Bio Coming Soon…!
Kenza is a veterinary student at NCSU CVM (class of 2026), and has been a veterinary assistant at Lake Pine since 2019!
She has a Golden Retriever mix named Millie (better known as Worm) and a little black panther kitty named Pickle, who is the boss of her 60lb canine sister. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is client education because she loves helping people become active members of their pet’s care team, and forming long-term relationships with their clients and patients are always endlessly rewarding.
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
Amanda is one of our veterinary assistants. She shares her home with her dogs, DJ and Kibou.
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
Kaylle is currently a student at North Carolina State studying Animal Science with the hope of attending veterinary school. She has a dog named Kash and a dog back home named Champ. Her favorite thing about working at Lake Pine is the people she’s met while working there and the doctors she’s had the opportunity to learn from.
Melissa has been with us since 2012. She is currently enrolled in NCSU CVM. Melissa is extremely well versed in all aspects of veterinary care and we are confident she will make a wonderful veterinarian. She shares her home with her husband their 2 dogs and 3 orange kitties.
Andrea has many years of experience in the veterinary field and enjoys assisting our wonderful veterinarians and all the staff at Lake Pine Animal Hospital. She loves all aspects of veterinary medicine with laboratory diagnostic testing and client education being one her favorites areas. She is always excited to come to work every day and looks forward to working with all our amazing patients. She has a foolish Doodle of her own as well as 2 mischievous cats. Her spare time is filled with cheering on her son and daughter in hockey and soccer.
Katie was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, and moved to North Carolina in 2018 to pursue a career in Veterinary Medicine. Katie graduated from Central Carolina with a degree in Veterinary Technology and is now a Registered Veterinary Technician. She loves assisting in surgery, especially dental cleanings! Katie has a dog named Blake, and they both enjoy spending time outdoors.
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
Clementine is the clinic cat here at Lake Pine Animal Hospital. She is very photogenic and quite the boss lady around here. She is very friendly and loves to receive lots of treats. Come by and see her here at Lake Pine!
Bio coming soon!
Bio coming soon!
Sam currently attends North Carolina Central University, where he is majoring in political science. As the son of Lake Pine Animal Hospital owner Dr. Katz, Sam takes a lot of pride in the clinic being a small business, allowing for meaningful connections to be made with our clients and patients. After graduation, Sam wishes to attend law school. In his free time, Sam enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Marianne, and playing fetch with his dog, Dezi.
Bio coming soon!
Dustin has been a great addition to our team! He spends his home life with his wife and two dogs, Quinn and Lip. He and his wife are “foodies” and always know the best places to eat. Dustin is always happy to go the extra mile to help.
I don’t know who looks better in the photo, Dustin or Quinn? LOL
Originally from South Florida, Mandie grew up with an innate love for animals and has been working in the petcare field since 2003. In 2011, Mandie found the veterinary field, where she developed a passion for client care. After working in a variety of cities and hospital settings, she has finally decided to settle in one place and is excited to join the fabulous Lake Pine family!
Outside of work, Mandie enjoys competitive pool, performing in local bands, and watching horror movies with her Doberman, Lady.
Bio coming soon!
Giz enjoys working with animals and has been in the veterinary field for many years. She loves helping people take care of their animals. She has a soft spot for her fluffy kitties. Her poor husband is allergic, so she only has 5! She also has two slobbery springers. But her favorites are her sons, both are in college already! When relaxing at home she enjoys making dollhouse miniatures and crocheting.
Our Hospital Manager Dan has been with us since 2017. He has two dogs, Charlie and Jax. His cat Biscuit was adopted from Lake Pine. Dan is a NCSU graduate and majored in Biological Sciences. He loves animals and medicine! In his free time he enjoys riding his motorcycle, and playing his guitar!
A life-long animal lover, Dr. Newton decided she wanted to be a veterinarian when she was six years old. Fortunately, her family fully supported her dream even at this young age. Growing up in Westchester County, NY, she developed a passion for horses, and she was often found at the barn riding and helping to take care of them. She got to know the local equine veterinarians and worked with a small animal veterinarian who had a special interest in exotics and wildlife.
