Dr. Angela Mees, DVM
practice limited to dentistry and oral surgery
Dr. Mees is a native Atlantan. She graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. After six years in general practice, she devoted her career to veterinary dentistry.
She lives with her husband Brian and daughter Kaitlyn. Their family includes a yellow Labrador named Boomer, an orange tabby cat with HUGE thumbs named Bob, and 2 Ragdoll cats named Toby and Stanley.
Dr. Jaclyn Bates, DVM
practice limited to dentistry and oral surgery
Dr. Bates graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. After graduation, she began her career in general small animal practice in Cumming and through the years developed a passion for dentistry. Dr. Bates has spent the past four years engaged in advanced training in small animal dentistry and oral surgery. She is a published author on the topic of dental abnormalities and congenital hypothyroidism in cats and has presented her research at an international conference. Dr. Bates enjoys all aspects of veterinary dentistry and oral surgery, knowing she is improving your pet’s quality of life one tooth at a time! When not in the clinic, Dr. Bates enjoys relaxing at home with her husband, three dogs, and eight cats. Dr. Bates also enjoys running, competing in triathlons, and riding her horse Guinness.
Sarah Olsen, RVT
Office Coordinator
Sarah Olsen graduated from Gwinnett Tech in 2015 with a degree in Veterinary Technology. She joined the AVDS team in 2023 and enjoys helping pet parents with all their pets’ dental needs.
Sarah lives in Canton Ga. with her husband and their 4 dogs, Reese, Roxy Sophie and Kiera. In her spare time, she enjoys anything to do with the outdoors and listening to live music.
Carrie Schimmel, Veterinary Technician, RVT
Carrie is originally from northern Pennsylvania. She relocated to Georgia in 1991 and started her career in veterinary medicine in 1998. She became a registered veterinary technician in 2006. Carrie’s family includes her husband Tom, daughter Rebecca, and son Sammy. They keep very busy when she is not playing with dogs and cats. Carrie’s four-legged family members include 2 cats, Puff and Ginger.
Lauren Dyer, RVT
Lauren has been in the veterinary field working with animals for 19 years. She obtained an Associates’ degree in Veterinary Technology from Gwinnett Technical College, becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2011. After working in general practice for many years, she realized her main interests were with dentistry, anesthesia, and surgery. She is looking forward to learning more and helping our patients in any way she can. She hopes to maybe one day further her education in veterinary dentistry/anesthesia and obtains her VTS.
She resides in Cumming, GA with her husband, Jason, daughter, Avery, and their 6 dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, kayaking, hiking, going to the beach, and handling her dachshunds in conformation dog shows.
Patricia Bristol, Veterinary Assistant
Patricia graduated from Gaston College in North Carolina with an Associates Degree in Applied Science- Veterinary Medical Technology. She has worked with animals for over 24 years in various aspects of the field until she realized that she had a strong passion for dentistry. She became a Registered Veterinary Technician in December of 2023. Her focus is education, surgery, anesthesia and dentistry.
Currently she spends her time supporting her daughters, pet sitting and doing community volunteer work. She also enjoys spending quality time with her two fur babies, Kona and Bella Bee.
Samantha Lewis, Veterinary Assistant
Samantha joined the team in 2021. After getting a job as a veterinary receptionist, she discovered her love for helping animals and has been a veterinary assistant for over 7 years and has never looked back. Samantha is originally from Belize and enjoys spending her free time reading with her feline friend, Angelus.
Caitlin Swanson, Veterinary Assistant
Caitlin grew up loving animals and began working in veterinary medicine in 2013 as an assistant. She quickly learned she enjoys anesthesia and had a growing interest in veterinary dentistry. She joined the AVDS team in 2023 where she could focus on her love of Veterinary Dentistry and educating pet parents on the importance of oral health!
Caitlin moved from Texas to Georgia in 2020 with her husband Mike and their 2 pitties Chevy and Nova. They spend time enjoying the outdoors from the beach to the mountains.
