Staff Members

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James C. Peterson
Veterinarian, DVM & Practice Owner
Dr. Jim purchased the Highway Veterinary Hospital from Dr. Wallop in July 1981. His education includes a BS in Biology from Virginia Tech, a BS in Animal and Poultry Science from Tuskegee University and his DVM from Tuskegee University in May 1979. His special areas of interest in veterinary medicine include soft-tissue surgery and treating pocket pets. Dr. Jim, his wife Chris, and 8-1/2 year old daughter Alex have a variety of pets including Cara, a beautiful King Shepherd dog; Kiwi, a sweet little rescued chihuahua dog; Wink, Cartier and Mango, all domestic short hair cats, and 2 rabbits-the newest additions to the family. Dr. Jim's outside interests and hobbies include landscaping, collecting koi fish, boating, and having daddy/daughter days with Alex.

Patricia J. M. Painter
Veterinarian, DVM
Dr. Patty began working for Dr. Jim at the young age of 16, and has held every position at the practice at one time or another, including Receptionist, Kennel Assistant, Veterinary Assistant, Veterinary Nurse and now Associate Veterinarian! It has been Dr. Patty's life-long dream to become a veterinarian, and she states that "Dr. Jim was a very integral part of me actually getting here". Dr. Patty graduated from Bowie High School in 1987, and went on the receive her undergraduate degree from University of Maryland at College Park in 1991. She was accepted into the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine and received her DVM degree from there in 1995. She worked as a military veterinarian in Louisiana for 3 years, and then in private practice in Georgia for 3 years before returning to Maryland and Highway Vet in January of 2001. Dr. Patty is a member of the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Greytvets, an online Greyhound chat community. Her areas of interest in veterinary medicine include Greyhound medicine, working dog medicine (military and police dogs), behavior, nutrition and radiology. Dr. Patty recently married, and puts most of her time into being mother to a wonderful boy and 2 adopted daughers, as well as a variety of dogs and cats! Dr. Patty enjoys reading, going to the beach, weight training and spending time with her entire family.

Mickey Owen
Practice Manager
Mickey has been employed at Highway Veterinary Hospital since October 1996. She holds the position of Practice Manager, overseeing the daily operations of the clinic. She received her BBA in Small Business Management from Radford University in 1993. Mickey's pets include Hairy - a 13 year old Siamese mix cat, Kayleigh - an approximately 5 year old American Pit Bull Terrier and Deboe - an approximately 5 year old Rottweiler/Shepherd mix. Mickey's dog Kayleigh is a blood donor, and comes to work with her mom every 7 weeks to give her blood to the folks from Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank (EVBB), but only in exchange for lots of treats! Mickey's outside interests include crossword puzzles, playing pool and motorcycle riding.


Christine Peterson
Hospital Director

Chris Holmes
Pet Care Specialist
Chris has been with Highway Veterinary Hospital for 5 years as our primary Pet Care Specialist. He is an integral part of our practice, not only taking top-notch care of our patients, but also maintaining the facility and hospital grounds and performing countless other duties and functions in, around and for the practice. Chris owns a 6 year old Shepherd mix named Blaze, a 3 year old Himalayan cat named Jinx (from the movie "Meet the Parents", of course!) and a very cool kitty named Thai that is a polydactyl, which means that she has extra toes on her paws. Chris enjoys spending time at the dog park with Blaze, attending local music concerts, video games and reading. Chris' dog Blaze has helped to save the lives of other dogs by being a canine blood donor. The Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank (EVBB) comes to Highway Vet every 7 weeks for a blood drive, and Blaze comes to volunteer his blood and to get the yummy treats they give him!



Chrissy Tracy
Receptionist
Chrissy is the smiling voice that has been answering the phones and greeting our clients here for almost 2 years. In addition to caring for our client's pets, she also cares for 4 of her own: Nick, a 14-year old mixed dog; Flounder and Pinto, almost 2-year old lab mixed dogs; and Fiesty, a very fiesty rescued kitty. Chrissy enjoys spending time with her pets, caring for animals, NASCAR, swimming and crocheting.

Cindy Ward
Veterinary Dental Nurse
Cindy has been with Highway Veterinary Hospital for 5-1/2 years, and has worked in the veterinary field for over 12 years. Cindy is our Dental Nurse, and is well-educated in veterinary dental practices, procedures and treatments. Cindy owns an 11-month old kitten named Emma, and an eclectus parrot named Ruby. Cindy enjoys boating with her children and her fiancee, Paul. In her spare time, she also enjoys disco dancing and boogie boarding.

Donna Asbury
Veterinary Surgical Nurse
Donna has been working in the veterinary field for over 20 years, and has been a part of our Health Care Team here at Highway Veterinary Hospital for the last 5-1/2 years. Donna is our Surgical Nurse, and is highly experienced and educated in all aspects of veterinary surgery, anesthesia and post-operative care. Donna has 3 cats - Marino, Terry and Amber, as well as a 7-year old Shetland Sheepdog named Travis. She and her husband Dave are avid Ravens fans and season ticket holders, and also enjoy bowling, softball and deep-sea diving in their spare time.

Wanda Behrens
Veterinary Nurse
Wanda has worked in the veterinary field for 9 years, the last 4 years of which have been with Highway Veterinary Hospital. She is married to a wonderful man named Steve, and has 3 daughters and 1 granddaughter. Their family owns a variety of pets including Sarge, a 2-year old lab that is a released service dog; Lady, a 2-year old golden retriever and the newest addition to the household; Snuggles, a 6-year old terrier mix that doesn’t go anywhere without her tennis ball; Porter, a 9-month old lab that is currently in training to become an assistance dog with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI); Apache, a 1 ½ year old Maine Coon cat that thinks he is a dog; and Domino, a 9-month old black and white house rabbit. Wanda enjoys reading and traveling, is a scrapbook enthusiast, and especially enjoys hanging out with her family and pets. She is also an avid Ravens fan and season-ticket holder!

Jesse Campion
Veterinary Nurse
Jesse has been a Veterinary Nurse with Highway Veterinary Hospital for almost 2 years, and is an integral member of our Health Care Team. She has a special bond and a genuine compassion for animals, and she gives all of herself to the patients and clients she is involved with! Jesse is currently owned by 4 special pets: Casey - a 14 year old Shetland Sheepdog whose birthday is Christmas Day, Cassie - a 13 year old kitty that came with her name when she was adopted (we find Casey and Cassie's names awfully confusing!), Binx - a 1 1/2 year old kitty from the adoption program here at the hospital that loves to lay on his back with his feet in the air, and Smudge - a 1 year old Siamese mix adopted from Tenderpaws Feline Rescue that is currently teaching Binx the art of meowing. Jesse's outside interests include watching Sex & the City and reading. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology from Salisbury University in 2003. Jesse's goal is to one day work with marine mammals as a trainer or to become a marine mammal veterinarian.

Mary Dagen
Veterinary Nurse

Shelby Watson
Veterinary Nurse

Vicki Jankowski
Veterinary Nurse

Jennifer Bowley
Pet Care Specialist

Jessica Buchanan
Veterinary Nurse

Jessica Conrad
Receptionist

Lauren Macchio
Veterinary Assistant

Kate Hammond
Veterinary Assistant

Stephanie Moore
Veterinary Nurse

Cheryl Barile
Receptionist

Matthew Wolfrom
Receptionist

Holly O'Neill
Receptionist