Our Veterinarians!

Left to right: Dr. Tommi Pugh, Dr. Jessica Vinterella, Dr. Chalyn Fayard, and Dr. Susan Strain.

Tommi Pugh, DVM

Dr. Tommi and Dr. Susan were classmates  in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Class of 1984. Dr. Tommi joined Dr. Mike and Dr. Susan in the spring of 1987 and continues to provide invaluable care to the patients of Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital, especially enjoying internal medicine. Dr. Tommi also enjoys traveling, collecting plants and reading. Currently, Dr. Tommi has a small mixed breed dog named "Jimi Hendrix" and a corn snake named "Jerry".

Jessica Vinterella, DVM

Dr. Jessica graduated from LSU-SVM in May of 2017, joining our practice the following June. She cares very deeply about her patients, with special interests in dermatology, nutrition, and senior care. She shares her home with three dogs, a munchkin kitty and Carl (her husband). Aside from veterinary medicine, Dr. Jess enjoys baking, graphic design and social media marketing.

Chalyn Fayard, BVMS MRCVS

Dr. Chalyn graduated in 2011 from University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine in Glasgow, Scotland. She is a graduate of the Chi Institute in Florida with a certification in Veterinary Acupuncture and is certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association in Animal Chiropractic. Some of her areas of special interest include behavior, pain management, and small exotics. In her free time she is an active knitter, reader, gardener, and amateur photographer. ​

Susan Strain, DVM

Dr. Susan loves her clients and their pets. She especially enjoys cosmetic and soft tissue surgery, but prefers to refer all chest/heart procedures to the specialists. Dr. Susan enjoys reading, cross stitching, and gardening in her spare time. She and Dr. Mike are owned by their Rottweiler, "Rudy", their daughter's cat "Dyna", "Spike" the Quaker parrot and six chickens.

​Our Staff!
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Savannah
Savannah has been a receptionist for Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital since 2014. She has three dogs and four children - a lot of animals! When not providing clients with exceptional care, she enjoys Pokemon, Harry Potter and music

Shannon
Starting as a Delgado Vet Tech intern, Shannon has been with our team since 2008. She splits her time as a receptionist and veterinary assistant, which gives her the opportunity to care not only for animals, but also their owners. When not at work, Shannon enjoys spending time with her fur babies - an adorable yellow Lab, three cats, a crazy bunny and a school of fish. She also has a passion for cooking, crafts, unique succulents and plants and anything Harry Potter.

Claudine
​Claudine has been a receptionist with Claiborne Hill for over a decade. She grew up barrel racing in Louisiana and always loved having the Drs. Strains treat her horses, dogs and cats. She now has a plethora of cats, dogs and horses on her farm in Covington. Her son Wyatt plays travel baseball along the Gulf Coast and daughter Caroline can usually be found tending to any willing (or unwilling) cat around the clinic.

Amanda
Amanda worked for the Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital for two years while studying to become a registered veterinary technician. She successfully passed her exam to become licensed the summer of 2019. and  has a special interest in animal rehabilitation. She has four dogs, four cats and a turtle. She really enjoys the outdoors, especially fishing. 

Danielle
Danielle has been with Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital  for over 25 years as an invaluable veterinary assistant and all around "fix-it" person. She likes to say "the old broom knows all the dirt". She has several cats and two dogs, and loves to collect exotic plants - especially succulents!

Missy
​Missy is Head Kennel Technician, working here for over 5 years. She loves all of the animals that come under her care, and is very meticulous about how clean our facility and its kennels are. Missy has five beuatiful children, two dogs, five cats, a bird and two ducks. When not at work, Missy enjoys drawing & painting, decorating, being outdoors, watching television and spending time with her children and animals.

Ashley
Ashley currently attends Southeastern Louisiana University, pursuing a degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. Following graduation, she intends to attend veterinary school. She recently adopted her first dog which had been abandoned at our clinic. She is on Honduran descent which means she loves tacos and Horchata!

Maggie
Maggie, former military, joined Claiborne Hill's staff two years ago, initially as kennel staff and currently works as a veterinary assistant. While she has worked with dogs for twenty years, personally and in the show ring, Maggie feels her specialty is nail trimming. In her spare time she enjoys fishing and being a mom to her son and daughter.

Thomas
Thomas has worked here as one of our kennel staffers for three years. He adopted his dog Mary Jane after she was brought in as a stray. An Eagle Scout, Thomas enjoys anything outdoors, but also really enjoys playing video games and "doing nothing". When he returns to college, he plans to study  natural resources and wildlife.

Summer
Summer graduated from McNeese State University with a bachelor's in Animal Science with an equine concentration. She began competitive barrel racing at the age of 6, and today has 4 horses - two miniatures and two regular size, 2 cats, 1 dog and several chickens. But most importantly, she has a daughter who holds the key to heart!

Claire
Claire is a second generation  staff member and has worked as a part-time receptionist for the past 3 years. She is a full time student at Southeastern Louisiana University, majoring in zoology with a minor in chemistry. She has 1 crazy pitbull and 1 cat that she adopted from our clinic. When not at school or working at the clinic, she can be found serving food at Cracker Barrel. In her free time, Claire enjoys spending time with friends and her sweet animals. 

Hannah
Hannah joined our team in 2019, having worked in the veterinary field since 2015. She has a BA in Biology with minors in Zoology and Chemistry and is especially interested in pathophysiology.   She is the Founder/President of Forgotten Felines Rescue, and she has five cats and 6 dogs of her own. She enjoys the challenge of a fractious feral cat.