Meet Our Team

Dr. Herbers was born in St. Louis, Missouri before moving to the Chicago area when she was 8 years old.  She did her undergraduate work in Marine Biology at the University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!) during which time she worked here at Spring Valley Animal Hospital as a technician under the guidance of Dr. Alexander. She then went of to complete veterinary school at St. George's University in Grenada. Her fourth year was completed at North Carolina State University during which time she completed externships at Sea World Orlando, Indianapolis Zoo, and the North Carolina Zoo.  She has worked on sea turtles, dolphins, penguins, lions, cheetahs, and much more!  After several years practicing emergency medicine she decided to put down roots and make the transition to owning her own hospital.

She lives with her husband, Stephen, and stepson, Ethan.  They currently have  a kitty named Moe  that was adopted years ago here at Spring Valley Animal Hospital, her dog Winnie, whom she rescued from the streets of Grenada, and Mozzie, a Bernese Mountain Dog, that can usually be found snoozing in the hospital.

Doreen is originally from Brick, N.J. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. She moved to Columbia in 1991 to attend the Master of Social Work program at the University of South Carolina. During that time she began working at Spring Valley Animal Hospital and loved it so much she has been here since April of 1992. She started as a receptionist while she completed her degree and gradually took on responsibilities as both technician and Practice Manager.  It is was with much excitement and gratitude that she made the transition to ownership in 2016.

She enjoys yoga, travel and spending time with her family. She is happiest at home and spending time with family.  Her daughter, Kayla grew up here in the hospital and currently resides in Rock Hill, SC.  She recently married her husband, Brad, in September of 2017.  Her four legged family includes her Golden Retriever, Harvey, and her kitty, Peeps, and the newest addition is a mixed breed named Miss Frizzle.  Harvey is the real king of the hospital and probably should have his own bio!!

Dr. Gardner joined the SVAH family in December of 2020.  She brings with her 17 years of experience in veterinary medicine as well as certification in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine.

Melinda is originally from Georgia, but has lived in Columbia for Most of her life. She loves working at Spring Valley Animal Hospital and have been here since 1999. She loves spending time with her bird (Chevy) and her kitties, Sissy, Purrl, Jr., and Minxie. She loves  to travel and spends a lot of time in the mountains. 

Sue is our resident 'Grandma' to staff, clients, and patients.  Originally from Long Island, NY she moved to SC to be closer to her son and his family.  She is never without a kind word whether she is speaking on the phone or checking out a client and is loved by all. 

Shannon is a native of West Columbia and valued member of the SVAH team. When not taking care of patients, Shannon spends her time with her husband and two children making sure they get to all their activities.  They also share their home with two dogs (Captain and Murray) and their kitty (Meowi).

Breana is a native of Columbia.  She came to SVAH to fulfill her passion to work with animals.  When your fur baby is in her hands there is no doubt they will receive the utmost in love and care.

Dallas started with SVAH as a kennel attendant and stepped up to learn duties as a receptionist and technician due to a staffing shortage.  Her friendly demeanor and willingness to do anything makes her a valuable part of our team!

Kayla came to us while attending college and stayed with us after graduating and despite her full time job is still committed to the weekend care of our boarding patients.  She is loving and very observant of the behaviors and needs of her charges.