OUR DOCTORS

Dr. James W. Poage joined Valley Animal Hospital May 28, 1980, and he purchased the hospital from Dr. Ayers on January 1, 1992. Dr. Poage graduated from Virginia Tech in 1976 with a B.S. in Dairy Science. He then attended the University of Georgia, graduating in 1980 as a D.V.M. Dr. Poage is a member of the following organizations:

AVMA - American Veterinary Medical Association

VVMA - Virginia Veterinary Medical Association

RVVMA - Roanoke Valley Veterinary Medical Association

Dr. Poage was the veterinarian for Mill Mountain Zoo for 27 years. Dr. Poage is married to Denise Poage who is the assistant office manager at Valley Animal Hospital. He has two children, Jayna and Matt, and his extended family includes a Jack Russell Terrier mix named Spirit, a Fox terrier mix named Amber-Grace, a Thoroughbred named Joey, and two Miniature Horses named Dinky and Sugar. His hobbies include woodworking, photography, home improvement and landscape gardening.

Dr. Jessica Staley is a 2004 graduate of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, and joined VAH on June 1, 2004. Her primary background is small animal medicine and surgery, and she has completed externships in emergency medicine and animal shelter medicine. Dr. Staley also has completed several equine clerkships and has a personal interest in horses. She is currently a member of the AVMA and VVMA. Her special interests include ultrasonography, echocardiography, and dentistry.

Dr. Staley and her husband CP live in Roanoke with their two children. They enjoy cooking, hiking, golfing, and spending time with their two dogs, Mac and Mabel, and their two cats, Gatsby and Pudgie. Jessica also enjoys horseback riding and running, and is hoping to run a marathon in the next year or two.

Dr. Jaime Jonen joined Valley Animal Hospital on June 15th, 2005. She is a 2005 graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She was raised in Wisconsin and received her Bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Jonen is currently a member of the AVMA. Her special interests include soft tissue surgery and internal medicine. She has recently become interested in small mammal exotics, and has been interested in zoo medicine since working as a zookeeper intern during her undergraduate schooling.

Dr. Jonen moved to the Roanoke area from Iowa with her two best feline friends, Bandit and Simon, and has recently adopted a precious puppy named Timber. She is married to Travis Smith.

Dr. Paul G. Gallagher is a 2009 graduate of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and will be joining Valley Animal Hospital on July 1^st, 2009. Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Gallagher spent many years performing research on cancer, snake venoms, and the genetics of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. His special interests include internal, avian, and preventive medicine, pathology and cytology. He is currently a member of the AVMA, VVMA, and ASVCP (American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology).

Dr. Gallagher and his wife Jenni reside in Blacksburg with their two little boys, Jack and Josh. They share their home with four mischievous kitties and a sun conure named Birdie. Dr. Gallagher spends his free time playing with his kids, reading, and exploring Virginia’s beautiful mountains.

Dr. Karl R. Kroenlein joined Valley Animal Hospital on June 15, 2007. He received his DVM degree from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. Dr. Kroenlein has special interests in Reptile and Avian medicine & surgery, ultrasonography, pathology, cytology and orthopedic surgery. He is a member of the AVMA and VVMA.

Dr. Kroenlein and his wife Ruth Ann have a small home zoo in Blacksburg including two dogs, two cats, a green iguana, a painted turtle, and many snakes (including a small corn snake breeding program). In their free time, they enjoy traveling, hiking, fishing, going to the movies, and working in the yard and on their house. They recently added two new members to their family: TWIN baby boys (human ones)

Dr. Ralph E. Ayers graduated from The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1954 and founded Valley Animal Hospital in 1960. He is a member of the AVMA, VVMA and RVVMA of which he is a past president.

Dr. Ayers and his wife Theda live in Roanoke county. They have two sons, Edward and Billy and a daughter Angie. Five grandchildren currently occupy a lot of the Ayers' time. Dr. Ayers is an avid golfer who doesn't let work get in his way.