We are extremely proud of our dedicated team. We hire only the best and most experienced employees to become a part of our team here at Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, LLC. Our team is filled with highly dedicated animal lovers who are well trained at their jobs. They will do anything possible for their patients and the owners who love them.

Learning and education are very important here at Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, LLC. We strive to have a state of the art hospital with a staff trained in the latest medical advances. Our patients deserve the very best veterinary care.

Basically, our team is full of animal lovers. They make it a goal to treat each patient like their own. They give each patient plenty of love and attention. They are prepared to discuss preventative medicine so that every pet can stay as healthy as possible. They will also do everything that they can to make a sick pet feel better as soon as possible.

If you would like to speak to someone on our team, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (615) 833-4423.

Dr. Michele Sandefur

Our practice owner, Dr. Michele Sandefur (or Doc), graduated from Purdue University in 1995 with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. After working in Louisville, KY for one year, she moved to Nashville.
Dr. Sandefur has now lived and worked in the Nashville area for over 24 years, and bought Paws & Claws Animal Hospital in March of 2004. She currently has 1 dog and 1 cat: 13-year-old Labrador mix Cubby, and 15-year-old Piglet.

Dr. Jennifer Parham

Dr. Jennifer Parham (or Dr. P) spent her childhood in Tennessee and Kentucky. Her love of caring for her own pets drew her to veterinary medicine. Dr. P earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky in 1998, and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University in 2002. She practiced small animal medicine in Atlanta for 3 years before moving to Nashville, and has been with Paws & Claws since 2007.
Dr. P currently resides in Nashville with her husband, Andy, their two children Luke and Lily, and their two cats Chip and Archie.

Dorthea Foster, Vet Assistant

Dorthea, one of our three veterinary assistants, has worked at Paws & Claws for nine years. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Dorthea moved to Nashville at a young age and grew up around animals all her life. She has been a part of the Paws & Claws team long before she was “officially” hired by working with her mother, our office manager Dawn. Dorthea graduated from college in 2015 and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Media Arts & Animation. She does freelance visual effects work in addition to her work at Paws & Claws. Dorthea has one dog, a black-and-white Labrador mix named Nova, who you will most likely see searching for treats at the front desk.

Dawn Foster, Practice Manager & Vet Assistant

Dawn, one of our three veterinary assistants and our practice manager at Paws & Claws, has worked for us since our opening day. She started her veterinary career at Angel Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. After moving to Nashville in 1998, she began working with Dr. Sandefur, and their partnership has now continued for over twenty years. Dawn is currently working on her degree to become a licensed veterinary technician. She is married with three children, all of whom have graduated from college. Dawn has three dogs: Zoey, a Shih Tzu mix, Zelda, a German Shepherd, and Belle, a Rottweiler mix. She also has two cats, Nacho and Milkshake.

Shemar Coleman, Vet Assistant

Shemar Coleman is one of our newest vet assistants here at Paws and Claws with a passion for animals and music. During his undergraduate years, Shemar marched for the Aristocrat of Bands and was also part of the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is currently attending Tennessee State University, majoring in agricultural science with a concentration on pre-vet. After his undergraduate, Shemar plans to attend vet school and become an exotic animal specialist.

Alexis Gray, Vet Assistant

Alexis Gray has always had a love of animals from a young age. She moved from Michigan, continuing her passion for animals through her college education. Graduating from MTSU in 2020, Alexis now has a bachelor’s in animal science. She has been an amazing vet assistant under Paws and Claws for a year and now spends her free time volunteering at local wildlife centers. Alexis is a loving mom to her five-year-old cat, Cave.

Jada Black, Vet Assistant

Jada is from Atlanta, GA and graduated from Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in science. At TSU she marched French horn/mellophone in the Aristocrat of Bands and worked at a doggy daycare. After graduating she went on to work at Paws and Claws as a vet assistant. Jada is now training to monitor patients under anesthesia both in surgery and for dental cleanings. She has 2 dogs; Chase is a 20lbs, 15-year-old shih tzu mix and Wesley is a 70lbs, 6-year-old Lab mix.

Paige Boulton, Receptionist

Paige Boulton has been our receptionist for over a year. With a deep passion for animals, she is currently going to college at TSU to finish a degree in animal science. Currently, she has two four-legged children, Cash, a Boston terrier, and Dallas, a labrador retriever. She hopes to add a feline friend to her family soon.