Jeffery Newman, DVM  Co-owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital of Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Merrifield, Rockville, and Clarendon.

Dr. Newman, Co-Owner, is a graduate from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University in 1992. He has practiced veterinary medicine in Georgia, Nevada, and in Virginia. His interests include emergency medicine, surgery, and shelter medicine. He has three children: a daughter, Virginia, and twins, Elisabeth and Jack. His extended family consists of two dogs: Honeysuckle and Daisy May; three cats: Three, Tangerine, and Kip; two Guinea pigs: Nonie and Milkshake; and bird: Spencer; and a horse: Charlie.

Dr. Newman is the immediate past president of the VVMA, an advisor for the NOVA Veterinary Technician Program, Vice President of the Loudoun Community Cat Coalition, board member of the Friends of Loudoun County Animal Services, and President of CHASE (Caring Hands Animal Support and Education).

Dr. Garcia, associate veterinarian, graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts. She spent one year at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in clinical training with a concentration in small animal medicine. Her interests include internal medicine, dermatology, and preventative health care. She currently lives in Fairfax with her husband Chris, their sons CJ and Jaden, their pit bull Lola, their cat Dewey whom she found while at school on the island of St. Kitts.

Dr. Shults, associate veterinarian, graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She then completed a small animal medical and surgical internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Shults has been practicing in the Northern Virginia area several years, 5 of which were at a feline-only practice. Her interests include dentistry and senior health care. In her free time, Dr. Shults enjoys hiking and other outdoor activities with her husband Chuck, who works for Fairfax County Public Schools, and their two sons Spencer and Barrett. Their animal kingdom also includes Dude the orange tabby, a snake; Silent a Ball Python, and a tank of tropical fish.

Michelle Vitulli, DVM Founder of Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Inc is the owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Inc in Centreville and co-owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital of Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Bristow, Merrifield, Rockville, and Clarendon.

Dr. Michelle Vitulli, founder, and owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Inc in Centreville, Virginia, is a 1991 graduate of Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Vitulli is a co-owner of 7 other Caring Hands locations, Arlington which opened in 2002, Bristow, which opened in 2005, Ashburn which opened in 2007, Alexandria, which opened in 2012, Merrifield, which opened in 2014, Rockville which opened in 2015, Clarendon which opened in 2016, and a location in Aventura, FL in 2017. She has interests in cardiology, internal medicine, and preventive care for senior pets. Dr. Vitulli has three children, Daniel, Julia and Anna, a dog named Harley, and two cats named Little Bear and Aslan.

Dr. Deoudes, associate veterinarian, graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She then completed a small animal emergency and rotating internship at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, MD. Her interests include neurology, emergency medicine, and preventative health care. Outside of work, Andrea enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking with her 3 rescue mutts (General, Sergeant, and Scout), playing soccer, and watching sports, especially football. She is very passionate about animal rescue work, and much of her free time is spent volunteering as the medical director and a foster for a small non-profit rescue group. While she supports the Caring Hands team over in Arlington, Dr. Deoudes excitedly anticipates the build out of her very own hospital location in Suffolk, Virginia, coming soon in 2024!

Dr. Brooks, associate veterinarian, graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Growing up in the Northern Virginia area, she went to Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., and Sweet Briar College for her B.S. in Biology. Her special interests include fear-free handling, behavior modification/training, and anesthesia. In her free time, you’ll find her running and hiking with her dog Idgie (who she frequently refers to as her soulmate) or listening to live music. She is very passionate about service dog work and completed one of her clinical rotations with Saint Francis Service Dogs in Roanoke, VA. She currently resides in Centreville with Idgie, Jamie (calico cat), and Neytiri (corn snake).

Dr. Heather Skowron is a new Veterinarian with Caring Hands Animal Hospital Arlington. Dr. Skowron received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in 2023. Her special interests include internal medicine, fear-free handling, and feline medicine.

Dr. Skowron joined the veterinary profession after 20 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. Her career as an engineer in the Coast Guard took her to many parts of the country, including living in Alaska. Dr. Skowron has always loved animals and after volunteering at local wildlife rehabilitation centers, she decided to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

Dr. Skowron resides in northern Virginia and shares her home with her cats, which includes the latest addition of a spunky blind Siamese kitten!

Sarah Sampliner, Associate Veterinarian, graduated from Ross University of Veterinary Medicine after completing her clinical year at Ohio State University. Her interests include neurology, ultrasound, and conservation medicine. One of her most treasured experiences was interning with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and working with the red pandas. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys dabbling in digital art, scoping new movies to watch, and wrangling her dog, Gunter.

Dr. Lauren Maxey is an experienced veterinarian who is excited to join the Caring Hands Animal Hospital team. She graduated from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013 and has been working as a small animal general practitioner in the Northern Virginia area since. She is a big proponent of preventive care and attends multiple conferences throughout the year to be able to provide innovative medicine. Dr. Maxey loves establishing lifelong bonds with patients and clients to provide the best care throughout all life stages.

Professionally, Dr. Maxey is very involved in organized veterinary medicine. She has been President of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and is now stepping into the role of Virginia’s American Veterinary Medical Association alternate delegate. She is passionate about representing the veterinary profession on a national level including legislatively.

Dr. Maxey grew up in Virginia Beach and knew she wanted to be a veterinarian since second grade. Her parents were very supportive of her goals even though they didn’t let her get a dog until right before veterinary school. Outside of work, Dr. Maxey loves spending time at the beach with her family, traveling, and eating all different types of cuisines. While she spends a lot of time with her friends and family, she also enjoys reading and watching movies and TV shows.

Dr. Sites, associate veterinarian, graduated from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She grew up in Seneca, South Carolina and received her undergraduate degree in pre-veterinary studies from Clemson University. Her veterinary interests include soft tissue surgery, dentistry, and pain management. Dr. Sites’ interests outside of work include travelling, running, and spending time with her family. She currently lives in Reston with her husband, daughter, and cat named Lil’Wayne.

Dr. Rena Masterson is a dedicated veterinarian with a passion for animal care and conservation. Originally from Northern Virginia, she earned her Animal and Poultry Sciences degree from Virginia Tech before pursuing her veterinary education at University College Dublin.

Dr. Masterson has gained valuable experience through externships at prestigious institutions such as the Wildlife Center of Virginia and the Schönbrunn Zoo in Austria.

She enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and watching Netflix with her 12-year-old Maltese, Sugar. She is thrilled to bring her expertise and enthusiasm to the Caring Hands Animal Hospital team, where she looks forward to providing exceptional care to pets and their families.