Holmes Family Veterinary Clinic

2245 Providence Highway
Walpole, MA 02081

(508)921-3626

www.holmesfamilyvet.com


Meet Our Team

 

Dr. Karen Holmes

Dr. Karen Holmes

Fear Free Certified Logo

Karen has been practicing veterinary medicine in Walpole, MA for the past 14 years with a focus on all aspects of medicine and surgery. She particularly loves working with parrots, domestic birds like chickens and turkeys, as well as dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other pets.  Dr. Holmes is a graduate of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association, and the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

As the "other" family doctor, Dr. Holmes loves to work with people and their animal companions.  She is interested in all aspects of human and non-human interaction.  With dedication and compassion, she strives to practice preventative medicine in an environment that promotes client education.  She firmly believes that the best approach to patient care requires the active participation of many people including family members, veterinary team members and specialists when necessary.

Dr. Holmes is committed to providing you and your companion with the best possible care in a gentle and supportive environment.

   

Dr. Melissa Fiske

Dr. Melissa Fiske

Fear Free Certified Logo

Dr. Fiske received her Bachelors' degree from Northeastern University.  As part of her undergraduate education and training, she did a co-operative education experience at a canine rehabilitation center where she first met Dr. Holmes.  They have known each other and worked together since those early days.  

Dr. Fiske began her veterinary training at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland where she studied for two years before returning to the United States and completing her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Fiske enjoys veterinary dentistry and dental radiology (x-ray).  She also has a special interest in exotic companion mammal medicine and surgery. Dr. Fiske has combined these interests by leading our dentistry initiative and providing advanced dentals for our dog, cat and small mammal patients. 

When she isn't working, Dr. Fiske enjoys horseback riding, gardening and traveling with her husband, Trevor. She and her husband also share their life with a cat named Banksy and a dog named Jackson.

   

Dr. Kate Smolka

Dr. Kate Smolka

Dr. Kate Smolka grew up in the great state of Maryland, and has been steadily working her way up the east coast. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Pathobiology at the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!), and is a graduate of the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. 

Dr. Smolka's favorite disciplines are soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, and pain management and anesthesia.  Although Dr. Smolka enjoys all facets of veterinary general practice, she is particularly passionate about fear-free handling, and feline medicine and surgery. She loves working together with clients to help take the best care possible of their pets. 

In her free time, Dr. Smolka enjoys reading, running and going on adventures with her husband and 2 coonhounds. As a self-proclaimed "cat lady", she naturally has 3 cats at home, as well.

 

Dr. Richardson

Dr. Richardson

Dr. Richardson was born wanting to become a veterinarian, so prior to receiving her Doctorate at Tufts in 2004 she had worked with the penguins at the New England Aquarium, the wolves at Wolf Hollow, traveled with a large animal veterinarian and worked in a small animal practice.   The small animals grabbed her heart and she has been a small animal vet for the last 20 years.  She cherishes her relationships with her clients and patients alike.

Dr. Richardson loves to continually learn and develop her professional skills in order to bring the best possible care to her patients. Particular areas of interest include surgery, ultrasound, pain management and geriatric care.

In her free time Dr. Richardson loves travel and adventure.  Every March she flies around Alaska on bush planes as Veterinarian for the Iditarod where she fell in love with the Alaskan culture and sled dogs. Looking forward she would love to travel to remote American and international locations to help communities-in-need care for their animals.

Dr. Richardson lives in West Newbury with her husband, two children (Nathaniel and Ash), her two dogs (Finn and Siggy), a Quaker Parrot named Ary and two rats named Cookie and Flower.  Her other hobbies include reading, gardening, cooking and hiking.

 

Dr. Martha Carter

Dr. Martha Carter

Fear Free Certified Logo

Dr. Martha Carter is originally from near Scranton, PA, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Scranton. Dr. Carter recently graduated from Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and was inducted into the Phi Zeta Honor Society. She is very excited to start her career with the team at Holmes Family Veterinary Clinic! Martha is now a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association, and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. She is also Fear Free certified.

Dr. Carter enjoys working with dogs and cats, but she always had a special passion for small exotic mammals. Her love for rats, in particular, was a driving force behind her goal to become a veterinarian. Within the broad field of small animal medicine, Martha is especially interested in ophthalmology, soft tissue surgery, clinical pathology, and animal behavior.

In her free time, Dr. Carter enjoys singing along to show tunes, exploring nature, binge-watching Netflix, or visiting local restaurants with friends and family. Dr. Carter currently shares her life with a long-haired cat named Cozy (who prefers to be called Trash Cat), and two rats, Fontina and Brie.

  

 Morgan Smith, Certified Veterinary Technician

Morgan Smith, Certified Veterinary Technician

Fear Free Certified Logo
*also Avian Fear Free Certified

Morgan is a graduate of the Veterinary Technician program at the University of New Hampshire. She attended Norfolk Agricultural High School where she built a strong foundation in animal science and husbandry. She has a special interest in the care and handling of birds and exotic small mammals.

Morgan enjoys all aspects of patient care and client education and outreach. She especially enjoys surgery days when she gets to utilize her expertise in anesthetic monitoring to provide the highest level of care for our patients while under anesthesia and throughout their recovery. 

At home, Morgan and her family share their life with 4 parrots, 3 dogs and 2 cats. Outside of the clinic, Morgan enjoys gardening (with a special interest in succulents), cooking and reading.

   

Lauren

Lauren Barbo, Certified Veterinary Technician  (Lead Tech)

Fear Free Certified Logo
*also Avian Fear Free Certified

Lauren joined the HFVC team as a full time veterinary technician in April of 2017. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2012 with an Associated in Animal Science and graduated from Mount Ida College in December 2014 with a Bachelors Degree in Veterinary Technology. 

