Our Team | Animal Hospital of Nicholasville

Dan Bowling DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Dan Bowling is a veterinarian and owner at Animal Hospital of Nicholasville. He and partner Dr. Stacey Burdick opened the clinic in 1999, although he has been serving the animal needs of Jessamine County since 1985. Dan grew up on a farm in Richmond, Kentucky and has always enjoyed working outside on the farm and around animals. At the age of 14, he graduated from horse shoeing school and used that skill to help put himself through college, vet school and beyond. Dan graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and went on to Auburn University for veterinary school.

Working outside with farm animals and horses was very enjoyable for Dan, but as veterinary medicine has grown and changed, he has developed a strong interest in small animal medicine. This change led to the Animal Hospital of Nicholasville being exclusively small animal. He enjoys challenging surgery cases and especially orthopedic surgeries.

Dan met and married his wife, Nancy, while at the University of Kentucky and they live on a farm with 3 horses, 2 dogs and 5 cats. Nancy grew up in the horse industry and has worked in it all her life. She enjoys riding and has developed an interest in photography. Dan is an outdoors man, and enjoys fishing, camping, roping and running. At home he likes to come up with new recipes and bakes his own bread. He and Nancy especially like to take trips in their Airstream that include their dogs Captain and Dandelion where they can camp and hike. Dog hair is woven into the fabric of their life!

Stacey Burdick DVM

Veterinarian

Dr Stacey Burdick graduated from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995 and purchased Animal Hospital of Nicholasville with Dr Bowling in 1999. Dr Stacey was born in Lexington, spent many years in Colorado, and has been in Nicholasville since she was 12.

Dr Stacey’s daily interest at AHON is quality of life for pets and their families, and she has a special interest in challenging medical cases and feline behavior. Her big passion in the Veterinary industry is helping the county shelter and surgery center. She is both a board member and volunteers her time as the surgeon for the Jessamine County Trap-Neuter-Return program, helping to control the stray and feral cat population in our area.

When away from the clinic, Dr Stacey enjoys traveling with her husband Darren (also a veterinarian), and spending time on her hobby farm with their two horses and multiple kitties. Her true passion outside of work is horseback riding and learning dressage. Her current show horse is their home bred and raised Arabian/Hanoverian cross.

Julia Fox DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Julia Fox started at Animal Hospital of Nicholasville in 2002 after working as a mixed animal vet in Ohio for several years. She was born in Arizona, into a military family, and lived all over the country until settling in Indiana when she was 8 years old. Growing up on and around her grandparents farms instilled a love of animals and in the sixth grade she told her parents to start saving money because she was going to vet school! She did her undergraduate work at Purdue University (Go Boilers!) and graduated from their School of Veterinary Medicine. Dogs and cats have always been family members for Julia and she showed dogs and horses throughout high school and college.

In practice, she has a strong interest in surgery and preventative care. She loves to help with nutrition, at home care and wellness procedures to help pets live long and happy lives. Just ask about her German Shepherd, Selene and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Daphne who get to be the recipients of all kinds of tests!

At home, Julia leads a busy life with 3 kids, Nicholas, Bella and Alex, husband John (a Lexington Police Officer), 2 dogs, 3 cats, a guinea pig and various fish. With kids involved in Soccer, Baseball, Basketball and Cub Scouts, there isn’t much free time, but she and John love to watch sports and play games with the kids. Julia also likes to run – her only peace and quiet – and compete in half marathons. Bella, the middle child, has Down Syndrome so every fall the family participates in a Walk for Down Syndrome, new team members are always welcome!

Aleshia

Customer Service Representative

Aleshia is a customer service representative who joined the team at Animal Hospital in 2005. She grew up in Jessamine County, graduated from West Jessamine High School and has always had a love for animals. She enjoys working with clients and getting to know them with their animals. She always has a friendly smile and her gentle, compassionate, manner is especially welcome during our clients’ difficult times.

Aleshia and her daughter, Braylee (who is Aleshia’s greatest joy) live with Aleshia’s partner Derrick on their mini farm, which is home to Aleshia’s horse – Lefty (who has chosen to abdicate from being ridden at this time, she is hoping that changes), Braylee’s pony – Mac-A-Pony, Their Chihuahua Charli (who is not the typical chihuahua), Derrick’s cattle dog puppy – Kacey, as well as the family cats.

