.

She has special interests in feline medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine and soft tissue surgery. She has four loveable kitties—Oliver, Jack, Allie and Max—and a sweet Labrador mix named Scout. Dr. Nix has a passion for international travel but when she not on the road enjoys attending concerts and sporting events (go Braves) and spending time outside with friends and family.

Dr. Stephanie Hunter

Dr. Stephanie Hunter was born in New York City, but grew up in Stone Mountain ,Ga. She graduated from St. Pius High School in Atlanta and received a double Bachelor of Science with honors majoring in biology and Health Sciences from Guilford College in North Carolina. Dr. Hunter graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007.

She has a special interest in veterinary behavior modification and animal nutrition. Out of the office, Dr. Hunter enjoys hiking, camping, and nature photography. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, including her three cats, Oliver, Piper, and William Wallace.

Dr. Chad Bishop

Dr. Chad Bishop grew up on a cattle and horse farm in Magnolia, Kentucky. His childhood experiences there inspired him to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. He earned his undergraduate degree at Western Kentucky University and then went on to earn his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University (Class of 2007).

Dr. Erin Hernandez

Dr. Hernandez joined Vernon Woods Animal Hospital in 2008. She is originally from Florida but grew up in the Atlanta area. In 2004, she graduated from University of Georgia where she was a member of the NCAA varsity equestrian team. She went on to obtain here DVM from UGA in 2008. Her special interests include soft tissue surgery, dermatology, and emergency medicine.

In her spare time, Dr. Hernandez enjoys horseback riding, hiking, and spending time with her lab mix Mason, and cat Wonton. She also fosters labrador retrievers for Labrador Friends of the South rescue group.