Meet Our Team!

We’ve been serving this amazing community since the 1960s, and we’ve only just begun.

Get to know our team!

We are solely dedicated to your pet’s care! We look forward to getting to know you, and we hope you’ll take the time to scroll down and get to know us.

Dr. Melissa Curry

Dr. Melissa Curry

Managing Veterinarian

Dr. Melissa Curry was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, and wanted to become a veterinarian since she was a young girl. At the age of 14, she began working with a few different veterinarians in Greensboro and her dreams began to come true. She graduated from UNC Greensboro with a BA at the top of her class, summa cum laude, in 1992. She then went on to graduate from NC State College of Veterinary Medicine at the top of her class and again summa cum laude in 1996. Dr. Curry practiced in Charlotte, NC for 4 years in a small animal and exotic practice and then relocated to Florida in 1999. She practiced in the Tampa Bay Area for 21 years and won multiple awards for Medical Director of the Year before returning to her home state of NC in 2021 with her family. Dr. Curry grew up visiting the Hendersonville/Brevard area as a child as well as throughout her adult life and relocating to this area was another dream come true.

Dr. Curry enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine with special interests in dentistry, surgery, ophthalmology, and dermatology. With over 27 years in general practice, she has learned that the best quality patient care all starts with a thorough physical exam of the patient and excellent communication with our clients.

Dr. Curry spends her free time with 3 cats, 1 dog, and 6 beautiful backyard chickens. She enjoys taking art classes at the local community college when she is not hiking or kayaking.

Dr. Todd Blair

Dr. Todd Blair

Veterinarian

Dr. Blair is a native of Western North Carolina and a 2001 graduate of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. He practiced in Wilson, NC, and Gettysburg, PA, before moving to Hendersonville. He earned a B.S. in biology from the University of NC Chapel Hill before entering veterinary school. He is a proud member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). He is married to his wonderful wife, Shannan; they have three sons and a daughter and hope to grow as a family in Hendersonville. They share their home with their dog, Ruger, and cats, Charlotte and Priscilla, and a bearded dragon, Steve.
Dr. Jessica Slangal

Dr. Jessica Slangal

Veterinarian

Dr. Slangal is a graduate of Purdue University. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Western Carolina to enjoy the beauty of the mountains. Her interests include dentistry, geriatric care, and internal medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine, she spends her free time hiking and riding horses. She has two spoiled pups named Captain and Chief Brodie and a mischievous cat named Morgan.
Dr. Don Zehr

Dr. Don Zehr

Founder

Dr. Zehr is a 1990 graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He did undergraduate work at Eastern Mennonite University for two years, then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Avian Science at the University of Florida in 1984. In Baton Rouge, Dr. Zehr did two years of Master’s research developing vaccines and bacterins before entering veterinary school in 1986. Dr. Zehr and his wife, Heidi, moved to Hendersonville in 1990 and bought this hospital in 1994. He loves the variety of general practice and especially enjoys surgery, ophthalmology, oncology, and dermatology. Dr. Zehr is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. Dr. Zehr and his wife, Heidi, have been married for over 35 years and have 3 great kids; one Wolfpack graduate, one UNC Tarheel graduate, and one Erskine Flying Fleet graduate. They have two dogs, Winston and Woody, and a cat named Jenga. They enjoy tennis, kayaking, fishing, and traveling.

Dr. Eli Layman

Dr. Eli Layman

Veterinarian

Dr. Eli Layman grew up in Denver, Colorado and moved to the area after falling in love with Hendersonville on vacation. Since childhood, she has always known that she wanted to become a veterinarian and attended Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

At Colorado State University, she graduated Cum Laude and on the National Dean’s List with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Zoology in 2002. In 2003, she graduated at the top of her class with a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. She then went on to complete her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2007, with an additional certification in Laser Surgery.

While practicing medicine in Colorado she spent the next several years honing her skills in internal medicine and surgery, working with a wide variety of dogs and cats in various stages of health. During this time, she also broadened her expertise in a variety of exotic pets, including, small mammals, birds and reptiles. While Dr. Layman enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, she holds special interests and expertise in soft tissue surgery, dentistry, preventive medicine and behavior issues. She also has a keen understanding of the necessity for nurturing the human-animal bond through open communication and enjoys sharing this knowledge with her patients and their owners.

When not practicing medicine, Dr. Layman enjoys spending time with her husband and their young son, a cats named Briggs, and a cattle dog named Banjo. Her favorite activities include biking, hiking, and relaxing next to a snuggly cat with a good book.

