STAFF
VETERINARIANS
Dr. Clinton Brown
Dr. Brown is originally from Iuka, MS, where he knew he wanted to work with animals at a young age. Dr. Brown attended Mississippi State University, where he obtained a BS in Agricultural Business and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
After graduation, Dr. Brown moved to Birmingham, AL, and worked as an associate veterinarian at a small animal practice. Wanting to move closer to home, Dr. Brown moved to the Shoals area in 2015. He joined Shoals Area Veterinary Emergency in March of 2020. Dr. Brown enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery but is particularly interested in canine reproduction.
Dr. Melissa Pounders-Hale
Dr. Melissa Pounders-Hale joined Shoals Area Veterinary Emergency Hospital in March 2022. You may recognize her from past visits-she worked at SAVE previously from 2015-2018 (She was Dr. Pounders then) and some relief periods in 2020. Emergency medicine keeps calling her back, and she is happy to call SAVE home again!
In 2006, Dr. Pounders-Hale graduated from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and has 16 years of experience as a practicing veterinarian. She has worked in small animal clinics in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee as both a general practitioner and an emergency veterinarian. Dr. Hale has special interests in ophthalmology and endocrinology. She lives on a farm with her husband Andrew and many animals, including cattle, donkeys, chickens, guineas, quail, dogs, and cats. In her spare time, you might find her in the garden, or the kitchen-she loves to cook!
Dr. Hannah Reinke
Hannah Reinke, a Florence native, graduated from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. She attended Florence High School and then Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where she received her bachelor’s degree. Dr. Reinke worked in general practice in Auburn for five years before returning to Florence in 2021 to join SAVE full time.
Dr. Reinke enjoys running and training horses in the sport of evening. She currently has two horses and a sweet old chihuahua. Her favorite aspect of veterinary medicine is problem solving and emergency surgery.
SUPPORT STAFF
Amber Jackson, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician & Office Manager
Amber joined SAVE in July 2017. She obtained her Veterinary Technology degree from Jefferson State Community College in 2008 and became licensed in AL. Since 2006, Amber has worked with private clinics and the Florence Animal Shelter.
At home, she spends time caring for animals at her nonprofit farm animal sanctuary. She advocates for rescuing and adopting animals in need. Her hobbies include hiking with her dogs, kayaking, listening to live music, and animal rescue work. Amber enjoys utilizing her years of veterinary experience and training by helping animals in an emergency and critical care setting by providing efficient and quality care at SAVE.
Ashley Mays, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician & Office Manager
In 2015 Ashley began in Veterinary medicine and then started at SAVE Hospital in 2018. She was promoted to Office Manager in 2021. Ashley graduated from Jefferson State Community College in 2019, obtaining her LVT license.
She moved here in 2015 from Double Springs and now resides in Muscle Shoals. Ashley spends her free time with her mom, playing games with friends, or with her dogs, Oakley and Boss. Her favorite part of working at SAVE is providing comfort to the patients and clients when needed.
Kaitlin Foster, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Melissa Bauer, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Melissa has worked in both private practice and ER medicine since 2003. She obtained her Veterinary Technology degree from Snead State Community College in 2005 and became a Licensed Veterinary Technician in AL. We were so happy to have her start working at SAVE in 2020.
She believes that the best part of ER medicine is being able to help critically ill patients. Outside work, she enjoys singing and spending time with friends, family, and her two kitties, Leo Sheldon (a buff-colored, longhaired tabby) and Meeko Pascal (a seal lynx point Himalayan).
Tia Wear
Veterinary Assistant
Tia started working at SAVE in May 2020 and joined full-time in 2022. Tia began as a receptionist and later began assisting the technicians and the doctors. Tia is from Florence, AL. Tia grew up around animals and loves helping those in need.
Tia’s favorite part about her job is that you learn something new every day. Tia is proud to be a veterinary assistant because she gets to ensure her patient receive the best medical care. Some of Tia’s hobbies are firefighting, razor riding, and spending time with her two pups (Cash and Tobi).
Reilly Tsilis
Veterinary Assistant
Reilly joined SAVE in 2021. She says her favorite part of the job is assisting with surgeries (mainly c-sections), helping owners through stressful situations, and caring for different patients.
Reilly has three cats ( Poppie, Thelma, and Louise) and a dog named Lt. Dan. Her hobbies are painting, gardening, watching scary movies, and kayaking with her family.
