Our Doctors

George Ghneim, DVM, PhD

Partner

Dr. George Ghneim graduated from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. Throughout the four years of veterinary school he became interested in infectious disease and went on to complete a Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology (MPVM) and a PhD in Ecology with an emphasis on the environment and infectious disease. His dissertation work was on determining environmental risk factors for infection with leptospirosis.

Throughout his PhD, Dr. Ghneim worked as an emergency/critical care clinician at a 24 hour referral hospital in Sacramento, California. After completing his dissertation he moved to Raleigh, NC to manage the state health department’s infectious disease surveillance system. He then went to RTI International to work on more primary infectious disease research. He continued to work part time in emergency hospitals on the weekends and in 2008 elected to go back to clinical practice full time. Dr. Ghneim became a partner with Care First Animal Hospitals and was with them until 2017. He then joined Wake Veterinary Medical Center as the managing veterinarian and has since become a partner here.

Dr. Ghneim is married to Carrie Ghneim with whom he has two children, Isadora and Simon, and two Rhodesian ridgeback named Hex and Finneas. His other interests in life are food, wine, hiking, and Kendo (Japanese swordsmanship). Dr. Ghneim is also passionate about preventive health in veterinary medicine and the use of advanced technologies, such as ultrasound and laparoscopy, to aid in the treatment of our beloved companions.

Gary Spodnick, DVM, DACVS

Dr. Gary Spodnick graduated from the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1985 and went on to complete a surgical residency at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. He then came to NC and was an assistant professor at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine from 1991-1996. In 1996 Dr. Spodnick became one of the three founding veterinarians of the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas and was part of the surgical team there for over 20 years. In late 2019 Dr. Spodnick joined Wake Veterinary Medical Center as the chief of surgery where he continues to perform all surgeries and mentor several staff veterinarians.

His surgical interests include oncologic, reconstructive, and plastic surgery, oral surgery, and fracture repair. Outside of work, Dr. Spodnick enjoys woodworking and boat building/restoration (kayaks and old canoes). As a one-time forestry major in college, Dr. Spodnick, with his wife, Julie, continue to be interested in the environment and trees – they have planted and are managing a longleaf pine forest stand of about 4,000 trees, the tree for which North Carolina takes its moniker as the “Tarheel” state.

Elizabeth Taylor, DVM, MS, DACVS – LA, SA

Boarded-certified in both large and small animal surgery, Dr. Taylor brings broad surgical perspective to Wake Vet. Dr. Taylor, originally from California, obtained her veterinary degree from UC Davis. Following an internship in Florida, Dr. Taylor attended Kansas State University CVM for her large animal surgical residency.

After working several years as an equine surgeon, Dr. Taylor obtained her small animal surgery board certification in NC.

Dr. Taylor loves to play soccer almost as much as she loves her French Bulldog, Boris. Dr. Taylor and her husband spend their free time together (with Boris) at the beach.

Angelle Abatte, DVM

Bio Coming Soon

Michelle Ford, DVM, MPH

Dr. Michelle Ford graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science before completing her veterinary medical degree there in 1996. She completed a small animal internship at Auburn University after graduation and moved to Seattle briefly. While Seattle was a beautiful and exciting adventure, she realized that she was an East Coast girl at heart and moved to Raleigh in late 1999. She recently came to WVH from Care First Animal Hospital at Glenwood, where she practiced for 20 years. She also completed a Master of Public Health in 2017 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her interests are abdominal ultrasound, ophthalmology, behavioral medicine, zoonotic diseases, and critical care. She has 3 children – Brandon, Aiden, and Keira – and a very energetic Standard Poodle named Bayou. In her spare time she listens to audiobooks and trains Bayou, who is working on a Tricks Dog title and will hopefully start agility training soon.

Amanda Gagliano, DVM

Dr. Gagliano is originally from Orlando, Florida. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Dr. Gagliano graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine with her veterinary degree. While at the University of Florida, she also completed a certificate in veterinary business management. Dr. Gagliano moved to North Carolina after graduating from veterinary school with her two furry friends, Nala and Kiki.