When she isn’t working Aleshia enjoys running and ran her first 5K in 2012, spending time with family and friends, and she is an avid UK basketball fan. When describing her life Aleshia would say – “I love my life, it has been very blessed. I even enjoy my new main activity these days, which is running my lovely social butterfly, Ms. Braylee, to and from her many functions.”

Judy

Office Manager

Judy is the Office Manager at Animal Hospital of Nicholasville and has been here since it opened in 1999, working with Dr. Bowling and Dr. Burdick for several years prior to helping them get AHON off the ground. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Ohio and Michigan. She and her husband moved to South Carolina for a year before settling in Nicholasville in 1989. She loves both animals and people, so this job gives her the perfect chance to work with both. Judy enjoys interacting with our clients and she is our constant source of help for both clients as well as staff. The well-being of others is always her focus, and her heart is huge!

Judy and her husband Rick live on a small farm with their horse Luna, who Judy enjoys taking on trail rides as well as learning dressage with. She and Rick also have 2 dogs – Baxter their Golden Retriever who Judy met at the shelter is a gentle soul who is completely devoted to Rick, and he offers his services as a cuddle companion to both indoor and outdoor cats. Sydney is Judy’s current resident Australian Shepherd (Judy loves those working breeds!) rescue who tasked herself with keeping things in the barn in order. There are seven cats in the family, ask Judy about her three bottle baby barn cats she adopted to live in the barn (who live in the house BTW), and their actual barn cats. Judy would love to add a miniature donkey to the family (hint hint Rick)!

When not caring for the needs of clients and staff, Judy and Rick love spending their free time with family and friends as well as taking beach trips as often as possible. They enjoy car shows, and Judy is hoping Rick decides on a camper soon so they can expand on their adventures. When describing her life. Judy would say – “I love my life; I have been so blessed to have a life so full of so many beautiful people.”

Rachael

Customer Service Representative

Rachael began her journey as a CSR for Animal Hospital of Nicholasville in January 2018. She has become our driving force behind the days we get to celebrate, such as AAHA day, making us all dress up in themed attire for the Boo Wow walk, birthdays, and Christmas parties, in other words – she is the one to make sure we have fun! She is such a bright and creative addition to our team; look for the welcome boards she and Kiersten do every night before going home when you come in to see us. She enjoys helping clients get the best care possible for their pets, helping animals has been a passion for her since she was a child, she loves them all!

Rachael grew up in Jessamine county and is a graduate of East Jessamine High school, she is now back in school while working full time, along with caring for her family which includes her sweet mini me – Sawyer, to become a surgical PA, she realized that was her path after staying after work one Saturday to observe an emergency surgery; thankfully, we will get to keep her for a while as she works towards that goal.

Rachael and her husband were fortunate to be able to purchase their dream farm this year, apart from their beautiful daughter, they also share their farm with – four horses – Jack, Doc, Harry, and Sally and two dogs – Beau and Sadie. When not spending time remodeling their new house (yes, she is also taking on that job), Rachael enjoys spending time with friends and family, trail riding, and learning portrait photography.

When describing her life our Rachael says – “it’s peachy!”

Maegan

Veterinary Technical Assistant

Maegan is our team leader and has been a veterinary technical assistant at Animal Hospital of Nicholasville since June 2015. She has trained on the job and enjoys working in surgery and the lab. Her soft-spoken gentle nature is very calming to the patients she loves working with. Not only is she comforting, but she is also able to tackle any obstacle that gets thrown her way, nothing rattles her! You will also notice her smiling face at our front desk, as she is able to switch gears whenever the need arises, in addition to that, she has started to branch out in to fundraising, and will do great things for the homeless pets in our community!

Maegan lives on her family farm with her husband, two children, dogs, cats, mules, and her childhood horse. She enjoys traveling with her husband Stanley, who is a professional Bluegrass musician, they travel across the Eastern US and Canada for his shows. She also enjoys spending time with her kids and parents on the farm, they really enjoy taking wagon rides with the mules, while Maegan and her horse follow along.

When describing her life Maegan says “Life is always busy, but I try to keep in perspective what is most important to me, which is being the best I can be for my family. My family and I love making memories together, we love that so many of those memory making moments include our furry family members! I have learned to cherish every moment, despite the chaos!”

Suzanne

Assistant Office Manager

Suzanne is a veterinary technical assistant and the assistant office manager, she started at Animal Hospital of Nicholasville in 2004. She initially filled in when people were on vacation but soon earned a full-time position through her hard work. She trained on the job and loves doing lab work and taking care of hospitalized patients. Suzanne is Dr. Burdick’s sister and was born in Kentucky, moved to Colorado, and then returned to Jessamine County to finish high school, she is so proud to be part of the team built by doctors Bowling and Burdick.

