Meet the Greater Portland, Maine, veterinarians who know how to win the hearts of pets - and pet people.
When you make an appointment with Falmouth Veterinary Hospital, you'll discover that our highly experienced team has a special knack for providing compassionate, quality medicine and complete explanations... so you know what your pet needs, why, and how we'll deliver it. But don't just take our word for it! See what Southern Maine pet owners have to say about us.
Dr. Douglas Andrews
Dr. Douglas Andrews values the relationships he has established over the past 35 years, working with clients and their pets, and now seeing children of clients at this phase of his veterinary career. He still enjoys working a varied and often unpredictable day, one that is never the same, not knowing how each day will begin or end. He also loves working with great people and staff, all diligently determined to make everyone's experience at Falmouth Veterinary Hospital a positive one for themselves, the clients and their pets.
Dr. Andrews is half of a set of twins born in Heidelberg, Germany. His family moved to Portland Maine when he was four years old. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine at Orono, and his DVM degree from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1979. He returned to Maine and practiced as a mixed animal practitioner at North Deering Veterinary Hospital until February of 1983 then joined Dr. Norman Stiles and Dr. Lesley Birmingham at the previously named Foreside Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Andrews currently serves as treasurer of the Maine Veterinary Medical Association, has received the Maine Veterinarian of the Year award, and he has served as a Maine delegate for the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Andrews and his wife, Elizabeth, have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Dr. Andrews has many outside interests. One passion has always been percussive instruments. Beyond percussion, he enjoys hockey, yoga, surfing, occasional golfing, skiing, and scuba diving. In the summer, one may find him venturing out on his touring motorcycle, camping, or fly-fishing. He is currently trying to figure out how to continue with these interests, stay on the grid, and still keep his day job! He hopes to continue seeing clients and their pets for several more years to come.
Dr. Brian Graves
Dr. Brian Graves enjoys sharing his knowledge and helping to educate owners so they can better understand and care for their pets. He is particularly passionate about emphasizing wellness and prevention to keep their pets safe. Other interests include ultrasound and dentistry.
Dr. Graves grew up in Connecticut, then came to Maine for his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College, followed by his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Atlantic Veterinary College in Canada. He then completed a veterinary internship in internal medicine and surgery at the Southern California Veterinary Referral Hospital in Irvine, California. He knew after veterinary school that he wanted to return to Maine, so in 2006, he moved back and joined Falmouth Veterinary Hospital.
He feels it is important to give back to the veterinary profession. In 2014, he was elected as president of the Maine Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Graves lives with his wife Jennifer, son Connor, and their naughty yellow lab Jack. He enjoys outdoor and competitive activities, as he grew up playing all types of sports, and still plays ice hockey competitively, as well as golfing and skiing. When he is not out playing, he enjoys a good microbrew beer every once and awhile. Most of his free time, however, is spent finding ways to entertain a young boy with limitless energy!
Dr. Cady Lyons
Dr. Cady Lyons has always been excited about teaching people about pet care and having them be the best pet owners they can be. She also loves surgery, in its broadest capacity, especially when solving pesky problems like foreign body obstructions!
Dr. Lyons grew up with six siblings in a small town in Upstate New York and received her Bachelor's degree from Denison University in Ohio. She has always been attracted to the water, especially the ocean, so she migrated east to receive her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tufts University Veterinary School. In 1986, she started working in a mixed animal practice. She loved working with farmers and dairy cattle, as well as practicing small animal medicine and surgery. She soon learned, however, that the cold Massachusetts winters were not conducive to pulling calves and treating milk fever, especially at 3 AM! She finally settled in Turner, ME and started her own mixed animal practice. Her business partner practiced large animal, while she practiced small animal medicine. When she later moved to Philadelphia, she sold her half of the practice to her business partner. She returned to Maine and joined the Falmouth Veterinary Hospital team in 2009.
Dr. Lyons lives with her husband, George, an older Labrador and two young kitties. All of the four-legged companions are rescues and they are treasured. When she isn’t at FVH, she loves sailing, kayaking, gardening, and hiking.
Dr. Laurence O'Hara
Dr. Laurence O'Hara has a particular interest in surgery, but loves all aspects of general small animal practice.
Dr. O'Hara grew up in North Wales in the United Kingdom, and he received his Bachelor’s in Biological Anthropology in 2000 from Cambridge University, Gonville and Caius College in the UK. He then earned his Vet MB with a Special Merit in Veterinary Surgery in 2003. He started his career as an equine vet, and after several years in practice, he went to the Royal Veterinary College in London to undertake a residency in Equine Surgery. He subsequently realized that his main love was small animal practice, and he returned to exclusively small animal practice several years ago. His wife is from Millinocket, and after spending several summer vacations in Maine together, they decided that this was where they wanted to live and raise their family. He joined Falmouth Veterinary Hospital in March 2015.