Christine

Client Service Representative

Christine has been with HVH since 1997. She thinks the best part of her job is being able to work closely with clients and being able to thoroughly understand their concerns about their pets. During her years at HVH, she has been able to watch pets grow from six weeks to their senior years. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her children and her dogs Rocco and Shadow.

Kourtney

Client Service Representative

Kourtney has been with Hendersonville Veterinary Hospital for almost 14 years. She really enjoys helping and interacting with clients and getting to see our patients grow through the years. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time outdoors working in her yard. She shares her home with her husband, son, 2 dogs (Thomas and Loki), and 2 cats (Freya and Evie).

Tonya

Registered Veterinary Technician

Tonya has worked with animals and animal rehabilitation since she was a child. She became professionally involved in veterinary medicine in 2000 while working on her undergraduate Biology degree, which she received from UNCA. She is a Cedar Valley College Veterinary Technology Program graduate and is a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in North Carolina. She is a tier-one Fear Free Certified Professional and is looking forward to continuing her certification levels as the program allows. She is also a board member of the Blue Ridge Humane Society and a member of NAVTA and NCAVT. She strives to utilize her knowledge to educate our clients and community so they may give their four-legged family members the best medical care, leading to longer and happier lives. She and her husband and stepson share their home with their dog, Ripley, and Gamin, a Tuxedo Cat. When she is not pursuing veterinary excellence through education and practice, she enjoys cooking, reading, hiking the WNC mountains and streams, and socializing with her family and friends.

Isabella

Registered Veterinary Technician

Isabella has been in the veterinary field for four years. She is a graduate of the Veterinary Medical Technology program at Asheville Buncombe Technical College and recently became a Registered Veterinary Technician. She has now worked in veterinary medicine for 2 years. She enjoys providing quality patient care and being involved in surgical and dental procedures. She enjoys fostering animals, cooking, gardening, and hanging out with friends and family in her free time. She has two cats Odom and Versace.

Melissa

Kennel/Technician Assistant

Melissa began working for HVH in 1998. Her favorite thing about working here is seeing the great success when a sick patient is nurtured back to health. She enjoys getting to know the clients and working with a team that is close-knit. When Melissa is not at work, she spends her time caring for her children and enjoying the outdoors.

Amy
Practice Manager

Amy joined the team after supervising in the public school system for 7 years. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University in May of 1997 and previously worked for HVH as a receptionist in 2003/2004. Amy is excited to be back in the veterinary field and enjoys working with such a great team of doctors and staff. She shares her home with her husband, two children, and two dogs named Piper and Snoop.

Montana
Veterinary Assistant
Montana joined our team as and Assistant in January 2022 and has a over a year of experience in the veterinary field. She has an Associates degree in Culinary and Baking and Pastry Arts (which makes the rest of the team really happy)! Her favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is getting to spend every day with pets and working directly with clients to make their experience a positive one. Montana has a dog named Winston that she has had since he was 8 weeks old. In Montana’s free time she enjoys cheerleading, tumbling, pageants and hanging out with her friends.
Taylor
Customer Service Representative

Taylor is a Customer Service Representative and comes to us from Kern County, CA. She has over a year of experience in the veterinary field and looks forward to helping clients better understand the needs of their pets to improve their quality of life. One of her favorite things to see at work is the way pets get uncontrollably excited to see their owner after spending the day with us. Taylor enjoys hiking, disc golf, tennis, photography, gardening, glass collecting, camping and spending time with her boyfriend, Dylan.

Cailtin
Cailtin began working in the veterinary field at the beginning of 2022 and came to Hendersonville Veterinary hospital in October of 2022. She is currently enrolled in the Penn Foster Veterinary Technician program to become a licensed technician in NC. She has always felt a connection with animals and knowing how to help them feeds her soul. She is excited to be a part of a team that improves and saves the lives of beings that exude nothing but unconditional love and acceptance. Caitlin lives with her cat, Enzo and dog, Reyna. On her days off you may find her working in her other role as a hair stylist, hiking the beautiful trails of NC or reading a book.
Autumn

Autumn began working with Hendersonville Veterinary Hospital in March of 2022 after returning to North Carolina from Hawaii. She has been in the veterinary field for over 10 years. Autumn has completed some coursework in the Penn Foster Veterinary Technician program and hopes to eventually return and complete the program. In her free time, Autumn enjoys surfing, hiking, camping, and spending time with her friends and family. She shares her home with three cats; Moxie, Lucky, and Bonnie.