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Western Branch Veterinary Hospital

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Our Care Team

Your pet’s emotional and physical well-being is prioritized with every visit. We put patients first!

Kim

Lead Receptionist

For Kim, working in the world of veterinary medicine is a family affair. Her father does IT work for Western Branch Veterinary Hospital—when he mentioned to her that the clinic was looking for someone to help at the front desk, she knew that it was the perfect opportunity to help not only pets, but the people who care for them. Kim is proud to serve as the hospital’s Lead Receptionist!

Kim was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, where she still lives today. She started here at the hospital in June of 2009 and has been here ever since. Her favorite part of every shift is interacting with the area’s pet owners and their adorable companions. Having been a part of the team for more than a decade, Kim feels very close to many of the clinic’s clients and considers them a part of the team’s extended family.

Away from work, Kim is an avid Lord of the Rings fan and even collects the pop figurines from the films. She also loves to spend time with her family and pets at home. Kim has three children—Addison, Liam, and Olivia—as well as two dogs: Axle, an aging Jack Russell Terrier who loves snuggling and sneaking scraps from the kids, and a Golden Retriever named Charlie whose favorite pastimes include playing fetch, cuddling on the couch, and eating ice cubes all day long.

Diana Porter

Co-Owner, Hospital Administrator

Diana met her husband, Dr. Robert Porter, when they were both earning degrees in Biology at James Madison University. At her husband’s request, after many years working in human health care as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Diana began managing the practice full-time in 2009.

Diana grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, where her family always had pets. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree at JMU, she earned her BSN degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University-Medical College of Virginia School of Nursing. After working for five years in the CICU at Henrico Doctors Hospital in Richmond, she returned to VCU-MCV to earn her Masters Degree in Nursing – Primary Health Care. She’s been a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner for over 30 years!

Like everyone at the clinic, Diana loves animals. She feels most gratified when helping the human family members. She is touched by the love and devotion she sees when a pet owner makes a difficult decision for the good of their beloved family member.

Diana and her husband have two adult children, both of whom have worked alongside them in the family business! Katie has worked in the kennels and helped her mother with bookkeeping, and Matthew worked as an assistant and helped out with social media. Both kids are in college now. The family is completed by three cats, Ping, Mango, and Alphie, a lovable pug named Lola and a Golden Retriever puppy named Oliver.

Whenever she has a spare moment, Diana enjoys reading, especially books about history. She also enjoys a good mystery with plenty of murder and mayhem.

Sam

Head Licensed Veterinary Technician

Even as a young girl, Sam knew she wanted to do something with animals when she grew up. She would often pet sit and walk neighbors’ animals, and it only reinforced her desire. Since 2004, she’s had the good fortune to pursue her dreams here at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital!

Sam grew up in Chesapeake with her parents, brother, and sister. When she was younger, Sam would babysit the Porter’s children, becoming their most beloved and trusted sitter. When Sam expressed interest in working at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital, the Porters were thrilled! Sam started working in the kennels, transitioned to an assistant role, then enrolled in the Licensed Veterinary Technicians program at Northern Virginia Community College to earn her degree.

Sam and her family, husband Chris and daughter Stella, have three pets of their own at home. G-Unit is a 10-year-old cat, Missy Elliot is a two-year-old deaf pit bull, and Bam the pit bull rounds out the lot. When she isn’t working or spending time with family and pets, Sam enjoys cooking and going to the beach.

Cody

Veterinary Assistant, VTIT

Cody grew up in Suffolk, Virginia and always had dogs and cats while growing up. While he had never considered a career in the world of veterinary medicine, things changed when he signed on here at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital. It didn’t take long for Cody to realize that working hands-on with pets was his true calling!

Cody first joined the clinic family in the fall of 2011, and decided to go back to school to advance his education in the world of veterinary care. Now, he is in his final year of Technician school at Northern Virginia Community college and will soon serve the area’s pets and animal owners as a Veterinary Technician. Medically, Cody enjoys hematology and loves to study blood counts under the microscope. Most of all, he loves to know he’s making a lasting difference in the lives of not only pets, but their loving owners as well.

When he has time between work and school, Cody enjoys reading, camping in the great outdoors, and spending quality time with his family and pets. He and his fiancé, Emily, have two cats named Marty McFly and Autumn.

Kyle

Kennel Attendant, Veterinary Assistant

Kyle’s uncle—a veterinarian himself—performed surgery on Kyle’s family dog when Kyle was very young. He let Kyle watch, and ever since that moment, Kyle has been hooked on the veterinary profession. He’s currently in college and plans on applying to veterinary schools soon!

Kyle was born in Fairfax and has lived in Virginia his whole life. He’s currently enrolled at Christopher Newport University, and will be applying to veterinary schools soon to further his education in the animal care field. He came to the clinic this past June, and especially likes soaking up knowledge from the veterinarians and immersing himself in the fast-paced environment of the clinic.

Kyle has a cat named Lucas who can fetch better than any dog he knows. In his free time, Kyle likes to read and is always excited when a new installment of one of his favorite series comes out.

Brian

Kennel Assistant

Brian came to work at the practice during the summer of 2011, and quickly found that he loved being able to work with animals. Interacting with various breeds of dogs and cats is his favorite part of the job!

Brian grew up in Suffolk and is a recent graduate of Roanoke College, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in psychology. At home, he has two pets: Hershey, a 10-year-old Chocolate Lab, and Emma, a three-year-old Yellow Lab who will lick just about anything.

Ares

Staff Cat, Blood Donor

Ares arrived at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital in 2006 after showing great disdain for cat litter—he preferred to use a couch cushion or blanket! Since there’s no upholstered furniture around the clinic, Ares has been behaving well ever since.

As a resident blood donor cat, Ares has saved the lives of many kittens who require blood transfusions. He also helps teach new employees how to draw blood.

The attention he tends to get from clients and staff members is Ares’ favorite part of his position at the clinic. He especially likes showing off his extra thumb, as he is a polydactyl cat just like the famous Hemingway cats!

Dewey

Dewey

Greeter

The newest Staff Cat here at the clinic, Dewey arrived when Dr. Porter’s son found him in an Arby’s parking lot and brought him into the office. So far, it seems to Dewey that the humans don’t expect him to do much but entertain them—he does his best. He especially likes to wrestle with Ares, and they often have quite the audience watching through the big window in the cat playground.

Gus

Gus

Staff Cat, Assistant Blood Donor