James C. Peterson, DVM

Title: Practice Owner, Veterinarian

Graduate Of:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
Tuskegee University

Personal Highlights:

Dr. Jim Peterson assumed ownership of the Highway Veterinary Hospital in July 1981. Dr. Jim received a BS in Biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1976, a BS in Animal and Poultry Sciences from Tuskegee University in 1977 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Tuskegee University in 1979. Dr. Jim is a member of the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). His areas of interest in veterinary medicine include soft-tissue surgery, treating pocket pets and placing a strong focus on the Client Service aspects of the field. Dr. Jim also enjoys landscaping, koi keeping and boating.

Elise R. Powell, DVM

Title: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Graduate Of:
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

Personal Highlights:

Dr. Elise Powell joined the Highway Veterinary Hospital team in July 2007. There is no other career in this world she can see herself doing; she loves all that encompasses animal science, medicine and compassionate care! She strongly believes caring for her patients as if they were her own. Elise’s interest in veterinary medicine extends beyond basic science to a holistic approach, which focuses on understanding that optimal health is met when the animal's nutrition, genetics, environment, and behavioral needs are addressed. She is particularly passionate about training and behavior with nearly 20 years of experience as it applies to animal relinquishment and rescue. It is a primary goal of hers to provide education to clients regarding all aspects of their pet’s behavior and health so that life long relationships remain strong. Dr. Elise shares her home with her husband Dylan, her German Shepherd named Kona, her Labrador Retriever named Bayou, her cats Durban and Amanzimtoti, and a few goldfish too! Aside from animals, her other passion is to travel. She has traveled extensively in our country and many interesting parts of the world as well. When she is not at Highway Veterinary Hospital, she enjoys being outdoors and particularly enjoys running, cycling, hiking, camping, and kayaking.

Christine Peterson

Title: Hospital Director

Graduate Of: University of Maryland

Personal Highlights:

Mickey Owen

Title: Practice Manager

Graduate Of: 
Radford University

Personal Highlights:

A native of Bowie, Mickey attended Radford University in southern Virginia, graduating with a BBA in Small Business Management in 1993. She began working at Highway Veterinary Hospital shortly after returning to the area in 1996. Mickey has held several different positions at the practice, and currently serves in the capacity of Practice Manager, overseeing the daily operations of the practice, including human resources, inventory management and purchasing, scheduling, regular staff meetings, and staff development through continual training and continuing education of the Health Care Team. Mickey is a member of the Veterinary Hospital Manager’s Association (VHMA), and is currently working toward earning the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) designation. Mickey currently lives in the Crofton area, and spends her time outside the practice with her husband David, their cat, Hairy, and 4 dogs: Parker, Zachary, Kayleigh and Deboe.

Donna Asbury

Title: Surgical Nurse

Personal Highlights:

Donna has been working in the veterinary field since 1982; her first job was at a friend’s father’s practice. She worked under Dr. Morley, who took her under his wing. She began helping in the kennel every other weekend, and was soon training to assist in surgery and take x-rays. After 7 ½ years there, she had to leave the vet field for a short while, but soon found herself working with animals again at a small animal & avian practice for 5 ½ years, and later at a small animal & reptile practice. Donna remarried and moved, and took a position at a corporate veterinary practice. She was there for a few months when she got a call from Highway Veterinary Hospital – she started working with us in August 1999, and has been here ever since! Our patients are well-cared for under Donna’s caring and watchful eye! She brings extensive experience and a compassionate nature to her work here as our Surgical Nurse, although she performs many duties, including Exam Room nurse, and mentor to newer doctors – helping to turn them in to the great surgeons that they are! Donna keeps current in the veterinary field, taking Continuing Education classes and online material whenever they are offered. Outside of Highway Veterinary Hospital, Donna helps out with and is a supporter of the GORC Sport Organization, where her grandson plays football and practices for future sports stardom. She is also an avid bowler, playing with a league two nights out of the week. The love of Donna’s life, though, are her beloved Shelties. Her most recent addition is a rescued Sheltie named Reggie. They also own Mason, a rescued Sheltie/Labrador mix. An ardent proponent of rescuing animals, Donna and her family also currently share their home with 3 rescued felines, Terry, Guinness and Maddie.

