At Fountain City Animal Hospital, your pet gets the benefit of care given by many hands, many heads, and many hearts. Our support staff is such an integral part of patient care here, to call us a “team” is an understatement. Our goal is to work as one unified entity, from the reception desk all the way to the kennel area of the hospital. We have systems in place to ensure that the right hand always knows what the left hand is doing, and every member of the staff plays her part excellently.
Meet Our Team
Owner/Founder
Rai Kaur Khalsa, V.M.D.
Dr. Khalsa, born in rural Pennsylvania and raised in New York City, attended Vassar College for her undergraduate education, and the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 1977. After surviving two of the most prestigious institutions of higher education, she still considers relocating to East Tennessee among the smartest decisions she ever made. She opened Fountain City Animal Hospital in the summer of 1979 in a small rental building in the heart of Fountain City, with the vision of providing quality veterinary care, always with a gentle touch. Decades later, after quickly outgrowing the original building and relocating to our present location on Black Oak Ridge, she has managed to gather a group of professionals and support staff who share her goals and her drive for excellence in all things.
Dr. Khalsa loves every aspect of small animal veterinary practice but finds particularly rewarding the challenge of complex medical cases. She has enjoyed dermatology ever since being inspired by an excellent derm professor way back in vet school, and the dermatological expression of systemic diseases is still a special interest.
Dr. Khalsa and her husband of more than 40 years have raised two children in Knoxville and are now the proud parents of two beautiful grandchildren who are also blessed with the support of this wonderful community. The third little one lives on the other side of the country but gets to enjoy all that Knoxville has to offer several times a year when visiting family here in town. Of course, the Khalsa household includes multiple four-legged family members who have always enjoyed the quality care Fountain City Animal Hospital provides. When Dr. Khalsa takes time away from the practice, it is often filled with travel to some place in the world that provides a backdrop of sand, sun, sailboats, and beautiful coral reefs for scuba diving. She is also busy writing several books, one of which includes extraordinary stories of ordinary veterinary practice.
Veterinarian
Lisa Koob, D.V.M
Dr. Koob is a native Knoxvillian, having graduated from Farragut High School and then heading straight towards her goal of becoming a veterinarian. She graduated summa cum laude from UTK with her undergraduate degree in Organismal & Systems Biology and then on to the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, where she also graduated summa cum laude. Graduating with the highest possible academic honors is no small achievement, and we are so glad to have Dr. Koob’s brain, as well as her sweet compassionate personality, as part of our team.
Before joining us, she worked as both an assistant and then as a veterinarian at Village Veterinary Clinic, and then at the Cat Clinic until early 2020. She began doing some relief work for us in late 2019, and when she was available for full time work in early 2020, we were ecstatic to have her join us.
She feels like she’s truly found a home at Fountain City where she’s able to collaborate with other smart dedicated veterinarians on the most challenging cases, and where she feels supported and respected – as she should.
Her home is filled with all manner of well-loved pets – presently 3 dogs and (only) 3 cats. She’s left her life with rats, Guinea pigs, and feral donkeys behind but has fond memories. Her kids are growing fast, both her boys now young men, and her mini-me daughter a high school student – all excelling in every challenge life offers them. She loves spending time with them traveling in their camper when time allows, and always finding time for music – a huge part of this family’s life, as accomplished musicians themselves. Dr. Koob is also an avid reader. She’s not sure where her future will lead, but is certain to always be a “crazy cat lady.”
Veterinarian
Melissa Murray, D.V.M.
Dr. Murray was born in West Virginia and moved to TN with her parents and four younger siblings in time to start high school. She attended Virginia Tech for both her undergraduate and veterinary degrees, and graduated with her DVM in 1994. She worked at a small animal practice in Johnson City until 1999, when she and her husband moved to Knoxville so he could continue his education at UT. She came to Fountain City Animal Hospital then, and hasn’t looked back for a moment. What she enjoys most is the professional camaraderie at Fountain City Animal Hospital, where the doctors freely collaborate on complex cases with mutual respect. She finds working in cooperation instead of in competition makes for both a better work environment and results in better care for every patient.
