We are pleased to have Drs. Amanda Irish and Carrie McColgan join our veterinary team at The Village Vets of Lilburn - Stone Mountain, and Dr. Kari Addante, joining our team in Atlanta.

Dr. McColgan grew up in Memphis, TN, and graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, NC, in 1995. She received her DVM from the University of Georgia in 2003. In addition to medicine and surgery, her interests include international veterinary medicine and welfare issues of working animals in developing countries. She and her husband Mike have a daughter, Vivian (born in 2009). They also have two dogs, Angus and Roy. Dr. McColgan loves running, horseback riding, yoga, painting and traveling. She and her family enjoy spending time outdoors, visiting art galleries and museums, cooking together and relaxing with their friends.

Dr. Irish grew up in Augusta, GA where she began her veterinary career as technician. She graduated the University of Georgia in 2005, and then from Tuskegee University of School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Her interests include internal medicine, ultrasonography, and oncology. Her personal interests include scrapbooking, reading, working on cars, and traveling.

Dr. Irish and her husband, Mel, have two dogs, Zeus (great dane), Beaufort ( greyhound mix) and two cats, Sam and Lou Lou.

Dr. Addante is a Gwinnett County native. Growing up in the once rural area of Grayson, animals were always among her best friends. Combined with a strong affinity for the sciences, her quest to learn all about them culminated in her graduating magna cum laude from the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. Prior to attending UGA, she worked for over 15 years as a veterinary technician and hospital manager.

Dr. Addante has a special interest in internal medicine, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical pathology. She also has a special place in her heart for felines and their unique needs.

Kari and her husband Powell reside in Lawrenceville with their cats Harvey, Stella, Samantha, and Ralph. Their newest addition to the family is an orange-citrus phase hypomelanistic bearded dragon named Oscar.

In our last newsletter The Village Vets announced a new Rescue Recovery Plan - offering FREE spays and neuters to Atlanta-area, non-profit rescue organizations. The free spays and neuters are in addition to low-cost medical services we already offer to rescue groups. Many friends and clients have asked how they too can help in the rescue effort. To facilitate these requests, The Village Vets has created a separate rescue fund - "Petfixers" - in which donations will be used toward medical expenses (beyond spays and neuters) for rescued cats and dogs.

As a token of our appreciation for your support, The Village Vets will provide you with a t-shirt and/or cap (back of t-shirt pictured above) for donations made as follows:

• $10.00 donation = t-shirt
• $15.00 donation = baseball cap
• $25.00 donation = t-shirt AND baseball cap

Donations can be made at either one of The Village Vets locations.

Tick season has started and it is time to take preventive measures to protect your family and pets. Ticks have become a big problem in the southeast, transmitting many diseases to both humans and animals.

Ticks are hard to avoid, they are commonly found in wooded areas, brush, shrubs and wild undergrowth. Any person or animal that enters these environments is at risk of becoming a tick's host. A tick goes through several stages from larva to adult and can feed on a host at any stage. After feeding they drop off and to hide in a warm dark place and lay eggs, a female can lay up to 20,000 eggs over a lifetime! Ticks can be found anywhere on the body but are most often found around your dog's neck, in the ears, the folds between the legs and body and between the toes. They are most commonly found on a cat's neck and face. Tick bites can spread serious infectious diseases or just cause local skin irritation. Very severe infestations can cause anemia, especially in small animals.

August 29, 2010, the Atlanta Braves will be hosting this season's second "Bark in the Park" event. Registration opens soon for the event. At the website link below registration and tickets, along with event information, will be available soon. Co-sponsors of the event, Wag-A-Lot, provides ample fun and entertainment for dogs and their two-legged companions. The Village Vets and Animal Emergency Center of Decatur will again provide medical support - with both veterinary and technician staff on hand. We will follow-up in our next newsletter with more information.