Did you know AHBC was nominated by an amazing pet parent for the Pets Best Insurance 2018 “My Vet’s the Best” Contest? Get the details. We invite you to learn more about our story. Read our Core Values. And meet our mascots!
Veterinarians and Owner:
Dr. Jennifer Goetz
DVM, Owner
Dr Jennifer Goetz has loved animals her entire life. The first thing she ever asked her daddy for was a pet Hamster! (Unfortunately, the pet store was out of Hamsters and he locked his keys in the car!) Since 7th grade, she has wanted to become a veterinarian. She started first by volunteering at an animal hospital in 1984. She moved to North Carolina to go to veterinary school at NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992, starting there in 1993.
Dr Goetz now lives in Pittsboro with her husband, teenage daughter, six dogs, seven indoor cats, three outdoor feral cats, a dwarf bunny, chickens, fish, and many many plants. Her adopted fur babies include our amazing AHBC Hospital Cat, Slick. Slick is a senior Diabetic Main Coon kitty who has called AHBC home for several years.
Practice Manager
Alena
Practice Manager
Alena is a veterinary nurse that has been in the veterinary field for 20 years. She comes from a family of veterinarians. Both her parents are doctors of veterinary medicine so you could say she was born into the field and has always known that this would be her career. Alena loves cats and dogs but also enjoys horses. She is new to NC and is still looking for great places to go horseback riding. In her time outside of work she loves spending time cooking and experimenting with new recipes. She enjoys sketching with pencil and painting. She loves good food and drinks, music, fun company, but most of all she enjoys spending time with her husband of fourteen years and her seven year old daughter Stella.
Client Relations Specialists:
Diane Smith
Client Relations Specialist
I have always had a love for animals. Growing up I had all the pets most children have: gerbils, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. I read James Herriot’s book about his life as a veterinarian in the 1930’s and decided that’s what I wanted to be. I attended Harcum College and rec’d my degree as a veterinary technician and enjoyed working in that profession for many years but left due to financial issues. I always looked forward to the day when I could get back into it in some capacity. I eventually found volunteer work at a dog rescue in North Carolina that helped me follow my dream of caring for lots of dogs and now I am blessed to be able to work at AHBC helping both pets and their owners.
Veterinary Nurses: Committed to the Best Care
Isabella Talancha
Lead Veterinary Nurse
I am currently a Lead Veterinary Nurse at an animal hospital at Brier Creek, and I have been in vet med for about 4 years now. I am currently enrolled in Penn Foster to become a certified Technician. On my down time I love to hang out with my 3 cats Jiji, Bruno, and Fishy, and my dog Paco.
I strive to give the best care possible for all animals sick and healthy. I feel the most important factor in vet med is communication and compassion which is something you’ll definitely find from all our staff.
Brad
Veterinary Nurse
Brad has a degree in applied science and is a graduate of an accredited Veterinary Technician program. He loves all animals big and small and strives to give them the best care I can provide. Brad has 2 dogs and a cat at home that he absolutely adores. He loves music and art but most of all enjoys waking up everyday and being able to help animals. Brad looks forward to each day as a vet nurse and will provide the best possible care for your pet.
Alexa Bugaj
Veterinary Nurse & Lead Veterinary Assistant
Alexa has lived in Raleigh NC almost her entire life. She’s always had a passion for animals and knew she wanted to work with them from a young age. She graduated with a bachelors in Animal Science from NC State University and is now applying to vet school with the dream of becoming a veterinarian herself. In her free time, she likes to read, spend time with her friends and family and watch football. GO BILLS!!
Nichelle Hunter Raghubir
Veterinary Nurse
Nichelle was born in Brooklyn, New York. She moved to North Carolina with her mother & sister to receive better education. After graduating from Garner High during the time of Covid, she had difficulty finding experience in the veterinary field. While attending Wake Tech full-time to earn an associate degree in Science and Veterinary Technology, a bachelor degree in V.T, she worked at two different clinics as a veterinary assistant. She is current in school online to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. She then plans to transfer to NCSU. After working with us for six months, she became a veterinary nurse. She has a maltipoo named Bruno, as well a Siamese/Himalayan mix named Yeti, adopted from AHBC. She enjoys doing art and taking care of animals, and originally wanted to pursue equine medicine since she loved horses at a young age. Although she opted for general practice, with hard work and dedication, she has gained a number of valuable skills and experiences during her career so far.
Veterinary Assistants: Our Pet Care Specialists
Dina Hussain
Inventory Manager, Assistant, CRS, Veterinary Nurse
Kenza Mahdi
Veterinary Assistant
Kenza Mahdi is a Vet assistant based in Durham, North Carolina. She holds a veterinary degree from the University of Banta (Algeria), she brings 7 years of animal care experience. Kenza moved to the US in 2023 and plans to advance her career in Animal care .In her free time Kenza likes to read, listen to music and go for long walks