Vicki Jankowski

Title: Veterinary Nurse

Personal Highlights:

Vicki has been employed as a Veterinary Nurse by Highway Veterinary Hospital for 3 years. She has been employed in the veterinary field off and on since 1989! Vicki loves working with anything on all fours; she says it “keeps her sane and content”, and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Lauren Macchio

Title: Veterinary Nurse

Personal Highlights:

Lauren has worked at Highway Veterinary Hospital since July 2006 as a Veterinary Assistant. She is currently attending Anne Arundel Community College to earn her transfer degree, and then plans to transfer to University of Maryland. Lauren lives with her Welsh Corgi, Cassie, and her very vocal Torti Calico, Kolohe.

Jen Bowley

Title: Veterinary Nurse

Personal Highlights:

Jen was born in Bowie, but has lived most of her life in Florida. She is the Dental Nurse and loves her job because she likes making things beautiful, and loves to help animals. Jen says she loves working at Highway Veterinary Hospital because the team is like a family! She has a dog named Rockie and two cats – Fred and Shadow, whom she loves dearly. Outside of the practice, Jen loves spending time with her boyfriend, Bryan, and also enjoys camping, hiking and everything outdoors.

Holly O’Neill

Title: Veterinary Nurse, Assistant and Receptionist

Personal Highlights:

Born and raised in Bowie, Holly first became interested in Veterinary medicine while obtaining her EMT-Paramedic degree at Anne Arundel Community College. She worked at a small animal clinic for just over a year before being hired by the Anne Arundel County Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic. In addition to her full-time career, Holly has also worked with Highway Veterinary Hospital since March 2007 as a stand-in, filling in wherever she is needed and able. She has been trained in and works in every capacity - Veterinary Nurse, Receptionist, Veterinary Assistant and Pet Care Specialist. Holly loves her animal patients more than her human ones because they so rarely complain, and are almost always cuter! Holly, her husband Steve, their Boston Terrier Sparticus and Irish Terrier Bella enjoy hiking and camping followed by long naps on comfortable couches.

Jennifer Lingg

Title: Veterinary Nurse

Personal Highlights:

Jen started working at Highway Veterinary Hospital as a Receptionist in January 2008, and started training as a Veterinary Nurse in December 2008. She considers herself very fortunate to have a career that she loves, truly enjoys and is proud of. Jen is the proud human of a 10-year old Timber Wolf/Malamute named Napa, and two 7-year old ferrets named George and Izzy. They have Jen wrapped around their paws! Outside of the hospital, Jen enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew, and says it’s amazing what you can learn through a child’s eyes! She hopes at some point to be able to travel to Ireland and Scotland. Her favorite sports are baseball and football, and she is a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots, although she says she gets teased a lot for these choices! Jen also enjoys cooking and baking in her spare time, and her team mates attest to her exceptional skills in that area. Jen’s ultimate goal in life is to have a family, and a home with enough room and land to love, rescue and possibly rehabilitate, any creature that crosses her path. Jen is such a compassionate person and we’re so lucky to have her here at Highway Vet! Her personal mission statement and motto is: “To help give a voice to all creatures”.

Sarah Hayman, RVT

Title: Veterinary Nurse

Personal Highlights:

Sarah joined the Highway Veterinary Hospital team in May 2008 after relocating from Nebraska to Ft. Meade. She attained her BA in Equine Science from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, as well as an AAS in Veterinary Technology from Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio in 2001. Sarah has been working in the veterinary field since 1997, starting as a kennel assistant at Animal Care Center in Gahanna, Ohio. She then worked as a Veterinary Technician in the Emergency Department at MedVet in Columbus, Ohio. Most recently, Sarah worked as a Veterinary Technician at Bellevue Animal Hospital in Bellevue, Nebraska. Her areas of interest in the veterinary field are phlebotomy, anesthesiology, emergency care, radiology and client education. Sarah and her husband Josh recently welcomed their beautiful son, Braeden, into their family.