Lauren is very enthusiastic and passionate about all aspects of animal care and husbandry.  Lauren is the founder of Jr's Paws For a Cause. She also holds a position on the board for Project Samana; a veterinary care and educational outreach program working in underprivileged regions in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

In Lauren's free time, you can find her planning her non-profit events, at the beach, hiking with her dog, at the local farmer's market or cooking. Lauren shares her life with her husband and their rescue dog from the Dominican Republic, named Samana. 

 

Sharon Thompson, Certified Veterinary Technician

Sharon Thompson, Certified Veterinary Technician

Sharon was born and raised in Taunton Massachusetts and graduated with a degree in veterinary technology from Mount Ida College. Sharon brings 24 years of experience to the HFVC team including 9 years specializing in anesthesia and surgery. Most days at the clinic, you will find her in the surgical suite running anesthesia for our patients!

Sharon has two dogs, one cat and a cockatiel! When Sharon is not busy running anesthesia for our patients, you can find her listening to live music, hiking in the mountains, kayaking, camping, bird watching or skiing.

 

Brittany Tetreault, Certified Veterinary Technician

 

Brittany Tetreault, Certified Veterinary Technician

Brittany is one of the newer members of the Holmes Family Veterinary Clinic Team. Brittany earned her Associates and Bachelors degrees in veterinary science from Becker College in 2016 and 2017, respectively. She comes to us with 5 years of experience in the veterinary industry and is very excited to join the HFVC team!

Brittany enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine but is especially drawn to animal behavior. She is also excited to expand her skills with avian and exotic pets.

In her free time, Brittany enjoys volunteering, fostering animals, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with her husband along with their dog, cat and leopard gecko.

 

Jen Campbell, Veterinary Technician

Jen Purcell, Veterinary Technician

A native of Massachusetts, Jenn grew up in Randolph surrounded by a wide variety of pets. Her love of all animal species led her to develop a passion for working with exotic animals, particularly arachnids and reptiles.

Jenn has been working in the veterinary industry for over four years. She is enthusiastic about client education, especially when it comes to exotic pet care and husbandry. She has been a reptile hobbyist for 12+ years. She currently resides in Taunton with multiple White's tree frogs, 2 bearded dragons, a Brazilian black and a Chilean Rosehair tarantula, a Kenyan sand boa, a Western hognose snake, a russian tortoise, and a leopard gecko.

In her spare time, Jenn likes to take Instagram photos of her animals wearing various hats and outfits. Jen likes to display and categorize insects and various other creatures by taxonomic rank. She also enjoys arts and crafts!

 

 Chris Iverson, Veterinary Assistant

Chris Iverson, Veterinary Assistant

Christine grew up in Dedham where she attended Dedham High School. After high school she attended Quincy Junior College where she graduated in 1974 with her degree in Operating Room Technology, and completed her state test to become certified. She then worked at New England Medical Center in the operating room on the heart and trauma team. 

After eight years at NEMC she made the decision to stay home and start a family. She and her husband Mark have four children, one boy and three girls. Christine was very happy when the opportunity arose to get back into medicine and the operating room at Holmes Family Vet as a surgical assistant.

She now lives in Plainville with her husband Mark and their three dogs, Dottie an English Cocker Spaniel, Shitsie (yes you read that right), her longhaired mini Dachshund, Tully, a terrier mix who is a rescue that can be seen at the clinic when Christine is there hanging out in the office with Tioga Holmes, and their two cats Zippy and Kitt.

In her spare time Christine likes spending time with her family and her four grandsons, Jake, Gunnar, Vinny and Dom. She also likes spending time walking and hiking and just about anytime that she can be outside in the fresh air enjoying nature.

    

Mary Beth West, Veterinary Assistant

Mary Beth West, Veterinary Assistant

Mary Beth grew up in Indiana and graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education. She married and taught fourth grade for many years. After taking time away from teaching to raise her two daughters, she started a long career of volunteering. It wasn't until she moved to Massachusetts that she rediscovered her love and passion for helping animals.

Volunteering turned into working at the Medfield Animal Shelter which recently brought her to Holmes Family Veterinary Clinic. Mary Beth currently lives in Sherborn with her husband, 2 crazy active coonhounds and 2 cats. She is constantly looking forward to spending time with her two daughters currently in college. In her free time, Mary Beth enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, snow skiing, running and hiking with her 2 dogs.

   

Kerowyn Kent, Client Service Representative

Kerowyn Kent, Client Service Representative

Kerowyn is one of our newest team members. You will find her cheerful self at the front desk most days checking patients in, booking appointments, answering the phones and relaying messages and information between our clients and the rest of our team. Kerowyn attended Massasoit Community College for Criminal Justice and has followed her passion for animals by transitioning into a career in the veterinary field. 

Kerowyn has a particular interest in exotic large animal medicine and is excited to expand her knowledge and skills with us.

In her free time, Kerowyn enjoys practicing karate or listening to music.

 

Katie Muldoon, Client Service Representative

Katie Muldoon, Client Service Representative

Katie has been working with animals for over 11 years in many different capacities. She worked for several years in the elephant exhibit at Southwick Zoo. From there, she went on to work at a local kennel where she assisted with doggie daycare, training classes and grooming.

Katie has a further 11 years of experience working in the veterinary medical field as a client service representative and technician assistant. She also worked with a canine physical therapist and has a strong interest in animal rehabilitation.

Katie currently lives in Bellingham with her husband, son, 2 dogs and 2 cats. In her free times she enjoys spending time outdoors in the mountains, running and playing in the snow.

 

Name Coming Soon

Name Coming Soon

Bio Coming Soon

 

Rena Grasso, Client Service Representative

Rena Grasso, Client Service Representative

Bio Coming Soon