MEET OUR STAFF IN TUCKER, GA

After growing up in the Atlanta area, Dr. Wayne Rush attended the University of Georgia and obtained an undergraduate degree in Animal Science. He completed his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. Dr. Rush practiced at Roswell Animal Hospital for 10 years before purchasing Dekalb Animal Hospital in 1996. Dr. Rush and his wife Kathie live in Lilburn but make frequent visits to Athens to visit their married daughter Krystal and son Alex who is attending UGA. Dr. Rush enjoys running and gardening in his free time. He has shown and bred Bulldogs for 30 years and has more recently enjoyed spoiling his French Bulldog. He has a special interest in canine reproduction.

Dr. Carla Courtney grew up in the Oak Grove community, graduating from Lakeside High School and has been a lifelong member of Oak Grove United Methodist Church. After high school, she moved to North Carolina to become a Tarheel, and then graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. She enjoys gardening, travel, and spending time outdoors with her husband, their 3 children, and their dog. The family pet is Lilly, a golden doodle. Lilly is currently in training to be a canine ambassador through Happy Tails Pet Therapy. Dr. Courtney has a special love for geriatric patients and enjoys working with our registered technician Jacqueline Lopyan, with setting up our young patients through our puppy and kitten socialization classes.

Dr. Carla Awalt joined our staff in February of 2000. She grew up in Decatur, Georgia, but has lived in Tucker since 1991. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. Her professional interests include critical care medicine, dentistry, and feline medicine. Her role as a cat advocate led to the certification of DeKalb Animal Hospital becoming a cat-friendly practice in 2015. Her personal interests include photography and genealogy.

Dr. Carla Awalt joined our staff in January of 2000. She grew up in Decatur, Georgia, but has lived in Tucker since 1991. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. Her professional interests include critical medicine, dentistry, and feline medicine. Her personal interests include photography and scrapbooking.

Dr. Roberts grew up in the local community graduating from Lakeside High School in 1980. He went on to attend the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine graduating in 1987. He has practiced in the area since that time and has been at Dekalb Animal Hospital since January 2006. He has a special interest in geriatric medicine and surgery. Dr. Roberts and his wife live in Tucker with their two dogs. He enjoys running, biking and hiking with the dogs and family.

Dr. Anna Hill grew up in Marietta, GA. She attended the University of Georgia for her undergraduate education, and then went on to graduate from The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. Her professional interests include nutrition and oncology. She lives in Decatur, GA with her black lab Cooper. She enjoys hiking, swimming and playing tennis in her spare time. She joined DeKalb Animal Hospital as the newest Associate Veterinarian in June 2016.

Vicki Ogletree is the Practice Manager of DeKalb Animal Hospital. She joined our staff in 1997. She and her family live in Monroe with two dachshunds, a mixed breed and a Chihuahua.

Mark Jackson is our professional groomer, joining our staff in March of 2007.