Sara Rice

Title: Veterinary Nurse/Receptionist

Personal Highlights:

We were thrilled when Sara joined the Highway Veterinary Hospital team in April of 2009! She initially began here as a Receptionist, and then jumped at the chance to become a Veterinary Nurse shortly thereafter. Sara says that she thoroughly enjoys being able to experience and participate in both of those aspects of animal care. Though originally from the mid-west, Sara was a long time resident of Bowie, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Maryland (go Terps!). She says that somewhere along the way it occurred to her (a hereditary trait perhaps?) that she related to animals much more easily than to people. After three years of managing a dog daycare, she realized that a more fundamental and essential cause was really her calling, naturally leading her to the Veterinary medicine field. When she's not working at the job she loves, Sara is without a doubt involved in the other things she cares most about: Mikey, the six-year-old Rat Terrier to whom she is endlessly and unconditionally devoted and with whom she has traveled the hemisphere; her husband Adam, to whom she is also endlessly and unconditionally devoted (also a long time resident of Bowie); her family, who she suspects love Mikey a little bit more than they love her; the Washington Capitals (yup, unconditionally); making art, specifically three-dimensional; and the outdoors (usually with Mikey and Adam). Sara says she can imagine neither a life nor a career that does not involve animals.

Brianna Brumbaugh

Title: Veterinary Nurse

Personal Highlights:

Chrissy Tracy

Title: Receptionist Team Leader

Personal Highlights:

Chrissy has been working at Highway Veterinary Hospital since June 2003. She has always wanted to be a part of the animal health care world. Chrissy volunteered at the Chesapeake Wildlife Sanctuary when she was 13 years old, and was able to work with many wildlife species including deer, squirrels, raccoons, seagulls and even a bald eagle! Chrissy says that the best part of working at Highway Veterinary Hospital is the family atmosphere and the shared dedication to the pets. She is a vital part of our Health Care Team, and she leads the Reception Team with extraordinary compassion, kindness and enthusiasm. Chrissy has a soft spot in her heart for large breed dogs such as German Shepherds, Newfoundlands and Labrador Retrievers. In her spare time, Chrissy enjoys spending time with her menagerie of animals, which includes her dog Hooch, a ball python named Narf, and two cats, Feisty and Nugget.

Kathy Deily

Title: Receptionist

Personal Highlights:

Kathy has been a friendly voice and familiar face at Highway Veterinary Hospital since March 2001. During that time, she has cheerfully greeted clients and their pets as a key member of our Reception Team. Although she has 2 grown children of her own, she considers the staff at Highway Veterinary Hospital part of her “family”! Kathy loves all animals, and has collected a couple of Boxers over the years! She dreams one day of “retiring” to the country and rescuing Boxers in need.

Matti Salamy

Title: Receptionist

Personal Highlights:

Matti retired from Fannie Mae in December 2007 as part of a voluntary retirement program initiated by the company. She worked for Fannie Mae for 34 ½ years, and her last position was Manager of the Corporate Command Center. Matti loved and cared for all different kinds of animals as a child, and now also as an adult. She came to work at Highway Veterinary Hospital because of her love for both animals and people, and has been working here as a part-time receptionist since June 2008. Matti is not only a Team Member at Highway Veterinary Hospital, she has also been a client since 2000. Matti has adopted two of her three pets. Sasha is a 7-year old Himalayan Seal Point adopted at 6 months old, Samantha is a 5-year old Westie adopted at 7 months old, and Sebastian is a 2-year old Shih Tzu/Bichon. Her greatest joys are playing and taking walks with her dogs, and spending time with her son and granddaughters.

Ashleigh Janzik

Title: Receptionist

Personal Highlights:

Chris Holmes

Title: Pet Care Specialist

Personal Highlights:

Chris has lived in the Bowie/Crofton area all his life, and is a graduate of Bowie High School, Class of 2000. He has been with Highway Veterinary Hospital since February 2000 as our primary Pet Care Specialist. Chris is such an integral part of our practice! He not only takes top-notch care of our patients, but he also maintains the facility and hospital grounds, as well as performing countless other duties for the practice. Sadly, Chris recently had to put his beloved German Shepherd mix, Blaze, to sleep. He has since gotten a Shetland Sheepdog named Raven. Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Jesse, and their son, Connor. They also have 2 cats named Binx and Smudge, who enjoy tormenting Raven!

Julia Dickinson

Title: Veterinary Assistant

Personal Highlights:

Julia has always had a love for animals, and currently shares her life with her Abyssinian cat, Rajah. She says he is the most human-like cat she’s ever known! Julia has been working at Highway Veterinary Hospital as a Veterinary Assistant since April 2007. She currently attends the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), and is pursuing a degree in Veterinary Technology.

Katie Stokes

Title: Veterinary Assistant

Personal Highlights:

Tara Guevara

Title: Veterinary Assistant

Personal Highlights: