FROM THE livestock in your barn to the pets snuggled on your living room couch to your furry — or not-so-furry — friend snoozing in your pocket, Cascade Veterinary Hospital LLC (CVH) welcomes every creature great or small. Domesticated animals such as parakeets, ferrets, rabbits, amphibians, squirrels, rodents, and reptiles, plus “pocket pets,” which include hedgehogs, gerbils, guinea pigs, and hamsters, are also included.
Growing up in Bell Buckle, Dr. Bobby West’s childhood overflowed with animal encounters. When the veterinarian made his rounds to their family farm, West observed from the sidelines, and what he witnessed shaped his future.
“I had many opportunities to watch the interactions of vets with family members, farm animals, dairy cows, and hunting dogs,” West recalled. “The importance of the vets’ knowledge and manner of conduct was very influential to me.”
He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992. A few years later, in 1998, he opened his practice at 2849 Fairfield Pike in Wartrace. A buffalo, camel, zebra, gorilla, lemur, and marmoset are a few of the more exotic animals he has seen. The West family has three English pointers, a German shorthair pointer, and an English setter that they love and adore. West also has a herd of registered Charolais cattle and Angus cattle
West and his staff recently welcomed Dr. Timothy and Dr. Sarah Stalans, a husband-and-wife team. Like West, both have longed to work with animals since they were children.
“Working on the family beef farm inspired me to pursue a career in the animal field. Other exposures to veterinary medicine, like shadowing West here at CVH, solidified my decision to pursue veterinary medicine. If it walks, crawls, flies, or swims, I work on it,” Timothy said.
Sarah said, “I can honestly say I do not remember a time when I did not tell someone that I was going to be a veterinarian when I grew up. I was always just drawn to animals and could never imagine doing anything else.”
Though she agreed with her husband about seeing all kinds of animals, she insisted, “I don’t see large birds or snakes. But the largest animal I’ve worked on was a Clydesdale horse. She was a gentle giant. A lot of people think we do this because we love animals, but in reality, we are doing it because we love people and want to help them care for their beloved animals.”
Sarah grew up in Southern California, but Tennessee has been her surrogate home for nearly a decade. Her bachelor’s degree wasn’t the only thing she gained while attending the University of Tennessee-Martin. She also met her future husband, and in 2019, they were married. They graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022.
“Bedford County is not home for me, but the community has welcomed me with open arms, making it feel like home and where I feel I can serve the most,” Sarah said. “Our main goal at CVH is to serve our community. We do our best to make sure no one is turned away and everyone in our community has the opportunity to have their animals taken care of.”
The Stalans have two dogs: a bloodhound named Oliver and a basset hound named Tater, who Sarah says can’t hunt anything except a biscuit. They also have a donkey who is quite the “diva” and three cats — Cornbread, Bagel, and Crouton — who pretend to be hard at work catching field mice but are most likely lazily napping on the porch. They also have a herd of cows, a couple of hogs, and a flock of chickens.
Dr. Elizabeth Whitt joined the Cascade family in June. Her story is reminiscent of the others. “Ever since I was young, growing up to be a vet was the only plan I ever had! I grew up riding horses and worked at several incredible veterinary clinics, which continued to inspire my love for the veterinary field.”
She had the chance to work on several rhinos and tigers while earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee. But her heart beats quicker when she hears the bleating of goats or sheep waiting behind the exam room door — though working with these animals poses challenges.
“There is a large population of people who own livestock such as goats, sheep, and cattle for pets, but these animals are labeled as food species. Because of this, veterinarians are sometimes limited to the types of treatment we can legally perform under the risk they would one day enter the food chain,” Elizabeth said.
“We know that during a short appointment with us, we may not be able to see a difference, but we trust your voice to know when something is wrong. Veterinary medicine is a joint
effort between the veterinary team, owners, and their pets, so we can all do what is best for our furry friends.”
From childhood dreams sparked in barns, backyards, and on family farms, each veterinarian at Cascade Veterinary Hospital followed a lifelong calling — drawn not just to animals but to the deep bond between creatures and the people who love them. GN
For more information, go to: www.cascadevethospital.com.