With her ever-supportive husband, she is raising two extraordinary teenage children who model their mother’s intelligence and drive for excellence. The outliers in this family of high achievers are the Murray household pets – a lazy greyhound and a bunch of freeloading cats. But she loves them all, and they are guaranteed a fairy tale life simply by virtue of being part of the Murray household.
Veterinarian
Chelsea Nease, D.V.M.
Dr. Nease joined our team directly after completing her basic veterinary training at Ross University and her clinical rotations at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She brought with her, not just her youthful enthusiasm, but intelligence and a drive for excellence that makes her a great fit for Fountain City Animal Hospital.
Like so many of the staff here at the hospital, Dr. Nease most values the camaraderie among the staff members, which she truly feels are like family, supporting one another as a professional team and as friends as well. It is clear to her that these relationships result in the finest care possible for our furry friends, and that is, after all, what we’re all here for. She is driven to be a lifelong learner and to give her best to every one of her patients.
Soon to be married (lucky for us she found a fella who’s attached to Knoxville), their household will include three dogs and two cats. When she is not busy with tending to her own pets or caring for her patients, she enjoys the outdoors, hiking or spending time somewhere in the water. When weather precludes those activities, she’s happy curling up with a good book or bonding with family and friends over board games.
Veterinarian
Jessie Richards, D.V.M.
Dr. Richards was born in Cross Plains, a small town in middle TN, and moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee in 2012. She received her B.S. in Animal Science in 2016, her Masters in Comparative & Experimental Medicine in 2018, her D.V.M. from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021, and is presently working on her Ph.D., also in Comparative & Experimental Medicine.
Throughout her impressive academic career, she’s enjoyed several research and teaching positions and is now thrilled to be working in clinical practice where she’s able to connect on a personal level with her patients and their people. She joined the Fountain City Animal Hospital family in the late winter of 2023, and we’re thrilled to have her with us.
She finds the team she works with here at the hospital “awesome,” and that’s further enriched her experience as a small animal practitioner. The combination of our wonderful clientele and all of her smart cooperative co-workers has made her transition into clinical practice a joy. She has a soft spot in her heart for goats (she showed them in high school) and bunnies, in addition to her expected love of dogs and cats. She shares her home with a devoted husband, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a recently widowed rabbit, who will hopefully not grieve too long for his newly lost companion.
With all of her academic, professional, and personal responsibilities, it’s hard for her to find a moment for “me time,” but when she manages to carve out even a few moments, you might find her with an easel set up and paint brush in hand. The brain, well balanced between the right and left hemispheres, has the potential for making an excellent diagnostician, and Dr. Richards is already proving that to be true.
Technician
Kira Luttrell
Kira is the youngest of our Licensed Veterinary Medical Technicians, but she makes up for those few years in tremendous intelligence, attention to detail, compassion, and remarkable skills for one so young. She first came to Fountain City Animal Hospital in the early summer of 2019 to do her required six week externship as the final step before sitting for her licensing exams, which she aced with ease. It didn’t take the rest of the staff very long to recognize her potential, and we were thrilled to make her a full-time L.V.M.T. in July of 2019, shortly after her graduation from Lincoln Memorial University where she was awarded an Associate’s degree in Veterinary Medical Technologies.
She appreciates the trust the rest of the staff exhibits in the skills of the technicians at Fountain City Animal Hospital, as well as the mutual respect and deep friendship she sees among the whole staff. Kira enjoys participating in all things animal related, from farm work to volunteering at animal shelters. She has 3 pets of her own, including one large dog and two cats, all appropriately spoiled.
Tech Assistant
Robin Inman
Robin was born and raised in Knoxville and began her work with animals by volunteering at the Union County Animal Shelter. She joined the FCAH family in November of 2021 in an entry-level position as an animal caretaker in our kennel, where she excelled and became Kennel Manager within the year.
