The people who will know your pet's name

Dr. Meg Roth

Dr. Roth owns Paws & Claws and leads the medical team. She practices alongside Dr. Sandefur and Dr. Parham, so the hospital keeps the same small-practice feel clients have known for twenty years while bringing in a new generation of leadership.

Bio, training, and a photo to come from the practice.

Dr. Michele Sandefur

Dr. Sandefur, known around the hospital as Doc, earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University in 1995. After a year in practice in Louisville, she moved to Nashville and has lived and worked here ever since.

She bought Paws & Claws Animal Hospital in March 2004 and ran it as an independent, doctor-owned practice for two decades before handing ownership to Dr. Roth. She continues to see patients here. She shares her home with a Labrador mix named Cubby and a cat named Piglet.

Dr. Jennifer Parham

Dr. Parham, or Dr. P to most clients, grew up in Tennessee and Kentucky. Caring for her own pets is what drew her to veterinary medicine. She earned her bachelor's in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky in 1998 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University in 2002.

She practiced small animal medicine in Atlanta for three years before moving to Nashville, and has been part of Paws & Claws since 2007. She lives in Nashville with her husband Andy, their two children Luke and Lily, and two cats, Chip and Archie.

Dawn Foster

Dawn has been at Paws & Claws since the day the doors opened. She began her veterinary career at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, moved to Nashville in 1998, and started working with Dr. Sandefur that same year. Their partnership has continued for more than two decades.

As practice manager she runs the front of the hospital, and as a veterinary assistant she still works alongside the doctors in the exam rooms.

Dorthea Foster

Dorthea was born in Boston, moved to Nashville young, and grew up around animals. She was part of the Paws & Claws family long before she was officially hired, working alongside her mother, Dawn.

She earned her bachelor's in Media Arts and Animation in 2015 and does freelance visual effects work in addition to her time at the hospital. Her black-and-white Labrador mix, Nova, can usually be found looking for treats at the front desk.

Shemar Coleman

Shemar is one of our veterinary assistants and works with the doctors on exams, treatments, and surgery days.

Jada Black

Jada is one of our veterinary assistants and helps keep patients calm and comfortable from check-in to check-out.

Paige Boulton

Paige is one of our veterinary assistants and supports the doctors in the exam rooms and treatment area.