Our Doctors
W.H. Gholston, D.V.M.
Veterinarian
Dr. William H. Gholston opened Whitmire Animal Hospital in 2018. A native of Alpharetta, Dr. Gholston grew up on a small family farm, and spent his time doing farm work and looking after the animals, including Tennessee walking horses and Simmental cattle. At a young age, Dr. Gholston knew he wanted to go into veterinary medicine while working alongside his father, also a small animal vet. Dr. Gholston completed his undergraduate studies in Animal Sciences at Berry College and The University of Georgia. He received his Doctorate from The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Upon graduation, he joined the team of doctors at Alpharetta Animal Hospital in July 2011. Dr. Gholston enjoys practicing the highest quality of veterinary medicine, and has a special interest in orthopedic cases and surgery. But his favorite part of being a veterinarian is the great relationships that have developed over the years with his clients and their pets in Alpharetta and the surrounding area. Dr. Gholston now resides in Dawsonville, Georgia. While not at the clinic, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast. He enjoys being in the mountains and spending his day off with his wife and three dogs – his bird dog, Blake, a 5 year old English Setter, his long-time buddy, Doc, an 13 year old Australian Shepherd and the newest family member, Tate, their 1 year old Labrador Retriever. His home life hobbies include grilling, sports and spending time with family. And on any given weekend, you can find him hiking in the North Georgia Mountains, fishing at the lake, or in Athens cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.
Sara Louise Carpenter, D.V.M.
veterinarian
Dr. Sara Louise Carpenter joined Whitmire Animal Hospital in December 2019. An Atlanta native, Sara Louise attended the Westminster Schools and then matriculated at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. She double majored in Business and Spanish with an English minor. Following graduation, Dr. Carpenter taught high school Spanish at Wesleyan School in Norcross. It was there, under the mentorship of Dr. William G. Gholston, that she decided to pursue a childhood dream of veterinary medicine. Dr. Carpenter spent two years at Berry College fulfilling her post-baccalaureate requirements, then graduated from Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. Following an internship in Texas at a mixed animal practice, she has been practicing small animal medicine in the metro Atlanta area since 2013. Dr. Carpenter enjoys the variety that veterinary medicine brings, and she especially enjoys the relationships with both her patients and their humans. Dr. Carpenter’s pets include Finn, her extroverted Labrador Retriever, as well as two cats: Scout, her introverted tabby, and Ralphie, her orange tabby who was appropriately named after the protagonist in A Christmas Story. In her spare time, Dr. Carpenter enjoys the outdoors in the mountains of western North Carolina, boating, reading a good novel, and running.
Brandon Bassett, D.V.M.
veterinarian
Dr. Bassett received his veterinary degree from Oklahoma State University in 2015. At OSU, he was the recipient of the Gentle Doctor Award, voted on by his veterinary school peers. Raised in Oklahoma, he has also lived and worked in Virginia, where he completed his Bachelor's Degree in Biology at George Mason University; Brazil, where he served a church mission for two years; and central Florida, where he has practiced as a veterinarian. Dr. Bassett and his wife, Megan, have their hands full with three kids, and two wonderful pets! One goofy and fun Golden Retriever named Oakley, and a three-legged black cat, Boca. A priority in his work with animals is strengthening the human-animal bond. He has a great passion for educating pet owners on how to best care for their furry family members. He is also professionally interested in diagnostic imaging, soft tissue surgery, ophthalmology, and client communication. His hobbies are time with family, especially at Florida beaches, disc golf, and ultimate frisbee!
Drew Keller, D.V.M.
veterinarian
Dr. Keller graduated from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. He has been practicing in Alpharetta, GA for the past 27 years, and has recently decided to join the Whitmire team. Dr. Keller is local to Cumming, Georgia. He is most interested in companion animal internal medicine and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Keller has two daughters, Megan (24), and Brittany (21). He also has two small dogs, Boden and Evie both rescues. In his spare time, Dr. Keller enjoys golfing and spending time on the lake.
Morgan Denz, D.V.M.
veterinarian
Dr. Morgan Denz received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Iowa State University in 2020. This is also where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science. After veterinary school, Dr. Denz completed a 1-year Shelter Medicine Internship in Colorado Springs at the Humane Society of Pikes Peak. She joins the Whitmire team after multiple years of working as a shelter veterinarian in the greater Atlanta area. She has a passion for animal rescue work and strengthening the human animal bond. Professionally, Dr. Denz is fear-free certified and enjoys internal medicine, cardiology, and behavioral medicine. Dr. Denz was raised just outside of Nashville and always knew she wanted to get back to her southern roots after college graduation, which is how she came to live in NE Georgia. She enjoys spending her days with her six rescue animals: Archie and Doug, her two crazy pitbulls; and Nori, Felix, Winnie, and Timmy, her spunky and sassy kitty cats. She enjoys traveling with her husband, home projects, and baking in her spare time.
Our Team
Kristina Gholston
Practice Manager
Kristina Gholston serves as Practice Manager, and joined her husband, Dr. Will Gholston, in the opening of Whitmire Animal Hospital in June 2018. Kristina completed her BBA in Marketing from the University of Georgia in 2011. Kristina brings with her previous work experience from the Advertising, Real Estate, Accounting and Hospitality industries, along with a focus on project management, communications, and social and public relations.
Kristina was born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia. She now resides in Dawsonville, Georgia with her husband, two children, Shep and Palmer, two dogs, Blake and Tate and cat, Abe. Kristina’s home life hobbies include running, gardening and enjoying time outside with her family. Kristina and Will are avid Georgia football fans, and love spending time with family and friends.
Kelli
Kelli is our reception team lead here at Whitmire. She has been a veterinary receptionist since 2009 and with Whitmire Animal Hospital since June of 2020. She loves working with animals and getting to know their humans. Kelli is a military wife and has lived and worked at clinics in Jacksonville and Tampa Florida, Beaufort, South Carolina and Alexandria, Virginia. She has two dogs, a long-haired chihuahua named Bella Jean and a chihuahua mix named Chopper, a cat named Lenny and 10 chickens. Fun fact: Kelli was a flight attendant for 4 years. Favorite dog breeds: chihuahuas, miniature schnauzers and english cockers, italian greyhounds
Madison
Madison has been in the veterinary industry since 2015 working as a kennel tech and manager and with Whitmire since September of 2020 as a veterinary technician. She loves getting to experience all the different varieties of patients and cases and that she learns something new everyday. Madison is also a fraternal twin! She has a lab/pitbull mix named Willow and a Beauceron named Finn. Favorite dog breeds: cavalier king charles spaniels and pitbulls Favorite cat breeds: Persians and orange tabby cats
Allie
Allie is one of the receptionists here at Whitmire Animal Hospital. She was the first receptionist added to the Whitmire family and has been here since January of 2020. Prior to that Allie worked with the 4-H club and enjoys working with children just as much as she enjoys working with animals. She loves getting to know our clients and their fur babies and is seriously one of the nicest and most compassionate people you will ever meet. Allie and her husband raise chickens for eggs, one of their chickens they received was sick and blind. Allie nursed her back to health and named her Helen Keller! Allie also has a German Shepherd named Gus, a red tabby named Lily and 9 chickens. Favorite dog breeds: German Shepherds, Cavalier king charles spaniels, mastiffs, and mutts. Favorite cats: Orange Tabby
Hannah
Hannah is one of our receptionists. She has been with Whitmire since October of 2022. Prior to working here she worked at the shelter where she was a kennel assistant. Hannah said that she loves working here because everyone is so nice and welcoming and of course getting to work with animals! Hannah enjoys interior design also. She has 2 dogs, Bella a boxer/hound mix and Jenney a husky mix and a yellow bellied turtle named Henry. Favorite Breeds: Pitbulls, Hounds and Dachshunds
Maddy
Maddy is part of our reception team and has been with Whitmire since July of 2023. Maddy enjoys interacting with our clients and their furbabies. She has 2 dogs Bear, a beagle mix and Gunner, an Australian Shepherd. Favorite Dog Breeds: Labs, Retrievers, Shepherds
Lucy
Lucy has been part of the Whitmire team since December of 2022 and in the veterinary field since 2022. Lucy is our resident cat person and loves any cat. She has 2 cats, Bandit and Thunk and a dog Max. She likes to surf and longboard and has done it for 11 years. Favorite dog breeds: Bernese Mountain dogs, Aussies and Dachshunds
Bianca
Bianca has been part of the Whitmire team since 2022. This is her first job in the veterinary industry. She loves gardening and baking and looks forward to learning about her new career field and getting to know all of the clients and fur babies. Bianca has 7 sheep, a chihuahua named Lilly and a lab named Luna. Favorite dog breed: Chihuahua
Mackenzie
Mackenzie has been with Whitmire since August of 2023. She has previous experience working as a kennel assistant for 2 years. Mackenzie loves interacting with every animal that walks in the door and meeting our clients. In college she ran track and cross country. She has 2 dogs, Miles a beagle/red heeler mix and Harley a poodle/terrier mix. Favorite Dog/Cat Breeds: Heelers and Tabby cats
Yamilet
