Valley Animal Hospital
Valley Large Animal Hospital had its humble beginnings on Hamilton Ave in Campbell during a time when there were more fruit trees than people in Santa Clara Valley. As the horses moved to the southern end of the county, Valley Large was moved to Cochrane Road in Morgan Hill in 1972 under the tutelage of the late Eugene Carroll, DVM until it was purchased by Richard McCormick, VMD in 1984. Lori Kayashima, DVM was added as an equal shareholder when it was incorporated in 1988. It moved to its present location at Masten Ave and Highway 101 in 1991.
Richard McCormick, VMD
Owner
Once described as the veterinarian with the "gray truck, white shirt, and black dog," Dr. Richard McComick grew up in the Gettysburg area of Pennsylvania and developed his love for horses taking care of them at the family farm and showing junior jumpers. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1976 (with a Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris degree hence his title of VMD). After working in a mixed practice in Maryland for a year, he headed west and purchased a veterinary practice in Mill Valley, CA where he worked for five years. After selling that practice in 1982, he came to Valley Animal Hospital while it was still in Morgan Hill and ultimately purchased it from Eugene Carroll, DVM in 1984.
While most of his time in equine practice has been spent in reproduction and neonatal medicine, he also has an interest in lameness and performance horse medicine. He can sometimes be seen riding one of his horses on the local trails at Mt. Madonna with his wife Dr. Lori Kayashima, out on SF Bay fishing for halibut in his home-built, wooden Devlin Dipper or duck hunting with his Labrador, Girl. (He is still waiting patiently for Z to figure out how to swim.)
While most of his time in equine practice has been spent in reproduction and neonatal medicine, he also has an interest in lameness and performance horse medicine. He can sometimes be seen riding one of his horses on the local trails at Mt. Madonna with his wife Dr. Lori Kayashima, out on SF Bay fishing for halibut in his home-built, wooden Devlin Dipper or duck hunting with his Labrador, Girl. (He is still waiting patiently for Z to figure out how to swim.)
Lori Kayashima, DVM
Owner
Dr. Lori Kayashima grew up in Southern California and first manifested her lifelong love for horses at the age of six by cajoling her mother to drive to and from the grocery store a different route so that she could maximize the number of horses she could see out the car window. She graduated from the University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. At the time she started working at Valley Animal Hospital in Morgan Hill, it was a mixed practice and she divided her time between the horses, dogs and cats. She was made equal shareholder with the practice when it was incorporated in 1988. Together, she and her husband, Richard McCormick, VMD, opened a small animal practice, Orchard Veterinary Hospital in Gilroy in 1989. She continued to split her time between the two practices until 2003 when staffing needs pushed her over to Orchard full time. After discovering a wondrous world of climate controlled work environments and no after-hours emergencies, she can only be seen occasionally at Valley helping Richard with surgery, rounds at Happy Hollow Zoo or overflow appointments. After hours, she enjoys trail riding, playing lifeguard for Z out in the duck swamp, and fulfilling her role as "cat furniture" to her two cats while she reads.
Angel Fletcher, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Fletcher has been with Valley Animal Hospital since 2005. She hails from Solon, Ohio, graduating in 2001 from The Ohio State University. She completed an internship at Rochester Equine Clinic in Rochester, NH, then began working in private practice in Santa Cruz (2002-05). Dr. Fletcher's professional interests include dentistry, foal care, and ophthalmology. She and her husband welcomed their second son, Tristen in September 2012. The new parents also have two cats and a greyhound.
Lauren Winfield, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Winfield joined us in July 2012. She is a Monterey Penisula-native and graduated from the University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She completed an internship at Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center in June of 2012, where she honed her skills in general and emergency equine medicine, lameness and surgery. Outside of work, Dr. Winfield enjoys bringing her young horse along in dressage, spending time with family, hiking and running.
Jamie Meeks
Office Manager
Jamie has been with Valley Animal Hospital since 2004 and is an invaluable asset to the team. When a client calls to make an appointment or ask a veterinary question, she is the one with whom they will speak. In her spare time Jamie enjoys roping cows and trail riding.
Lorance Gomez
Veterinary Assistant
Lorance has been with Valley Animal Hospital since early 2007. His horsemanship skills and helping hands are greatly appreciated here by the veterinarians. Lorance enjoys reining, showing and trail riding with his horses here in Gilroy.