When not at work, Suzanne enjoys spending time with her husband Charlie, three sons, Alex, Aaron, and CJ, three dogs and many cats (cat collection runs in the family!) She loves to spend time outdoors with her family and dogs, hiking and kayaking. She also enjoys scenic photography. When the weather does not permit time outside, they like to shop for cars and go antiquing. Suzanne’s three sons are her pride and joy, she is so impressed by them, they inspire her daily to be a better person because of who they are and how they live their lives.

When describing her life Suzanne says – “It has taken turns I did not plan on, but the ends of those turns has landed me at a place in my life where I can say that I am very blessed. While some of the lessons I have learned were more challenging than I may have wanted, I am so thankful for the growth they brought; I cannot say there is a thing I would change, except for my hair color, that is always fun to change!”

David

Veterinary Assistant

David has been an Assistant since May 2017. He is known around here as our go-to guy. His helpful nature and positive attitude have been a great addition to our team. Over the years, he has been developing his talents which starting with caring for our kenneled patients, to becoming the trainer in that area, and he is now a key team member in surgery as well as assisting in rooms. He is always adding more to his skill set, we are excited to see how far he goes! He is very conscientious, and we know that whatever he does, he will do it with excellence.

David shares his life with a beautiful Golden Retriever he adopted named – Comet. Comet enjoys taking car rides with David, playing frisbee, and playing with Yennefer, their roomm

ate’s dog. In his free time, David enjoys playing basketball, hiking, kayaking, working puzzles and word searches, reading, and listening to many different genres of music.

When describing his life, David says – “I am still young and always looking for opportunities to spend times with friends and family. I always try to keep my eyes open, so I don’t miss anything.”

Kim

Veterinary Assistant

Kim has been with Animal Hospital of Nicholasville since the November of 2018; and we are so glad to have her; before she came to us, she worked in the caregiving industry for over 20 years, and she is truly gifted at it. She is an assistant who her team know they can depend on, there is nothing she won’t do to lend a helping hand, and she always does each task cheerfully. Without Kim, we would really struggle to keep our rooms and laundry clean, she unpacks almost our shipments, and she keeps a constant eye on the well-being of our pets left in the hospital for the day.

Kim is married and has both children and grandchildren who keep her busy, they also appreciate her kind and nurturing spirit, as most of her free time is spent making memories with them. Trips to the beach with family is Kim’s favorite way to make memories with them. If you get the opportunity to meet Kim, be sure to ask her about her grey cat addiction! She had two cats before starting with us, we soon realized that if we bring in anything little and grey that is looking for a home, she finds room. So far, she has adopted three from Caring Hearts; at this time, her husband will probably stage an intervention before he lets anymore come home. We will help you stay strong Kim!

When describing her life, Kim would say – “I am very blessed and thankful. I am looking forward to any future new challenges that I can face and grow from. I have always had a very positive outlook on life as well as my future.”

Haylee

Veterinary Technical Assistant

Haylee joined The Animal Hospital in June of 2020, she has been trained on the job; she is such a wonderful addition, we love her bubbly kind and helpful nature! So far, her favorite tasks are helping to calm fearful patients, performing lab procedures, and keeping herself available for whatever help she can lend to her teammates. Haylee is an addition we added to the team while we were offering curbside services, which means she had the challenge of learning curbside, getting that down pat (because she is very bright and an amazing learner), then being told one day that we are opening the doors, which meant she had one day to adjust to the new way of doing things, of course – she rocked it! Before joining AHON, she worked as a team leader in the retail industry. She is attending school remotely via an AVMA accredited program to earn her degree as a veterinary technician associate, and then she will work towards becoming a licensed vet tech.

Haylee grew up in Georgetown, she is now living in Lexington with her two cats who are named – Meowskavits (pictured with Haylee) and Little Kitty. Both of their kitties’ love causing trouble around the house and have been known to commandeer household items for entertainment purposes, and we all know – cats don’t ask first, nor will they ask forgiveness later, so all Haylee can do is applaud their creativity. Meowskavits is much more vocal and attention seeking than his brother, Haylee says that both boys bring out the best in each other.

In her free time Haylee enjoys playing video games, hiking, and binge-watching movies and TV shows, The Office is one of her favorites. Haylee can only have two cats in her current apartment, her goal is to be a homeowner so that she can bring more cats in to the family as well as becoming a cat foster home.

