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Our Team

Our caring and compassionate veterinary care team!

Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Glade Creek Animal Hospital in Sparta! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!

Please call us at 336-372-4224 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!

Meet Our Veterinarians

Michelle R. Tompkins, DVM

Dr. Tompkins grew up in Greensboro, NC and first learned to love Veterinary Medicine by cleaning up after animals while she attended High School at Caldwell Academy. She moved on to study Biology at Queens University of Charlotte, earning her Bachelor’s degree in 2006. She spent some time traveling, studying literature in the UK and then working in the African Bush, participating in an ongoing research project in Kenya’s National Parks, published by Boston University. Dr. Tompkins attended Veterinary Medical School at Virginia Tech and has been serving the pets and people of Alleghany County and beyond as a Veterinarian since 2010.

Dr. Tompkins enjoys being an Active Member of First Baptist Church of Sparta, as well as serving her community with the Rotary Club of Alleghany, as a member of the Board of Directors of Alleghany Writers, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce.  
 
In her free time, she can be found doing anything outdoors with her husband Aaron Ray and their two children, Reagan and Reece. At home, she keeps a flock of chickens (all of whom have names), a pack of dogs, a passel of cats, school of fish, and a small herd of show calves.  

Miranda Cox, DVM

Dr. Miranda Cox was born and raised in Baywood, just outside of Galax, VA. She graduated with her B.S. at Virginia Tech as a double major in Dairy Science and Animal & Poultry Science in 2016. After graduation Dr. Cox moved to Pennsylvania for a couple of years to manage a Dairy herd. She returned to Virginia to continue her education in Veterinary School at Virginia Tech and completed her degree in 2022.

In her free time, she can be found outside working on her family farm or riding horses in the mountains. She is excited to serve the animals and people in Alleghany County and the surrounding areas.

Our Support Staff

Tammy Gearheart, Office Manager

Originally from Ohio, Tammy spent many years as a military wife and has lived in several different states and countries. Always a country gal, she came to Sparta in 2004 and quickly fell in love with the people and surroundings. She knew immediately that she wanted to spend her life here. Having a love for the outdoors, some of her hobbies include hunting, fishing, spending time on the river and spending time with her family. She has a grown son who also lives in Sparta and several grandchildren. Tammy is also a “Mom” to one cat and three dogs.

Tammy began working in veterinary medicine in 2006. Having a passion for animals since childhood, this was a dream come true. She has served many roles over the years: veterinary assistant, on-call assistant and receptionist. Being able to make a difference in the loving care of our pets is her passion.

Jade Castevens, Receptionist

Jade is a Piney Creek native and being born and raised in the mountains played an important role in shaping who she is today. She enjoys being outdoors and loves to spend time with her family on the river. Jade married her high school sweetheart and her family has expanded since then with the birth of two sweet daughters, Addison and Isobel.

Jade’s compassion for animals led her to seek out opportunities to help people care for their pets in the veterinary medical field, as well as help pets find their forever home as a past Vice President of the Save-a-Pet foundation of Alleghany County.  She still has a passion for pet adoption and works as a liaison for several rescue organizations in the state.

Jordan Billings, Receptionist

Jordan was born and raised in Alleghany County. Jordan’s love for animals led her to find a job in this field to grow her compassion. She is a dog mom to Millie and Rue and is a very big dog lover. She spends her free time with family and friends and loves to spend time with her dogs.

Lauren Heitz, Veterinary Assistant

Meet Lauren Heitz, a dedicated Veterinary Assistant with 15+ years of vetmed experience and a passion for all things furry (and feathered!) Hailing from the mountains of NJ, she studied Animal Science at Hunterdon County Polytech, graduating in 2009 turning her passion into a rewarding journey! She moved to Allegheny in 2018 to be close to family and has since called it home.
In her spare time Lauren enjoys working on renovating her cozy homestead where she currently raises pigs, ducks, chickens, quail, and geese. Her hobbies include singing, making pet collars, Aquascaping, fishing, and gardening. Her home is lovingly filled with 2 dogs, 3 cats, fish and a hamster named Fern.

Lilia Rallison, Veterinary Assistant

After growing up in Orlando, Florida, Lilia has recently moved to NC to get closer to nature and give a home to her two dogs, two cats, 4 chickens, and two goats. She’s loved animals ever since she was a little girl and is over the moon to get to work with all the cute critters at Glade Creek Animal Hospital! When she’s not working, Lilia likes to hike and create new ceramic pieces. Ask her about the time she spent working with her boyfriend with his animal rescue transport non-profit, Batman4Paws!

April Tarvid-Richey, Receptionist

April was born in San Diego, California but her family has called the mountains of Independence, VA home for quite some time. She’s lived in Fairfax, VA for a few years and even lived in southern Georgia for a while before moving back to Independence in 2015. She met her husband and his side kick kitty Chester, and their fur family grew with a goofy Plott Hound named Sadie, a senior Beagle mix named Obo, and a feisty kitty named Olivia. Ever since she was a little girl she’s always been surrounded by cats or dogs and always loves being around animals!

Mikayla Webb, Veterinary Assistant

Mikayla was raised in Grayson County but now resided in Carrol County. She is a dog mom to Sadie and Jackson and has a love for all animals. She has a bachelor’s degree in Animal and Poultry Science from Virginia Tech. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and fishing.