Our Doctors

Bruce Welch, DVM, CCRT, Partner

Dr. Welch was born and raised on a small farm in Stephens City, Virginia. In 1998 Dr. Welch, and business partner Dr. Brian Cather, opened Animal Medical Center of Frederick County in Stephens City, Virginia.
Education: DVM, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, 1992; BS Animal Science (minors: Biology & Chemistry), Virginia Tech, 1988
Certifications & special training: Various, not limited to: TPLO, TTA, Fracture Management (Basic and Advanced), and BioMetrics. Canine Rehabilitation Therapy course at Canine Rehabilitation Institute.
Professional interests: Surgery (laser, endoscopic, soft-tissue and orthopedics), dentistry, pet rehabilitation therapy, and wellness care.
Leisure interests: Dr. Welch enjoys farming, biking, woodworking, collecting antique vehicles, and scuba diving, all with the company of his wife and three children. Of course, he enjoys time with his 3 furry companions (1 dog, 2 cats).

Brian Cather, DVM, Partner

Dr. Cather was born and raised in Frederick County, Virginia. In July of 1998 Dr. Cather, and business partner Dr. Bruce Welch, opened Animal Medical Center of Frederick County in Stephens City, Virginia.
Education: DVM, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, 1992; BS Animal Science, Virginia Tech, 1989
Certifications & special training: Various, not limited to: TPLO, TTA, and Fracture Management (Basic and Advanced)
Professional interests: Internal medicine, ultrasound, and general orthopedic surgery.
Leisure interests: Dr. Cather enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his wife, three children, and menagerie of pets.

Susanne (Sue) Hirsch, DVM

Dr. Sue was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. After graduation, along with her twin sister Dr. Roe Hirsch, she practiced small animal medicine in Louisiana for 17 years. Dr. Sue moved to Northern Virginia in 1998 and joined the Animal Medical Center team in 2005.
Education: DVM, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, 1980
Professional interests: Dr. Sue limits her patients to dogs and cats only, and enjoys both canine and feline internal medicine, as well as shelter medicine. Dr. Sue is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and serves as the supervising veterinarian at the Humane Society of Warren County.
Leisure interests: Over the years, Dr. Sue has engaged in backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, canoeing and bicycling, and holds a second degree black belt in Taekwondo. These days she enjoys hikes in the Shenandoah National Park, vegetable gardening, reading, and is an avid football fan. Dr. Sue is known to root for the LSU Tigers and the New Orleans Saints. Dr. Sue is a member of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and shares her home with her seven cats. She holds certificates in Outdoor Education and Mountaineering for the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming. She is a third order Secular Discalced Carmelite at the Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Washington, DC.

Kim Arthur, DVM

Dr. Arthur grew up locally in Clarke County, active in 4-H and Pony Club, showing ponies, and livestock. After a brief stint with the USDA, Dr. Kim worked in a horse practice for several years. She joined the Animal Medical Center team in late 2015.
Education: DVM, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; MS Animal and Poultry Genetics
Leisure interests: Dr. Arthur stays active with her family, her church, and her community.

Samantha Schildt, DVM

Dr. Sam Schildt was raised in Falling Waters which is in Berkeley Co. WV. She went to Shepherd University as an undergraduate and got her BS with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry. She then attended Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA and graduated in 2018. She moved back to this area last year in order to begin practicing small animal medicine.
Interests: Dr. Sam has interests in both feline and canine internal medicine and surgery.
Leisure interests: Spending time with family and friends, any outside activities, and being with her numerous furbabies.

Colleen Orta, DVM

Dr. Orta was raised in Wildwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. She attended St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, NC where she got her BA with a major in Equine Business and minor in Biology. She then went to the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in Columbia, Missouri. After graduating in 2012, she and her husband moved to northern Virginia where she began practicing general and emergency small animal medicine.
Interests: Dr. Orta enjoys preventative care, diagnostic imaging (especially ultrasound!), and clinical pathology. She is also passionate about hospice/palliative care and rescue outreach.
Leisure interests: Dr. Orta is an avid equestrian in the sport of three day eventing. She and her husband also own a small farm with horses, donkeys, cats, and dogs. When she’s not working, Dr. Orta can usually be found on the farm riding horses, gardening, or spending time with her son and furry family members.