After high school, she attended Clemson University, which was one of the best decisions she ever made. She received an amazing education, and having lived in New York all her life, she appreciated the opportunity to learn about a different area of the country and its culture. She competed on Clemson’s IHSA Equestrian team and met her future husband during her sophomore year. After graduation, she attended veterinary school at North Carolina State, where she decided to become a small animal veterinarian and keep horses as a hobby. She has been in practice as a small animal veterinarian locally ever since. Her veterinary interests include dermatology, internal medicine and geriatrics.
As a general practice veterinarian, what she enjoys most is meeting new clients and patients and developing long-lasting relationships with them. She and her husband live in Apex with their daughter, two dogs and two cats.
I grew up in Chapel Hill, NC and currently live in Apex. I earned my Veterinary Degree from St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies and completed my clinical experience at NC State.
Prior to graduating, I completed a comparative medicine fellowship at Wake Forest University sponsored by the National Institutes of Health where I studied body composition and food intake patterns in Vervet monkeys.
While I love all aspects of veterinary medicine, I’m most passionate about client communication, preventative medicine, and geriatric comfort. I enjoy building strong relationships with patients and clients to ensure healthy lifestyles for our furry family members. I also look forward to collaborating with colleagues on complex cases.
Outside of work, I can be found in the sun, biking, hiking, gardening, and spending time with my four dogs. I look forward to meeting you and your pets and making your vet visit a positive experience!
My mother likes to tell people that when I was 3 days old I “rode” my first horse. I am pretty sure I was just a little bundled up blob sitting on the back of her horse, but I do not doubt that my love of horses came to be on that day. Dogs and cats were also always a part of my life as a child.
I was born in Augusta, GA, but became an “Army Brat” at the age of eight which afforded me the opportunity to live in California and Germany while I was growing up. In addition to learning another Ianguage and experiencing many different cultures, I was also able to continue to pursue my equestrian endeavors while living overseas as a member of a German riding club.
After high school, I returned to the States to attend college at The Colorado College, where I earned my BA in Biology. After graduation, I moved back to my home state of Georgia to attend graduate school at the University of Georgia, where I earned my M.S. in Zoology in 1990, and my DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. I met my husband, Miloud, while we were both attending graduate school at UGA.
Immediately following my graduation from veterinary school, my husband’s job relocated us to Urbandale, IA, and I began my veterinary career working as an associate veterinarian at a mixed animal practice in Winterset, IA (Home of The Bridges of Madison County– and where the filming of the movie was underway during the first several months of my tenure there). When my twin daughters, Maysa and Kenza, were born in 1997, I decided to take a year-long hiatus from my career to concentrate on raising my girls. Starting in 1998, I resumed my career as a relief veterinarian in small animal medicine. Our youngest daughter, Miah, was born in 1999. We moved to Prior Lake, MN in 2003 where I worked as a part-time associate veterinarian until we relocated to Chapel Hill, NC in 2005, where I continued my career as a small animal relief veterinarian serving practices in the Chapel Hill-Durham area.
Now that my husband and and I are officially “empty-nesters”, I have more time to devote to my career and am pleased to join Dr. Katz’s team as an associate veterinarian after having enjoyed providing my services as a relief veterinarian at her practice. I am very much looking forward to really getting to know the clients and their pets at Lake Pine Animal Hospital. I find client education one of the most rewarding aspects of veterinary medicine, because it affords me the opportunity to help clients feel confident and empowered as their pet’s caregiver, knowing that they are meeting all of their pet’s healthcare needs to the best of their ability.
We have two cats, Tigger and Doodle, and one dog Bibi at home, and three horses that are currently enjoying leisure time in a pasture not far from our home in Chapel Hill.
Dr. Bridgitte Araba
Bio coming soon!
Dr. Samantha Eichelberger grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania where her love for all things animals began. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be a veterinarian after going to appointments for her childhood dog Scruffy. The veterinarian was very eager to talk about her pup’s care which sparked Dr. Eichelberger’s interest in becoming a veterinarian. She studied Biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and worked with both small animal and equine veterinarians during semester breaks. She attended The Ohio State University for veterinary school and graduated in 2019. She started her career in equine medicine, attending an internship program in Lexington, Kentucky and then continued in the equine medical field for about 5 years. Dr. Eichelberger is excited to join the team at Lake Pine Animal Hospital! She is passionate about internal medicine and ophthalmology and enjoys helping our clients give the best care possible to their furry friends.
