Our Charlotte Area Veterinarians & Staff
Our Doctors
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Rick Beldegreen
Dr. Rick Beldegreen received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his veterinary degree at the University of Florida in 1985. He moved to Charlotte in 1986 and opened Newell Hickory Animal Hospital in NE Charlotte in 1987. After his veterinary business outgrew his first hospital location, he built his "dream hospital", Stoney Creek Animal Hospital, which opened during the summer of 2000.
Dr. Beldegreen has a special interest in soft tissue & orthopedic surgery. In addition to caring for his canine and feline patients, Dr B has volunteered his veterinary services to the Carolina Raptor Center since 1987. He has performed orthopedic surgery on many birds of prey, repairing broken legs and wings on injured hawks, eagles and owls.
Dr. Beldegreen is a member of World Vets. World Vets is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing veterinary services to areas in need around the globe. In 2009, Dr. Beldegreen volunteered his professional services in Panama with World Vets.
Dr. Beldegreen is credentialed to perform stem cell implantation for treatment of osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease. To learn more about this new and exciting treatment modality for pets with arthritis visit www.vet-stem.com.
Prior to his veterinary career, Dr B spent 7 years as the Supervisor of Animal Care for Sea World in Orlando, Fl. where he helped supervise the daily care of whales, dolphins, seals, walrus, manatees and an avian collection of waterfowl, flamingos, macaws, and penguins.
When not at work, Dr. B can often be seen working up a sweat at the downtown YMCA. Dr B's family consists of his wife Gigi; daughters Erica and Loren; dogs Kodi & Tanner.
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Jill Pascarella
Dr. Pascarella was born in Boston, Mass. and was raised in South Florida. She received her undergraduate and veterinary degrees from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). After graduating from veterinary school she moved to Massachusetts and completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery. After completing her internship, she practiced emergency medicine in Massachusetts until recently relocating to Charlotte. Dr. Pascarella's family includes her husband Joe and 2 dogs (Devi and Blue) and 2 cats (Walter and Badger). Dr Pascarella has a special interest in infectious and immune-mediated diseases. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors, reading, going to the movies and spending time with her family.
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Jackie Whitlock
Dr. Whitlock is originally from Pennsylvania but has lived in the south for nearly 15 years. She settled in Charlotte after completing her veterinary degree at the University of Georgia. She received both her Bachelor's degree in Marine Science and Master's degree in Earth and Environmental Resource Management at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Whitlock has a special interest in internal medicine, ophthalmology and clinical pathology. In her free time, Dr. Whitlock enjoys exercising, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. Her family includes her husband Jon, 3 dog children; Toby, Lola-bean and Ozzie and her fish, Bubblez.
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Diane Hodges
Dr. Hodges was raised near the University area on her family’s farm off Rocky River Rd. As a high school student, she worked for Dr Beldegreen at his former animal hospital off Old Concord Rd. Dr. Hodges received her Veterinary degree from the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. Shortly after graduation Dr. Hodges moved to Pennsylvania where she practiced for 5 years. Now back home in Charlotte, Dr. Hodges has joined the staff of Stoney Creek Animal Hospital. In her spare time, Dr Hodges loves outdoor activities. SCUBA diving is one of her passions. She shares her home with her 2 dogs.
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John Houghton
Dr. Houghton grew up on the coast of Maine on his father's dairy farm. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Cornell University and his veterinary degree at The University of Georgia. After veterinary school, he did an internship at Texas A&M University, advancing his knowledge, experience, skills, and helping to teach veterinary students in the areas of internal medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine. Upon completion of his internship, he moved to Charlotte and worked as an overnight ER doctor for 2 years prior to joining the Stoney Creek team in 2011. Dr. Houghton has a special interest in surgery and radiology. He lives with his girlfriend, who is also a veterinarian, and they have an excited puppy named Jasmine, and a tolerant cat, Ruby. In his free time he likes to run, spend time on Lake Norman, travel, hike, or visit with friends and family.
Technician
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Angie Piojda
Angie is a Veterinary Technician who has been working for Dr. Beldegreen since 1989. She assists the Doctors in everything they do while also providing intensive care nursing for our hospitalized patients. In addition to these responsibilities, Angie also oversees the daily activities of our team of technicians. Angie shares her time away from work caring for her dog Kylie and riding her 2 horses.
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Linda Engelman, RVT
Linda is a Registered Veterinary Technician who joined our hospital in 2000. She earned her degree in veterinary technology at Gaston College. Linda is affectionately known as the "cat lady" as she has that special "knack" with our feline patients. Linda does a great job coordinating our Stoney Creek Kitty Adoption Program. She also has 6 cats of her own.