Recognizing her exquisite attention to detail and relaxed communication abilities, we began training her at our front desk, where you might see her with her smiling face and brilliant ruby red hair. Knowing how crucial communication is between all the areas of the hospital has made her extra-sensitive in getting every detail of your pets’ needs communicated accurately to the rest of the staff. Her “can-do” attitude has now driven her to begin her on-line training to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician through Penn Foster, and not one of her co-workers has any doubt that she will succeed and become yet another awesome Vet Tech.
She loves helping people and their pets, seeing the diversity of the world of pets, and appreciating all the different ways people interact with their furry family members. At FCAH, she gets to see how different people treat and train their fur babies and so is constantly learning and growing.
When she’s not at work or studying, you might find Robin at Big South Fork hanging in a hammock or hiking through the trails. She loves mountain biking and is always up for an outdoor adventure throughout East TN or even out of state. She can’t be away too long though, because she has two German Shepherd dogs, one old lady Jack Russel Terrier, and nine Redstar hens to care for waiting for her back home. If you need eggs…
Tech Assistant
Nancy Leatherwood
Nancy was born in Newport and grew up in Hartford, TN. In 2012, she felt the need to spread her wings a bit and moved to Knoxville where she hoped to find a richer life and more opportunities for work. She found FCAH in the spring of 2021 and started at our front desk while we were all still wearing masks because of the pandemic. It would be several months before we actually got to see her whole face!
Nancy’s abilities with both people and animals were very clear from the outset of her time at the hospital. Although she’d never had any veterinary experience before, her experience with her own menagerie at home served her extraordinarily well when she moved into the middle area and began working as a technician’s assistant. It was clear from the outset that she is a “natural” when handling animals, and her drive to learn everything she possibly can about the science of veterinary medicine drove her to enroll in an online Veterinary Technician’s program through Purdue University, where she is excelling.
She loves the very caring environment she feels at FCAH, her co-workers, and, of course, the animals. Her very active mind soaks up every concept we casually discuss as we’re examining animals or running lab work, and her love of learning is absolutely boundless. Keeping her mind active while helping animals and people suits her perfectly, and we can’t wait to celebrate her success as a Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician.
Tech Assistant
Elizabeth Phillips
Elizabeth is a North Knoxville native, born here and lived here her entire life. She first came to Fountain City Animal Hospital as a high school senior, through an internship program at Central High School. Her intelligence, compassion, sweet personality, and work ethic were immediately recognized by the staff, and upon graduation, we offered her an entry-level position in the kennel, where she instantly excelled. We watched her care for every dog and every cat, truly as if they were her own, always conscientious of each animal’s idiosyncrasies and needs, and always willing to share her observations with concerned pet parents.
After Elizabeth mastered her position in the kennel, we moved her to the middle of the hospital, where she began as a technician’s assistant, and where she also excelled instantly. She is now enrolled in an online veterinary technician’s program through Penn Foster and is due to sit for her National Veterinary Technician’s Exam by early 2024. We look forward to congratulating her and welcoming her as an official Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician soon.
She loves working at FCAH because of the mutual support and respect she feels among all her co-workers, unique in her life experience. She finds deep fulfillment and feels honored to be part of people’s oftentimes best and sometimes their worst days. We never know what any day will bring us in veterinary medicine, but Elizabeth has shown that she can rise to any occasion with unwavering grace.
When she’s not busy at work or studying, she enjoys hiking, playing music (French horn, guitar, and piano), and of course, spending time with her German shepherd mix and four sweet cats.
Groomer
Stefani Bojchuk
Stefani (Petsmart Certified Groomer 2010) attended Edison State College and Virginia College. She joined the team at Fountain City Animal Hospital when she and her family moved from Seattle to Knoxville in 2013. Prior to coming to TN, Stefani worked for eight years in other small animal facilities out of state. She started at our reception desk, where her genial nature and attention to detail were quickly revealed, and then moved seamlessly into her position as groomer when the need arose.