Dr. O’Hara lives in Falmouth with his wife, Toni, and their sons Geoffrey and Oscar. He is looking forward to working in the area and becoming a part of the local community. He enjoys trail running and snowshoe racing with his two dogs, Zoe and Baxter. A fun fact: Dr. O’Hara represented Great Britain in the world snowshoe racing championships in Quebec this year. We should explain that not many people run on snowshoes in the UK! When he isn't outside playing, he enjoys woodwork, cooking and playing the guitar.
Dr. Hillary Parlin
Dr. Hillary Parlin worked as a veterinary technician for about four years and gained valuable insights into both large and small animal medicine prior to becoming a veterinarian. She spent a couple years at a Portland small animal practice and later moved onto the large animal team at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine. She then stayed at Tufts to pursue her doctorate in veterinary medicine.
The Farmington native extended her animal science training to include a 6-month stint in Zanzibar. If you get the chance, ask her about some of her favorite African animals, including the Oxpecker (that funny bird who sits on the back of elephants).
Dr. Parlin joins us after working at a small animal practice in York, Maine, for several years. She also worked at the emergency clinic in that area.
“I liked being able to fix things on the spot in the emergency center and rising to an immediate challenge – yet I want to work where I can develop long-term relationships with clients and pets as well. Ideally, I also wanted a practice with several other doctors on board where we could share the tough cases and learn from one another. I feel fortunate to have found all this here in Falmouth.”
Internal medicine, ophthalmology, cardiology and cold laser therapy are among Dr. Parlin’s professional interests. When not a work, you’re apt to find her enjoying a hike, sports, travel, cooking or just spending time with her family. She shares her home with husband, Cole, their young son, Glendon, plus a hound named Kevin.
Dr. Oonagh Wack
Dr. Oonagh Wack enjoys surgery, ophthalmology cases, pocket pets, and the ability to have long term collaborative relationships with clients and their pets to make the lives of pets’ and their people better.
Dr. Wack grew up in Canada and earned her Bachelors of Science from St. Francis Xavier in Nova Scotia and her veterinary doctorate from Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island. She furthered her veterinary education as an intern in small animal medicine and surgery at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. The Maine lifestyle and the opportunities afforded in our state are what drew her back to Maine. She joined Falmouth Veterinary Hospital in 2006.
Dr Wack is married to John Keating, a veterinary pathologist working within the medical device industry. He is also a former Tufts Veterinary School professor. Drs. Wack and Keating have an extensive family including five dogs, five cats, three tanks of fish, and various finches with a medley of creative names including Toad, Pete Townsend, Ava Gardner, and Joe Strummer, amongst others. In her free time, she loves quilting, gardening, kayaking, traveling, and hiking with her dogs.
Dr. Kerri Whittemore
Dr. Kerri Whittemore is originally from Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and fell in love with Maine when she came to pursue her undergraduate degree in Biology at Saint Joseph's College. After earning her degree in 2004, she embarked on an adventure over the pond to the University of Glasgow Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, where she completed her Bachelor's of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery in 2009. Coming back to Maine was always her goal and in 2011, she ventured back to practice in Boothbay for about 6 years. Missing the city life, she relocated to Cumberland Foreside and joined the Falmouth Veterinary Hospital team in May 2017.
"My favorite part of veterinary practice is helping to educate owners about preventative and wellness medicine, especially dentistry."
Dr. Whittemore lives in Cumberland Foreside with her husband Brian, their mixed breed dog, Dugan, and their cat, Jeffrey. In her free time, she loves cooking, knitting, travelling and spending time with her family.
Relief Shift DVMs:
Dr. Tom Ahlers
Dr. Tom Ahlers' favorite veterinary challenges are complicated medical cases and any case that involves surgery or dentistry. He has also developed a true appreciation for what we call the "human-animal bond", and he still gets a kick out of the crazy stories that clients will share about what their pets do at home.
Dr. Ahlers was born into a large family and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Biology in 1980 and received his DVM degree from the Ohio State University in 1984. That year he and his wife moved to Maine to raise their family. He joined Dr. Jeff Smith at Forest Avenue Veterinary Hospital, and they had a successful partnership for 24 years, until they sold the practice in 2008. He joined Falmouth Veterinary Hospital shortly thereafter doing relief shifts, and now enjoys a reduced schedule.
In addition to over 30 years of experience as a veterinarian and practice owner, Dr. Ahlers was former president of the Downeast Veterinary Society and served as Treasurer of the Maine Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). He is also past president and a long-time board member for the Animal Emergency Clinic in Portland.
Dr. Ahlers' three children are all well-adjusted adults so he has more time for his three grandchildren, pets, and many hobbies including rehabbing houses, golf, tennis, boating, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or anything else that allows him to enjoy the Maine outdoors!
Call Falmouth Veterinary Hospital to schedule an appointment (207-781-4028), or click this link.