She loves the variety that veterinary medicine offers and embraces the opportunity to grow and learn new things as medicine changes. Dr. Gagliano enjoys general practice and creating lasting relationships with her patients. She is interested in continuing her education in surgery, dentistry, and veterinary business management. In her free time, Dr. Gagliano enjoys spending time outdoors, visiting the farmers’ market, finding new coffee shops, and attending hot yoga classes.

Karin Gardner, DVM

Dr. Karin Gardner was born in Sweden and moved to Fort Myers, FL when she was 9. Always knowing she wanted to be a veterinarian, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Micro/Molecular Biology from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2011 Dr. Gardner graduated from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation she worked in small animal general practice until moving to Raleigh to pursue emergency medicine, laparoscopy, and endoscopy.

Dr. Gardner enjoys boating (as well as many other water activities), traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She is passionate about both animal and human philanthropy and spends a lot of free time volunteering. Dr. Gardner and her husband Jake very much enjoy living in Raleigh with their four dogs.

Jessica Harris, DVM, DACVN

Dr. Jessica Harris graduated from North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She went on to complete an intensive small animal internship with a focus on companion animal nutrition at North Carolina State University. Dr. Harris then stayed on at NC State to complete a residency in Companion Animal Nutrition. Following successful completion of her residency and becoming a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, she accepted a Clinical Nutrition Fellowship and then a Clinical Nutrition Teaching Scholar position both within the Clinical Nutrition Service at North Carolina State University.

Dr. Harris founded Thrive Fresh Pet Food Market, L.L.C which provides prepared homemade diets for individuals who are unable to make the food themselves. Although time constraints required her to close the market, she still firmly believes in the positive impact that appropriate nutrition can have in both health and disease. A passion she shares by teaching the next generation of veterinarians locally and internationally the importance of nutrition by remaining adjunct faculty with the Clinical Nutrition Service at NC State and faculty through the Mark Morris Institute. Several of her nutritional responsive cases are included in peer-reviewed journal publications. Dr. Harris provides commercial and homemade diet consultations as a Clinical Veterinarian and truly enjoys forming lasting relationships with her clients and their pets.

When not at work, Dr. Harris enjoys spending time with her husband, George, and daughters Maddie and Reagan. When the weather permits, she can often be found biking, boating or camping with her family and at least one of her canine furry family members (Allie, Sara, and Cody). She also cares for two rodents (Lilly and Ginger) and a Jackson Chameleon (Leucine).

Gregory Hartman, DVM

Dr. Gregory Hartman graduated from NC State University in 2015 with a concentration in Animal Science, leading to his veterinary school career at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of St. Kitts. He has a special interest in marine life and coral reef conservation, where he spent three years researching coral bleaching and pathological disease in the major reef building species in the Caribbean. In his spare time in St. Kitts he also volunteered with the sea turtle monitoring network cataloging the health of local sea turtles. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine after completing his clinical training at Purdue university. From there he worked as an emergency and ICU doctor in Tallahassee, Florida before eventually moving back home to Raleigh, NC.

Dr. Hartman has special interest in exotics and owns several including poison dart frogs and many species of coral and exotic fish. He also has a soft spot for giant breed dogs and owns two Great Danes, Skye and Bravo. Aside from veterinary work Dr. Hartman enjoys hiking and backpacking, and in general any outdoor activity. He was very active in the Boy Scouts of America before college and regularly volunteers in his spare time.

Davriel Morrow, DVM

Dr. Morrow was born and raised in Reston Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University in 2007 and her DVM from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. She has a strong interest in surgery, preventive care, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, and geriatrics.

In her free time Dr. Morrow likes to travel, garden, bird watch, sports (mainly Rugby!), experience craft breweries/wineries, and enjoys spending time with her family and friends esp. with her new wife and their 3 fur babies: Scrummie, Dakota and Hawke.

Carol Watkins, DVM

Originally born and raised in the UK where she lived until the age of 21, Dr Watkins is from an air force family and moved back and forth from the UK to the USA as a child. She finally settled in OK where she worked with a local veterinarian who became her mentor and encouraged her to work toward a career in veterinary medicine.

Dr. Watkins graduated from Oklahoma State University with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1994 and then moved to Missouri to work in a mixed animal practice until 1996. Dr. Watkins moved to NC in 1996 to be near family. This is where she started to practice emergency veterinary medicine and she has continued this line of interest for the last 24 years finally joining the Vets Pets family in 2018.