She lives in Clayton with her husband, her dog Ellie and two cats Hamilton and Deja. In her free time she enjoys being outdoors hiking, paddle boarding and trail riding with her friends. Dr. Eichelberger is excited to meet you and your furry friends!
I grew up in a small town in central Florida and I had the benefit of having many pets from cats and dogs to bunnies and horses. I feel very fortunate to have a career that I love. It allows me to combine my heartfelt joy for furry friends and my passion for medicine and science. My studies have taken me around the southeast. I first attended Maryville College in East Tennessee for my undergraduate studies in Chemistry and Biology. I was lucky to get a first rate liberal arts education and to meet my future husband! Next, I attended the University of Georgia to study Microbiology in Graduate school. I acted as a TA in Biology as well. I attended Veterinary school at the University of Georgia, graduating first in my class in 1992. I was then selected to stay at UGA to complete an Internship in small animal medicine and surgery.
After my internship, I elected to venture into the world of private veterinary practice. My first job was in Georgia, just a bit north of Atlanta. After that, we moved back to central Florida to be near family. I was so lucky to be a part of a busy multi-doctor practice in Longwood, FL for 13 years. In 2007, my husband and our two children moved to Apex, NC. From the start, we felt right at home. If I had to pick one reason why we love North Carolina so much, I’d have to say it is the people. Everyone is so friendly and engaging, whether you’re a Tarheel native or a transplant. For several years after we moved, I worked as a Relief Veterinarian all around the Triangle. In April 2013 I came to Lake Pine Animal Hospital as a full-time associate and on December 31, 2015, I became the proud owner!
My philosophy is to spend time with each client and patient the way I would want a doctor to spend time with me. I strive to offer the best care I can. I especially enjoy developing relationships with clients and pets and I hope to make people feel comfortable asking questions. I have three cats — Walter, Black Betty, and Floki — and two dogs named Hershel and Dezi.
I am Jody Katz, a veterinarian and owner at Lake Pine Animal Hospital in Apex, North Carolina. I graduated from the University of Georgia in 1992 and began with a year-long rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery. After working in North Georgia and Florida, I moved to North Carolina in 2007 and joined Lake Pine Animal Hospital in 2013. I had the privilege of becoming an owner of Lake Pine Animal Hospital in 2016.
Many people think that being a veterinarian is all about playing with puppies and kittens, which is definitely a bonus. But for me, the appeal lies in my love for medicine, helping others, and fixing things. I’ve always felt a strong connection to helping animals, stemming from my childhood on a farm in rural Central Florida.
My favorite part of this profession is the connection I feel with the families and being a part of a pet’s life, from puppy or kitten to adulthood. I take great joy in being involved in the bond between families and their pets. Another aspect I cherish is being a part of the journey of rescue animals and their new families, which is incredibly rewarding.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my children. My son Sam works here at Lake Pine and plays football for NC Central, while my daughter is studying abroad. We love traveling and experiencing different cultures together. At home, I have a passion for gardening and quilting.
My educational journey started at Maryville College, majoring in chemistry, and continued at the University of Georgia for veterinary school. I completed my veterinary degree in 1992 and started practicing in Central Florida. After moving to North Carolina in 2007, I initially focused on being a stay-at-home mom before doing relief work and eventually joining Lake Pine Animal Hospital. We’ve been fortunate to grow and flourish as a practice, especially after moving to our new location during the pandemic.
We collaborate with several rescues for medical and sick care, such as Paw Prints Animal Rescue and Pawfect Match Animal Rescue. Additionally, we work with local high schools like Athens Drive and Apex High School, offering internship and externship programs in veterinary medicine.
What sets us apart is our commitment to connecting with families and tailoring our approach to each pet’s needs. We’re proud members of various veterinary associations and participate actively in veterinary information networks, sharing knowledge and resources with colleagues across the country.
Apex is a wonderful place to live, known for its active community and diversity. At Lake Pine Animal Hospital, we strive to create a welcoming environment where every visit feels like coming home. We want our clients and their pets to feel comfortable and cared for, embodying a culture of warmth and ease throughout our practice.
Thank you for considering Lake Pine Animal Hospital in Apex, North Carolina, for your veterinary needs. We look forward to serving you and your pets.
If you still have other questions and you’d like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (919) 380-1157, or you can email us at info@lakepineanimal.com. But please do reach out, and we’ll get back to you as fast as we can. Don’t forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram
