We Welcome You And Your Pets to The Rest of Our Family

Dr. Stelma has been an owner of Animal Care Center since 1991, first as Dr. Don Campbell's junior partner, then assuming full ownership upon Don's retirement in 2015. Although Dr. Stelma was educated in Michigan, and earned his DVM from Michigan State University in 1987, he has considered eastern NC home since 1969.  He was raised by his brother, LtCol J.T. (Tim) Stelma, USMC (Ret.) and his sister-in-law Jan. After graduation, he interned in Saginaw, Michigan before beginning practice at Animal Care Center and Craven Animal Hospital in 1988.

Dr. Stelma has been very involved in organized veterinary medicine. He was a treasurer and then president of the Eastern North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, a District Representative of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association for 20 years, and served as President of the NCVMA for 2017-2018. Stelma was previously on the Board of Directors of both the Colonial Capital Humane Society and WildARC of Eastern Carolina, and is currently on the Jones County Board of Health. He has also taken an interest in local politics, advising the New Bern Board of Aldermen on their animal control ordinance, and has spoken to the Craven County Board of Commissioners to assist the Cruelty in Craven organization in getting their tethering ban passed. Stelma has spoken before the NC Senate Health Care Committee on behalf of the state's veterinarians regarding the recent controlled drug legislation.

Once an avid golfer, Dr. Stelma now spends his time off helping his wife, Dr. Catherine Farrer, work on their ersatz Jones Co. poultry farm, building things from sheds to houses, and cooking for their four children. He also helps take care of their six dogs and three cats, but delegates the care of four inside birds and the chickens, ducks and geese to Dr. Farrer.

Dr. Weshefsky is a 1988 Graduate of Ross University of  Veterinary Medicine.  Since graduating he has worked at two small animal practices in northern New Jersey.  For 24 years he worked with an internal medicine specialist and had the opportunity to see and handle many interesting medical and surgical cases.  He has been performing abdominal and thoracic ultrasounds for the past 18 years.  Besides ultrasound, his interests include soft tissue surgery and cardiology.

In 2016 he and his wife, two cats and fish decided to move to North Carolina to enjoy a slower pace of life.  His interests include running, kayaking and touring the country on his motorcycle.

Paige is a graduate of Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She has worked here for more than a year, finishing her college rotation then beginning working here at the Animal Care Center Veterinary Hospital. Paige loves caring for animals and interacting with the “pet parents”. Paige has worked with horses in Texas, and small animals in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Paige grew up in Georgia where she played a lot of soccer. Her travel teams won multiple state titles, she was all-state in high school, and played on a southern regional team that won an international tournament in Europe. Paige played D-1 soccer in college and graduated from the University of North Caroling at Chapel Hill. During college, Paige spent a summer working on a project with her professor with the Department of Energy in the Brookhaven National Lab in New York. Paige also attended the Eastern Virginia Medical School where she earned a Masters’ degree in Laboratory Animal Science. Paige also enjoys scuba diving.

A North Carolina native, Sabra graduated from NC State School of Veterinary Medicine in May of 2022. Prior to vet school she graduated from NCSU with a major in Animal Science and minor in Extension Education. Following her undergraduate degree Sabra taught high school agriculture and was a manager at a board stud. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and doing missions work. Dr. Mac has two dogs, Luna and Nova.

Heather is a Registered Veterinary Technician who graduated from Central Carolina Community College in 1996.  She worked at Northside Animal Hospital in Kinston for about 3 years before coming to Animal Care Center in October 1999.

Heather also enjoys miniature golf (putt putt), stage theatre, traveling and doing missionary work in the Mayan villages in Mexico.  Heather said God has truly blessed her with a wonderful job that she enjoys doing everyday and  thanks Him daily for helping her in all she does, in not only serving Him, but also in serving others.

Jennifer "JJ", CVT/RVT, came to work for Animal Care Center August 2023. She is originally from Colorado, but has traveled to many places with her Marine husband. JJ is a dual licensed Technician who is also Ultrasound certified. She obtained her degree in 2017 but has been working in the Veterinary field since 2009. In her free time, she enjoys playing softball, horseback riding, UTVs and jet skis. At home, she has a daughter, two dogs (Lucas and Trouble)  and two birds (Duncan and Cow).

Fletcher has been working at Animal Care Center since 2020.  He never fails to put a smile on others' faces with his humor and is always there to help. In his free time he enjoys playing video games, diddling on his baritone ukulele, and spending quality time with his friends, family, and his two dogs Theo (American Bulldog/Boxer mix) and Rico (English Bulldog).

Monica is a certified veterinary assistant and has been working at Animal Care since August of 2021. She wants to be a dog breeder one day, along with owning a boarding kennel. She currently has two dogs; Harley and Tuna, as well as four cats; Blaster, Chili, Cloud, Connie. She loves to color her hair and does it often. Monica also enjoys "dad jokes" so always feel free to share your favorites with her.

Diana is from Spartanburg, SC and has been working in the field since Nov 2020. She has a passion for all different types of animals but loves working with exotics and reptiles the most!

She has one pup named Kylo! In her free time she loves to bake dog treats and take Kylo to the beach. She is currently in school to become registered and is always looking for more opportunities to learn as much as she can!

Lexy joined our team in March 2024. She has been in the Veterinary field since 2019 and is incredibly passionate about her work.

Outside of professional life, she loves spending time with her family, including her two children, and caring for her beloved fur babies at home!

Emory found her calling to work in the veterinary field in 2017 and feels very passionate about what she does! She is currently working towards obtaining her veterinary technician license. 

Outside of work, Emory enjoys being with fa milt, friends and fur babies. Her other passions in life include stained glass, gardening, and kayaking when she gets the chance. 

Jaiden graduated from West Craven High School in 2022. He worked at A Dog’s Dream for a year, then started working at Animal Care Center in March 2024 as a receptionist. He was inspired to continue his education in the Veterinary Medical field and worked up to becoming a veterinary assistant, eventually planning to go to school to become a registered veterinary technician in the future.

Emillyana joined Animal Care Center in November 2024 as a kennel tech and quickly worked her way up to veterinary assistant by April. Fueled by her lifelong passion for animal care, she dreams of becoming a veterinarian while pursuing every opportunity to grow and learn in the field. Outside of work, you’ll likely find her exploring nature, hanging out with her fur babies, or lost in a good TV binge.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Laura began her role at Animal Care in March of 2021, and loves helping and getting to know all of our clients and their companions. She studied Psychology and Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing folk music, and frequenting local open mics. She cherishes the incredible people she's met at ACC and loves learning about the veterinary industry.

Born and raised in New Bern, NC, Tru joined our team here at ACC in September of 2022. She's a cat mom to her two boys, Ajax and Maverick. She loves being able to help our patients in any way that she can. She has a very strong interest in astrology and all things metaphysical, and also enjoys gaming in her free time.

Emily was born and raised in New Bern NC, She graduated form New Bern High School in 2021 and went on to Join AmeriCorps in 2022, traveling around the Midwest helping people in different communities and getting hands on experiences in many different fields. Emily started with ACC in March of 2024 as a receptionist. She plans on furthering her education in veterinary medicine while going to school for early education.

In her free time Emily likes to take hikes with her fur baby Niko, painting, going to the beach, photography, and spending time with family and friends.

Bio coming soon!

Laura, a compassionate registered nurse with a master's degree, is passonate about animal welfare. With years of hospice care experience, Laura has cultivated a deep understanding of empathy and compassion. Her dedication to animals has led her to volunteer at shelters and support rescue organizations. As she continues her education, Laura seeks opportunities to combine her nursing skills and love for animals to make a positive impact. She lives with her four dogs, Loki, Athena, Macey, and Darian.

Charlotte started with ACC in September 2025. She grew up in southern Maryland, and moved to North Carolina in 2015. She graduated from ECU in 2023 with a Bachelors in Biology. She has a passion for animals and nature.

Outside of work she enjoys thrifting, reading, collecting hobbies, video games, and roller derby (Craven Chaos Roller Derby). She also enjoys spending time with her dog Shadow, and her two cats Sushi and Miso.

Stephanie started working at Animal Care Center in November of 2025. She was born and raised in the panhandle of Florida, where she attended Florida State University for undergraduate school. She moved to New Bern in 2010 after her fiancé was stationed here with the Marine Corps, and they married a year later. She supported him through thirteen years of service, and since his retirement in 2023, they’ve continued building their life together.

Stephanie is a certified MagnaWave practitioner, and she was a practice manager for an equine veterinary practice for 10 years. Her passions involve horses and competing in hunter/jumper shows. She currently owns a farm in Trenton and has three horses, four cats, and three dogs.

Becca is a graduate from Appalachian State University. She has been working in a kennel for about 20 years. Her hobbies include reading, writing, crafting, skating, and spending time with her beloved fur-kids. She’s known for her love of great conversation and she’s also an avid foodie who loves exploring new cuisines and local restaurants.

Matt began his journey at ACC in May of 2022. He has a caring touch and deep love for animals; especially cats. He loves video games, movies, reading, listening to heavy/alternative music, collecting vinyl and other forms of physical music. 

Sharon has been at ACC since spring 2024. She has 4 black cats at home. 

Virgie recently graduated from Western Carolina Univeristy with a BA in Biology. She plans to go to Vet school. At home she has 12 dogs and 4 snakes. Outside of work, she enjoys arts and crafts, playing video games, color and winter guard.

Bio coming soon!

Hunter worked at ACC back in 2018. He loved it back then and he still has a love for animals. At the beginning of the year he will be headed to boot camp for the Marines. 

Bio coming soon!

Born and raised in FL. Graduated from Bloomingdale Hihigh school in Valrico FL, Class of 2020. David joined the Marine Corps reserves in Oct 2020, currently serving. He loves dogs and cats, going for runs and the color blue. 

A Tennessee native, Kayla moved to New Bern in 2018 and has fallen in love with the area. She completed her Master's Degree in Animal Science-Swine Lactation at NC State in 2018. She has worked for Animal Care Center since May 2022. A few of her favorite things are woodworking, photography, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and being outdoors. She has a house full with 2 kiddos, a pittie named Kiwi, and cat named Garfield. 

Kelly was born and spent her childhood in SC, Marion and Spartanburg.  Kelly received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Barton College (Atlantic Christian College.)  She received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from NCSU.  She started working for Craven Animal Hospital September of 1997.  She ended up in their sister hospital Animal Care Center as a receptionist and moved up to the management position a few years later.

Kelly loves anything to do with being outside, such as: biking, hiking, roller derby, working in the yard, and her favorite is walking and spending time with the fur babies! Her fur babies consist of four dogs and two cats; Franklin, Mackenzie, and Missy. They hang out alongside her cats Lilah and Links.