Pennyroyal Staff
Pennyroyal Small & Exotic Animal Hospital was established by Dr. Bianca Zaffarano in May,1997. In July, 2009 Pennyroyal was purchased by Dr. Tim Gravatte. Dr. Gravatte brings over 17 years of veterinary experience to Pennyroyal and will continue to provide our loyal clients and their pets the quality and compassionate veterinary care that they have come to expect from our doctors and staff.
Dr. Gravatte and his wife Holli are the proud parents of four children; Ethan, Nicholas, Emily and Benjamin. Dr. Gravatte also owns The Mobile Vetwaggin', a mobile veterinary service that he has operated in the Lexington area since October, 2004. When not dividing his time between the two practices, Dr. Gravatte keeps busy with his beautiful family and helps coach his boys in T-ball and little league.
B.S. in Biology, University of Kentucky, 1987
D.V.M., College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, 1992
Member American Veterinary Medical Association
Member Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. Sonia Lacki is a 2004 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. A native of Lexington, Sonia completed undergraduate degrees in both Biological Sciences and Natural Resource Conservation and Management at the University of Kentucky and, prior to her arrival to Pennyroyal, she interned at the St. Louis and Louisville Zoos. She resides in Georgetown with her husband Mike, a wildlife professor at the University of Kentucky and their son Dominic (born in February, 2010). Dr. Lacki believes in practicing medicine with a strong sense of empathy and compassion toward both the patient and the owners, and has grown and developed in exotics medicine.
Dr. Virginia Garrison has recently joined our staff to assist in the care of our exotic patients. If you have been a long time client of Pennyroyal you will remember Dr. Garrison from several years ago when she worked with Dr. Zaffarano at Pennyroyal. Dr. Garrison and her husband, Roger, reside in Lexington and she has many years of experience as a relief vet in the area.
Donna Ross is our office manager and has been at Pennyroyal since the doors opened in May, 1997. She was at Dr. Zaffarano's side through the initial opening of our clinic and has never looked back! Donna is a former nurse and wears many hats here at Pennyroyal. She managed the practice of her husband, Dr. James Ross for many years. Donna is the proud grandma of 3 beautiful kids, and not only takes care of all of us, but all of her dozen or so critters.
Carla Houghton is our Practice Manager. Carla and her family, husband Jeff and their 2 sons, Dustin and Ryan moved to Lexington from Illinois in 1999. She joined the Pennyroyal staff in August, 2000 as a member of the Client Care Team and has also been inventory manager for the past 5 years. Carla and Jeff share their home with 3 four-legged family members: 2 cats, Ernie and Cassie, and Max, a lab mix that they adopted from the Humane Society.
Kathy Treadway our Client Care Leader has been a friendly face at the front desk for over six years now. Kathy is an avid animal lover and works diligently to help with the spay programs for ferel cats and to help find homes for animals in need. She shares her home with several cats and her 2 dogs, B.J. and Summer.
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Leah Stone is a member of our Nursing Team. She has been a full time member of our staff since 2005, but works part time since returning to school in January 2010 to pursue her dream of becoming a vet. Leah and her husband, Nick, share their home with chinchillas: Cha-Cha, Didge and Toot (aka "Icky-Ickies"), and a cockatiel. Leah has a wonderful flare for life and enthusiasm to learn. She is a tireless and dedicated member of the Pennyroyal team!
Julie Price is a member of the nursing team. She is a business student at the University of Kentucky. She shares her home with her three girls, Mocha, a Chihuahua mix, Humphrey, a dwarf rabbit, and Grace, a tabby cat. She enjoys reading about past entertainers like Cary Grant, Julie Andrews and Frank Sinatra. She wouldn't mind being a "Bond" girl, even though they always die at the end of the movie!
Roni Conner is another one of our wonderful nursing team members. She moved here from New Mexico with her husband, Nathan, in 2006. Since moving to Lexington, Roni and Nathan have rescued their boxer, Piper, and also inherited a 13 yr old yellow lab, Honey, from a family member. Roni says she loves working at Pennyroyal because she gets to work with great animals and awesome people everyday. "Animals are my passion in life, so I don't think I could have chosen a better place to work." says Roni. Since working at Pennyroyal she has also adopted a 17 year old love bird named "Peachy" and a very cool chameleon.
Megan Blandford is a member of our Client Care Team and loves being up front to see all of the wonderful animals (and their owners) that come through the door. She has a beloved Siamese kitty, Ashes. She is a ray of sunshine for us at Pennyroyal with her outgoing bubbly personality and enthusiasm for animals.
Blossom is our clinic bird. She has been at Pennyroyal since we opened in 1997. Blossom is generally in the back of the clinic, but you may catch her up front visiting on occasion. She is a "Bare-eyed Cockatoo" and for the most part she is a very personable and friendly bird, though she can be onery at times. We love having her around and she is quite the conversationalist when she chooses.
JASPER!! Our clinic cat! He was rescued from the life of a professional barn cat and has fit right in with the staff and clients of Pennyroyal. He has a warm and friendly personality and loves to greet everyone who comes to see us, as he is convinced you are here to see him! He enjoys interrupting appointments by opening the exam room doors, climbing into unattended carriers and begging for his favorite treats.