Yamilet has been in the veterinary field since 2019 and with Whitmire since August of 2023. She has worked as a vet assistant and currently a member of the reception team. Yamilet is a pre-vet major and hopes to one day become a veterinarian. Yamilet has 2 Shih-Tus Luna and Princess and an Orange cat named Toby. Favorite dog breed: Golden Retriever Favorite cat breed: Orange tabby cats
Victoria
Victoria is our jack of all trades. Victoria started here as a receptionist then transitioned to technician. She has been in the industry since 2018 where she started as a kennel assistant and has been with Whitmire since May of 2022. Her favorite thing about working at Whitmire has to be the people. “I have great co-workers and our clients are amazing.” Victoria enjoys baking, camping and riding four wheelers. She has 2 dogs, Willow and Remi, Lab/Beagle mixes and 2 cats Teeter and Rip. Favorite dog breeds: Labs, Goldens and any hound dog Favorite cat breeds: Maine Coon and Ragdolls
Amber
Amber has been with Whitmire since November of 2022 and a veterinary assistant/technician since May of 2022. Amber’s favorite thing about working here is being able to help animals and learning new things. Amber has 4 French bulldogs, Blue, Mae Mae, Bunny and Stormy and a Belgian Malinois named Thor. Favorite Dog Breeds: French Bulldogs, Pugs and Boston Terriers. Favorite Cat Breed: Orange Tabby
Dalynna
Dalynna has worked with animals since 2015 where she started as a kennel assistant, caring for animals while in boarding. In 2018, she became a veterinary technician and started with Whitmire in February of 2022. Dalynna loves assisting with surgeries and dentals on our patients, educating pet parents about how to properly care for their babies, and patient care. She has 3 dogs and 3 cats, Bandit an American Staffordshire Terrier, Callie Mae a Beagle mix, Sara Bear a Lab/Beagle mix, and DoodleBug, Beetle, and Butters her cats. Favorite Dog Breeds: American Staffordshire Terriers, Greyhounds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, French Bulldogs, and of course, Purebred Mutts.
Alexis
Alexis has been a veterinary assistant since 2020 and started with Whitmire in August of 2022. Alexis loves assisting during surgery and caring for the animals while they recover. In her free time she enjoys hiking in North Georgia. Favorite dog breed: Great Dane Favorite cat: Maine Coon
Bailey W.
Bailey W. is one of our veterinary assistants. She began her career in the field with us in April of 2022. She loves being able to interact and help our patients everyday while being with the best staff. Bailey played collegiate soccer and is majoring in biology at UNG and hoping to later attend vet school. She has a boxer mix named Reuben and a Pitbull mix named Archie. Favorite dog breed: English Cream Retriever
Olivia "Liv"
Bio Coming Soon
Torrie
Torrie has been with Whitmire since April of 2023 and in the vet field since 2020. Torrie loves the endless opportunities that veterinary medicine provides to expand her knowledge. Torrie is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys camping and water related activities. She also dabbles in shrimp keeping. Torrie has 2 cats, Nyx and Trout and a rottweiler named Athena. Favorite dog breed: “I am a sucker for beagles”
Michaela
Michaela has been a veterinary assistant since 2020 and started with Whitmire in April of 2023. She loves being able to assist in the care of patients and see them improve from our care. Michaela is studying biology at University of North Georgia and would like a career in the healthcare industry upon graduation. She has 3 dogs, April a pitbull terrier, Addie a husky/lab mix and Lucy a cocker spaniel. Favorite Cat Breed: Sphynx Favorite Dog Breeds: Pitbulls and Belgian Malinois
Emily
Emily has been with Whitmire since June of 2023 and has worked as a vet tech since 2018. She even worked in Peru where she assisted with the care of dogs, cats and exotics. Her favorite thing about working at Whitmire is how easy it is to get along with everyone and cut up with the staff. Emily is a cat lover and has 3 cats, 2 domestic shorthairs, Sully and Miss Monkey and a Maine Coon mix named Hank. She also has a boxer mix named Buster. Favorite Breeds: Any cat and Staffordshire Terrier
John
John has been with Whitmire since July of 2023. He started in the veterinary field in 2015 as a kennel tech and joined the Army in 2016 where he worked with military dogs in route clearance operations. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2017 and Mexico in 2018. John also worked in wildlife control for 2 years. John married his high school sweetheart and has two dogs, Bear a beagle mix and Gunner an Australian shepherd. John said his favorite thing about working with animals is gaining experience caring for different kinds of animals.