She continues to move back and forth between the two positions, as needs dictate. Like so many of the staff here at the hospital, she feels that her co-workers are second family, and her belief that she is in the right place is confirmed every day when she realizes that she loves coming to work.
Groomer
Liza Marie
We just might have the best professional all breed dog and cat groomer in East TN! Since we opened our doors in 1979, FCAH has always had a wonderful professional groomer on staff, but Liza is in a class of her own. She comes to us from South Florida where she graduated from the Merryfield School of Pet Grooming in 2011 and trained under Irina Pinkusevich. She did further training and worked with Jonathan David, who personally recommended her as she left South Florida. She has participated in grooming competitions and attends continuing education seminars every year, just like all good professionals do.
You can check out her work on Instagram at thatgroomergirl_liza or just have a quick look here at some of her work. Dr. Khalsa is arguably the fussiest grooming client in the world, and she is THRILLED with Liza’s work on her own little fluffies, as well as with every single client’s pet Liza’s worked on.
Practice Manager
Chelsea Bush
Chelsea has been an invaluable member of the staff at Fountain City Animal Hospital since she was a young teenager, having started volunteering in the kennel when she was still in high school and officially coming on board in 2006. Her intelligence and attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed for long, and she quickly made her way to the front desk where you all are familiar (by now) with her smiling face and exquisite attention to detail. She always gets it right!
Her devotion to animals extends past her “day job” into her dedication to the Greyhound Rescue Foundation for whom she volunteers fostering greyhounds in her home. She loves how compassionate and caring her co-workers are here at the hospital and can’t imagine working anywhere else.
Tech Assistant
Ashley Baldwin
Ashley is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but luckily for us, her family moved to East Tennessee in time for her to find Fountain City Animal Hospital. She began her career with animals during her high school years by volunteering at local shelters and began her work with us as a kennel assistant.
It wasn’t long before we all began to value Ashley’s calm and steady demeanor, and it seemed the animals in her charge appreciated it too. Her presence always seemed to soothe even the most anxious of the pets in our kennel area, and she was frequently called upon to help handle a potentially fractious dog or cat, which she always did with ease and tranquility. Her consistent attention to detail and her profound compassion always ensured that every pet in her care was taken care of with the same care she would give to her own.
In the summer of 2019, we decided to share Ashley’s gifts not just with the pets in the kennel, but with their people too, so you’ll now find her at the front desk, always cheerful, and always ready to serve you and your pets.
In spite of her new position behind the front desk, we’re not beyond asking her to occasionally run back to the kennel and get a particularly difficult pet out of his cage, and she always obliges, with a smile.
Receptionist
Joy Gore
Originally born in Indiana, Joy found her way to East Tennessee in 2003. She has worked in several veterinary hospitals along the way, starting as a receptionist in 2000, and then working as a technician until 2011. Although not a Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician, she graduated with honors from a Medical Assistance program in 2015 and has a broad knowledge of companion animal medicine technology.
Joy came to work at Fountain City Animal Hospital in 2017 and began as a technician’s assistant. As of summer of 2019, her smiling face is also seen at our front desk. Joy particularly values her work at Fountain City Animal Hospital because of the quality of care she sees exhibited by the staff here – for the pets, for their people, and for other staff members. She currently has no shortage of pets in her own home – 4 cats, two kittens, and two dogs. She just might be a “crazy cat lady.”
Receptionist
Jessica Jones
Jessica is another of our devoted reception staff whose soft heart (HOW many cats has she rescued?) and sharp mind make her a principal player at our front desk. Always willing to go the extra mile for clients and co-workers alike, you can depend on her for exquisite care for both the pets and their people.
She’s been part of the Fountain City Animal Hospital family since 2009, where she began working directly with the animals in the kennel, but found herself transferred to the front desk when we realized that her dedication to serve people was as intense as her dedication to serving the animals. She values deeply the fact that everyone who works here is so highly driven to help the animals who come our way and wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