Linda has a special interest in veterinary dentistry and is one of our best dental technicians.
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Cari Vince, RVT
After earning her degree in Veterinary Technology at Gaston College, Cari joined our team as a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2001. As a technician, she has a focus and special interest in animal behavior. Cari assists our doctors in their daily activities in exam rooms and in surgery. She provides gentle nursing care to our hospitalized patients. Cari lives in Harrisburg with her son, two dogs and two cats.
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Darci Hidalgo
Darci moved to Charlotte from Virginia. She has worked in the veterinary field since 2001. She joined the Stoney Creek technician staff in 2005. Darci lives n the University area with her husband Chris.
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DJ DeJanes , RVT
DJ is a registered veterinary technician who joined Stoney Creek Animal Hospital in 2007. She relocated from San Francisco. She is a graduate of Central Carolina Community College with a degree in Applied Science. Her favorite interests at work include assisting in orthopedic surgery, performing lab work and helping our clients and their pets. She lives in the University area with her 2 dogs, Reeses and Zoey.
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Robin Little
Robin Little has worked at Stoney Creek since 2002. She is a graduate of UNCC. Her dog Macy was a stray puppy adopted from Stoney Creek. Her "family" also includes a green lizard. Robin enjoys country music, baseball and horseback riding. She lives in the Concord area with her husband Jeremy.
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Mike Palchus
Mike began working at Stoney Creek Animal Hospital in 2003 as a kennel assistant in our boarding area. He is currently working as a Technician assistant in our treatment area and plans to attend Gaston College to become a registered Veterinary Technician. Mike lives in the University area with his cat Kalani.
Reception
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Debbie Wisniewski
Debbie moved here from New York along with her 3 dogs and 4 cats. Having a 7 pet household, Debbie knows first hand what it is like when your "family member" becomes sick and needs veterinary care. As a member of our front office staff, she looks forward to assisting you in any way possible.
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Susan Sturtevant
Susan is a receptionist who joined our staff in 2004. She is a long time client and Susan has been a volunteer for 12 years at the Carolina Raptor Center. She currently shares her home with 9 cats.
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Renee Kapelka
Renee moved to Charlotte from Las Vegas and joined Stoney Creek Animal Hospital in 2005. Renee lives in the University area with her husband Larry and their dog "Sid".
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Sara Brady
Sara is a student at UNC Charlotte majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She joined Stoney Creek in 2007. She lives in the University area with her husband Chris, two dogs, five cats and countless Dwarf hampsters.
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Seieda Boayue
Seieda currently attends UNC Charlotte majoring in Elementary Education. Although she has a passion for working with children, Seieda has always had a soft spot in her heart for animals; especially dogs. Her love for animals brings Seieda to Stoney Creek. Seieda lives in the University area with her dog Teddie.
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Kari Sparks
Kari graduated from UNC Charlotte in May of 2009 with a B.A. in Psychology. She is originally from Asheboro N.C. and has enjoyed working and volunteering with animals for years. She will be continuing her education to become a Health Care Psychologist.
Kennel
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Amanda Allen
Amanda Allen joined our kennel staff in 2002. Amanda is one of our "lead" kennel staff members. Amanda lives with her daughters Hailey and Hannah,2 cats, Lena & Sylvia and her dog, Dyna. Dyna is fond of taking walks and swimming.
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Lisa Bauer
Lisa joined the Stoney Creek kennel staff in 2003. She lives in the Charlotte area with her dogs Catalina and Captain Sully. Besides being an animal lover, she is an avid reader and sports fan.
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Sandra Antill
Sandra is a part-time kennel assistant who joined our staff in 2004. She is a long time client who works as a registered nurse. Sandra has been a volunteer for many years at the Carolina Raptor Center. She currently shares her home with 8 cats.
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Joel Henderson
Joel is a graduate of UNCC. He has worked in the animal care field for ten years. He lives in the University area with his wife Teresa and dog Siler.
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Katie G Godfrey
Katie joined Stoney Creek Animal Hospital in 2007. She has a degree in Animal Science from the University of Maine. She lives in the University area with her three cats Dixie, Paris and Jar-Jar.
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Chelsea Cook
Chelsea began working at Stoney Creek in 2008. She hopes to continue her studies to become a veterinarian. She lives in the Charlotte area with her two dogs Bailey and Sophie.
Grooming
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Cathy R Lee
Cathy relocated to the Charlotte area from Oregon in 2007. She has been grooming animals since 2004. She lives in Indian Trail with her husband, Scott, her two sons Brandon and Alex, her three dogs Max, Jake and Boomer and her cat Maggie.