When describing her life, Haylee says, “it is still unfolding, I am learning to find joy in each day and take them as they come!”

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Britteny LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technologist

Britteny has been a licensed veterinary technologist since 2014 and has a Master of Science degree since 2017; she realized at a very young age that she wanted a career involving animals, one of her first patients was the baby bird she nursed back to a full recovery, followed by the strays she would sneak in and hide from her parents, they had to keep a close eye on her! We have had the pleasure of working with her since March of 2021. While pursuing her degrees at Morehead State University as well as working at vet. Clinic in Morehead, Ky. Britteny realized that she was very passionate about teaching others who are interested in her field; she even taught for a year at MSU when she was 24. She has also had the opportunity to teach chemotherapy treatment procedures, tonography, and endoscopic procedures at other clinics she has worked at. Since joining team AHON, she has been furthering her passion for teaching by sharing her knowledge with our volunteers and students at our technical center, she has also been sharing her knowledge with her teammates. We believe you will love her beautiful smile, outgoing personality, and love for your pets as much as we do. She is always willing to help wherever she can, we appreciate her willing spirit.

When not working her second job, also in her field, Britteny enjoys spending time with her significant other, and her pets Missy – her four year old chihuahua cross who is such a good girl that she is has secured the position of training assistant when Britteny needs a live animal for teaching, Ace – her seven year old cat, who thought he ruled the roost until Britteny and her partner adopted Diamond – the 6 month old kitten that believes she rules the world, and boy has she convinced Ace of her views! Britteny’s other interests are – Boxing, hiking, Anime, singing (she can sing opera!), poetry, motivational speaking, and speaking to youth groups.

When describing her very full life, Britteny would say – “If you have 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 lungs, a roof over your head, and a full belly, there is no need to complain, always count your blessing in life!”

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Greysen

Veterinary Technical Assistant

Greysen is AHON’s newest addition, she joined the team in July of 2021. Greysen graduated from Asbury University with a major in equine studies with an emphasis in training and management, she also has a business minor. She grew up in Greenville, SC, but decided to stay in the Bluegrass after graduating from college, and we are very glad that she did! She is a very hard worker, who pays close attention to the details. She is looking forward to learning everything she can about the small animals she is now working with, and she is very interested in assisting in surgery, we will enjoy watching her grow and spread her wings in her areas of interest.

Greysen and her cat Caspian live with Greysen’s roommate from college. According to Greysen, Caspian is quite the character, he frequently gets the zoomies, and loves to be chased around the house, he is an expert at fetch, cuddle time is on his terms only, and he loves to be taken outside. While Greysen loves hanging out with Caspian, she is looking forward to the day she can add a horse to her family. When not entertaining Caspian, Greysen enjoys spending time with her friends, crochet and other art projects, listening to Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran, working with horses, and watching movies (her favorite movie is – The Mummy).

We think you would be interested to know that while she was in college, our talented young lady trained two horses to be police horses, one is part of the mounted unit in Vancouver Canada, and the other is working in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When describing her life, Greysen says – “I have learned to be thankful for every day and to never take the people in your life for granted.”

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Kiersten

Customer Service Representative

Kiersten has been with Animal Hospital of Nicholasville as a Customer Service Representative since June of 2020. We have really come to appreciate her sweet side (she keeps her spicy side concealed for those of us who have come to know her as a friend or family to enjoy). She is a calm yet unstoppable force, her abilities to multitask are incredible and she is a great asset in helping us grow as a team. Before joining Animal Hospital of Nicholasville, she was a retail supervisor, and never imagined herself working with animals, but now that she has changed her career path, she sees herself making this her new field and she hopes to grow in more than one direction within the company. We are currently cross training her to be fluid from the front to the back, so you will see her smiling face in various parts of the clinic. Her passion is being a voice for both our clients and their pets.

Kiersten is excited to announce she is marrying the love of her life, Blake, this year, she is the proud mother of her daughter Harper, who she defines as her – Mini, and according to her mom Ms. Harper is the sassiest child to ever live. She is also the future bonus mom to her sweet and goofy Ellie, Blake’s daughter. Kiersten and her family share their space with three adopted kitties, Finn, and Peach live indoors, while Doc decided indoor life was no fun, and went missing for over a month, when they finally found him, they respected his wishes, and he has agreed to stay home as their outdoor boy. She loves spending her free time (when she gets it) reading and cooking, the mountains are her happy place.

When describing her life, Kiersten would say – I firmly believe life is best lived authentically, and if not, it is wasted!