veterinarian in elkin

Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital Team

At Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital in Elkin, North Carolina, we have a staff that is passionate about veterinary care for the health and wellness of our patients. Click on a team member to learn more about them!

Our Team

Dr. Richard Brinegar Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Dr. Richard Brinegar

Veterinarian

A native of Elkin, Dr. Richard Brinegar returned to his hometown to build a practice that expresses his love of animals and his passion for veterinary care.

Dr. Richard Brinegar earned his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University. He has practiced in Winston-Salem and Mount Airy before returning to his native town of Elkin.

He and his wife Ava have three sons – Joshua, Daniel, and Paul.

Dr. Brinegar is a member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and the American and North Carolina Veterinary Medical Associations.

Dr. Brinegar serves his community in several capacities, including as a member of the Elkin City School Board of Education.

Dr. Debra Garing Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Dr. Debra Garing

Veterinarian

Garing has joined Animal Ark after owning Elkin Veterinary Hospital for 37 years. Dr. Garing graduated with a BA from Tufts University and received her DVM from UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. She wants to continue to provide the community with compassionate veterinary care and is happy to have joined forces with Animal Ark.

Dr. Garing has a son, Leverett, a daughter Laura, and a granddaughter, Halle. Completing her family are her dogs, Betsy and Bernie, and her cat Mason.

Dr. Garing is a member of Yadkin Valley Rotary and served as past president, is past secretary of the board for Grace Clinic, and is past president and secretary of the board for Foothills Art Center. Besides her civic involvement, she enjoys reading, yoga, Zumba, hiking, and her exercise class.

Dr. David Ackerman Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Dr. David Ackerman

Veterinarian

Dr. Ackerman has been practicing veterinary medicine for over 30 years. He earned his doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from VMRCVM at Virginia Tech. He owned a veterinary hospital and practiced in Western North Carolina until moving to the town of Elkin with his wife, Alison, in 2016. Dr. Ackerman is currently the laboratory director of the Northwestern Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture in Elkin. Dr. Ackerman’s love of animals compels him to continue to work in practice with Dr. Brinegar at the Animal Ark. He and his wife have two grown children, Rob and Chris, living in Charlotte and Raleigh, respectively. Prior to moving to Elkin, Dr. Ackerman was on the Cherokee County NC School Board, a sheep farmer, beekeeper, owner of Andrews Veterinary Hospital and North Georgia Animal Emergency Hospital. Dr. Ackerman and his wife, Alison, currently reside in Elkin and are members of the Elkin First United Methodist Church. They are beekeepers who also enjoy their pets, hiking, kayaking, and visiting with their children.

Cheri Marks Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Cheri Marks

Cheri has an Associate’s degree in Business from Pensacola Junior College. She has worked since October 1987 in the field of emergency veterinary medicine and has worked with Dr. Brinegar since February 2003. Cheri enjoys reading, swimming, and spending time with her family and five pets – Missy, Cadbury, Theo, JJ, and Sydney.

Nathaniel Burchette Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Nathaniel Burchette

My name is Nathaniel Burchette, and I’m currently a Kennel Assistant with the hospital. I’ve been practicing since July of this year after graduating from East Wilkes High School. As a Kennel Assistant, I strive to ensure that each pet under our supervision is safe and properly cared for. I love to play tennis, spend time with my family, and play my saxophone outside of the hospital.

Braxton Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Braxton Easter

Braxton Easter is a Veterinary Assistant here at the Animal Ark Elkin Veterinary Hospital. He started working here in March 2022 and plans to go through a Veterinary Technician program soon. Braxton loves what he does here and all the creatures, especially the kittens! In his free time, you can find him outside, traveling, or with all of his animals.

Summer  Easter Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Summer Easter

Summer is a Kennel Assistant and has been with us since August 2021. She goes to Elkin High School and loves seeing the patients get better and learning a lot about how to treat different illnesses. This job makes her want to continue her education to become a vet. In her free time, Summer likes to play with her cats and dog.

Kenley Wells Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Kenley Wells

Bio coming soon!

Tori Weaver Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Tori Weaver

Tori has been working in the veterinary field since 2017. She received her bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and wants to work toward applying to vet school. Tori prides herself in ensuring that the patients are healthy, safe, and comfortable. Also, empower owners by educating them about their pets’ needs. She wants to make sure every visit is a positive experience for everyone involved. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, Oliver, and cat, Sylvester. She also enjoys painting pictures on canvas and loves to go shopping.

Shawna Purvis Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Shawna Purvis

Bio coming soon!

Julieta Taylor Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Julieta Taylor

Bio coming soon!

Melanie Cook Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC
Melanie Cook
Melanie began working in the veterinary field 11 months ago. She attended Appalachian State University. Melanie takes pride in providing compassionate customer service. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and baking.
Dr. Richard Brinegar Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet
Dr. Brinegar

Dr. Richard Brinegar

Dr. Debra Garing Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet
Dr. Garing

Dr. Debra Garing

Dr. David Ackerman Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet
Dr. Ackerman

Dr. David Ackerman

Cheri Marks Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Cheri

Cheri Marks

Nathaniel Burchette Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Nathaniel

Nathaniel Burchette

Braxton  Easter Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Braxton

Braxton  Easter

Summer Bryant Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Summer

Summer Bryant

Kenley Wells Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Kenley

Kenley Wells

Tori Weaver Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Tori

Tori Weaver

Shawna Purvis Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Shawna

Shawna Purvis

Julieta Taylor Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Julieta

Julieta Taylor

Melanie Cook Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital of Elkin, NC

Meet Melanie

Melanie Cook