Hello! I'm Dr. Kelley Wallace, veterinarian, DVM, and the owner of Catawba Animal Hospital. I graduated from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama in 2002 with an undergraduate degree and a bachelor's of microbiology, and I graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine with a doctorate of veterinary medicine in 2006.
After graduation, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where my husband and I were married, and we lived there from 2006 to 2019. In 2019, we moved to Belmont, North Carolina, where I joined Catawba Heights Animal Hospital and purchased it from Dr. Gary White.
I have always wanted to be a veterinarian since I was a young child. It was just something natural for me. I've always had a way with animals; it's just been part of me my whole life. So, I knew that's what I wanted to do. When I applied to vet school, I applied to Auburn University, Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine, and Tuskegee College of Veterinary Medicine, and I was fortunate to get into all three schools. My top choice was Auburn University because that's where I completed my undergraduate degree in microbiology.
I ended up living in Auburn for nine years. It was a great time; I love Auburn. It's a great city, a great town. I'm a diehard Auburn football fan. We're not having a great season these past couple of years, but we're getting there.
What is your favorite part of your job as a veterinarian?
My favorite part of the job is getting to know people, seeing the pet grow from a puppy to an older age, and establishing those relationships with clients. My favorite part of veterinary medicine is surgery and dentistry. I love a good dental as well. It's all about getting to know people.
What are your personal hobbies and interests?
My personal hobbies and interests currently include running. I just completed a half marathon at Disneyland and I'm working towards my first full marathon. We'll see if that happens. I enjoy crafts like knitting and cross-stitching.
I'm really good at starting projects at home but never completing them fully, like most people. I'm always looking at how I can upgrade something at home or at the clinic by painting or putting up different artwork. Currently, we're trying to wallpaper different parts of the hospital to freshen things up. I'm always looking for a project.
Can you tell us about your family?
My husband and I have several children, and we're very active in their lives. We're a big soccer family, so in the fall and spring, if I'm not at the hospital, I'm typically running kids to different soccer practices across Gaston and Mecklenburg County.
How do you support the local community?
I am really big into supporting the local community. We typically support the fall YMCA Stow YMCA Halloween trunk or treat. We support Belmont Middle School athletics and South Point High School men's soccer.
Once a year, we provide a nice hot meal, typically Chick-fil-A, to teachers at Belmont Central, Belmont Middle, the high school, and Paige Primary to thank them for what they do for our community and kids. I like to give back to the community and support our kids, having young kids myself. We also sponsor the Belmont Central fund run in the spring to help with their fundraising needs throughout the year. We provide various supplies to teachers, like copy paper for the band teacher at Belmont Middle or cleaning supplies for elementary teachers.
Do you have any pets?
I currently have two dogs. One is Hazel, an older pitbull-type mix. She was brought in by a good client a couple of years ago, found on the streets, very underweight, missing a lot of hair, and looked like she'd had a hard life. She's been at my house now for almost three years and is coming up on end of life, with severe arthritis and difficulty getting around.
I'm also known for my bulldogs. I currently have a bulldog named Cheyenne. I've always had a bulldog and always will. She follows me everywhere and might be seen in the hospital from time to time. During fall and spring, I can't bring her often because I have to go to soccer practices after work, and she can't sit in the car for long. You'll see her occasionally; she's a big brown hippo that walks around the clinic.
I also have four cats at home: Jet, Earl, and two kittens I recently adopted. We often take in kittens in the spring and early summer. The kittens were found abandoned under our house, and I took two of the boys home; now they're part of our pack. We also have a bearded dragon named Crouton. When we got him, he was tiny, the size of a crouton, hence his name. He's pretty chill and enjoys a large outdoor enclosure during the warm months. In winter, he's inside in his enclosure. He enjoys the company of the cats, and they enjoy him. It's fun to watch him interact with them.
We lead a very busy life between work and the kids with soccer. We have lots of animals, and you'll see the dogs at work from time to time. I hope this gives you a chance to know me a little better. We plan on being in Belmont for quite a while, and I hope to see and meet you in the future!