Animal Hospital of Whitfield County named top Small Animal Clinical Site by LMU veterinary college

Published 8:30 am Friday, July 25, 2025

The Lincoln Memorial University-Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU-CVM) in Harrogate, Tenn., has named the Animal Hospital of Whitfield County in Dalton as its Small Animal Clinical Site of the Year. The award, voted on by students, recognizes veterinary practices that excel in providing outstanding training for students and the clinical care of patients.

The Animal Hospital of Whitfield County, a clinical affiliate since Dec. 12, 2019, has hosted 17 LMU-CVM students from 2020 through May 2024, with four more scheduled for the class of 2026.

“Receiving this award is a testament to the culture that we bred in this animal hospital of a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and veterinary students alike,” said hospital Operations Manager Justin Cummings. “We love to cultivate a true welcoming family environment for not only our associates, but our students and clients.”

He said the hospital strives to provide “our vet students the opportunity to truly be comfortable with their medical practice, having the constant guidance of a seasoned veterinarian helping them hone their skills while they’re here.”

Established in 1978, the hospital has been led by Dr. Jeff Richmond, a 1995 University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine graduate, since 2006. Alongside Dr. Megan Preston, a graduate of Dalton State College and LMU-CVM, the practice offers routine care, nutritional counseling, surgical treatment, oncology, pet behavioral counseling, pain management, senior pet care, hospice care and referrals to specialty hospitals. The facility is equipped with advanced in-house laboratory capabilities and state-of-the-art X-ray, EKG and other diagnostic tools.

LMU-CVM, a fully-accredited veterinary college, operates a hybrid, workplace-based model for its Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program, utilizing a network of 500 clinical sites nationwide.

These sites provide hands-on training in diagnostics, treatment, surgery and preventative care under the supervision of “experienced veterinarians.”

“In a distributed veterinary training model like ours, clinical sites are not just partners — they are foundational,” said Dr. Mitchell Moses, LMU-CVM Associate Dean of Clinical Relations and Outreach. “These sites provide real-world learning environments where our students develop essential clinical skills under the guidance of experienced veterinarians.”

“Unlike traditional models built around a single teaching hospital, the distributed model leverages a network of general and specialty practices to offer a diverse, practice-based education,” Moses said. “In this framework, clinical sites and educators are the cornerstone of our program.”

LMU-CVM, accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education since Jan. 7, 2019, emphasizes a “One Health” philosophy, highlighting “the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health,” according to a press release from the school.  Its DVM program integrates clinical immersion from the first semester, with fourth-year students gaining practical experience at off-campus clinical affiliates, including private practices and animal shelters such as the Animal Hospital of Whitfield County.

Located at 1306 N. Thornton Ave. in Dalton, the Animal Hospital of Whitfield County is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Patients are seen by appointment, but walk-ins are welcome. To find out more about the hospital, visit https://www.ahwcvet.com.

For more information about LMU-CVM, visit https://www.lmunet.edu/college-of-veterinary-medicine.