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, 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 family 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.

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.

Corie Jo Fegel, DVM

Dr. Fegel was raised in Oklahoma, attending Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK where she received her BS in Zoology. She moved to the Northern Virginia area in 2019 and joined Animal Medical Center June of 2022.
Education: Dr. Fegel attended the Oklahoma State College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2018.
Leisure Interests: Dr. Fegel enjoys outside activities including hiking, camping, swimming and kayaking in the summer time and skiing in the winter months. She also plays the flute and enjoys spending time with her two cats.

Colleen McCarthy, DVM

Dr. McCarthy 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. McCarthy enjoys preventative care, diagnostic imaging (especially ultrasound!), and clinical pathology. She is also passionate about hospice/palliative care and rescue outreach.
Leisure interests: Dr. McCarthy is an avid equestrian in the sport of three day eventing. She owns a small farm with horses, donkeys, cats, and dogs. When she’s not working, Dr. McCarthy can usually be found on the farm riding horses, gardening, or spending time with her son and furry family members.

Sara Howard, DVM

Dr. Howard was raised in Clarke County, VA. She has lived in Colorado, Wyoming, and Washington State, returning to the Shenandoah Valley with her family in 2021 and joined Animal Medical Center in September 2022.Education: She received her BA in Biology in 2009 at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and became a DVM in 2015. Dr. Howard is certified in Veterinary Acupuncture.Interests: She has particular interests in Pain Management, Soft Tissue Surgery, Internal Medicine, Ultrasound and Acupuncture (certified).Leisure Interests: Dr. Howard enjoys traveling, hiking, and exploring the outdoors with her family and friends, reading and enjoying time with her pets.