Natalie Johnston, CRV, CET Animal Health & Wellness Technician I would like to start by saying how happy I am to be a part of the Walnut Cove Veterinary Hospital family from the ground floor and I cannot wait for the adventure to begin! I am in my 29th year of professional animal care. For fear of boring you to tears with my laundry list of experience I’m just going to hit the highlights and fun stuff. I have an AS in Livestock Management and Technology from NCSU (GO PACK!). I am certified in Equine Management and Welfare through UC Davis, Certified in Animal Behavior and Welfare through the University of Edinburgh as well as Fear Free Certified. I am a Certified Rabies Vaccinator and a Certified Euthanasia Technician. I have worked as an Animal Health & Wellness Technician in many clinics and hospitals to include relief work. I was a Zoo Keeper at the Kansas City Zoo, I have been a pet therapist at a long term care facility (the most rewarding job ever), I have been an AH&W Tech for military working dogs at Whiteman Air Force Base, MO home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber, I have been an Animal Control Officer right here in Stokes County, and I proudly managed the Stokes County Animal Shelter. I have worked as an AH&W tech in other county animal shelters. I have managed an equine breeding and teaching farm and am currently caring for 39 show goats and 2 retired show horses on the side. I have my own very successful pet and farm sitting business as well as a travelling pony party business. I have taught countless horseback riding lessons and camps over the years, and I have been part of Horse Education and Rescue Organization (HERO) since 2017 in varying roles to include VP, Intake Assessment Coordinator and Adoption and Foster Coordinator. HERO is such a dedicated group of people who put the interest and well-being of equines first and foremost. I am an animal welfare professional serving in as many capacities as I can, one of which is the acting Animal Welfare Specialist at the Carolina Classic Fair and Fairgrounds. I have been in this position for 8 years now. Some of the things that I enjoy most about being an AH&W Tech are client and public education. With proper animal care education pet owners can provide better lives for their pets and families. I also enjoy seeing animals successfully on the path to recovery after sickness or injury. Gaining the trust of a frightened animal to be able to provide care that it needs means a lot to me. I enjoy a hard day’s work that results in, “and they lived happily ever after”. It is difficult to separate work from my personal life because it is an all-consuming passion. I am a fourth generation “animal person”. I sometimes joke and say I don’t know how to do anything else. In my “spare time” I enjoy every minute I get to spend with my 2 girls. I am a HUGE self-proclaimed nerd and soak up learning opportunities like a sponge. I read every chance I get and am addicted to my audible app. My music taste varies wildly, and I love watching late night documentaries and true crime and follow an embarrassing number of podcasts of the same. I enjoy the simple traditional things like sewing and cooking, I also make handmade artisan beaded jewelry and upcycle feed bags into multi-use tote bags. I also currently serve on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Stokes County. This is an outstanding organization made up of amazing, selfless individuals. Other than that… my favorite color is purple and the common trash panda is my spirit animal… on so many levels. My pronouns are mom, mama and can I ask you a question about my pet. “Lord, please help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.” I have 2 UHMAZING daughters. They are the reason I wake up and do it all over again every day. They are just as much my grounding as they are my partners in crime. They are both involved in theater and musical theater. Of course, by involved I mean eat slap up with. Their South Stokes theater company won the regionals in multiple categories as well as the top honor and went on the place 4th in the state where there were 16 competing schools. Some of which were arts-based schools. This was their first year and we can’t wait to see what the future holds! Ava is a senior at South Stokes this year. She has been accepted into the musical theater program at Lees-Mac Rae College for the fall of 2026. She plans on being on the equestrian team and becoming a theater teacher. She also received a significant merit scholarship to Salem College. If the theater thing doesn't pan out she wants to fall back on her first plan of being a veterinarian. Ava is currently in a committed relationship with her hefty Siamese cat, Oswald. She enjoys reading classic literature and she can be seen performing at The Arts Place in Danbury on any given day whether it’s performing in the theatre or singing or both! Elsa is a sophomore at South Stokes this year. *Disclaimer: she was born 3 years before that dang Disney movie and it’s a sore subject. Elsa wants to be a field biologist with a concentration in wolf biology or a lepidopterologist. She is an extremely talented artist in multiple medias and sells commissions when she can. Just like her sister she too has been consumed by the theater bug and can be seen performing all over Stokes County! She is learning to play guitar and electric mandolin. She can be found most days curled up with her 2 dogs and her 2 cats drawing or reading about wolves or one of her favorite series books. Both girls are rarely seen without a book (or two!) in their hands and they share a quick witted and very dry sense of humor that I wholeheartedly appreciate. They also share not only a love for animals of all kinds but a deep sense of compassion and empathy towards them as well. They enjoy going to the barn together and spending time with their horses. I could literally go on for days about how special my girls are! If you have met them, or better yet when you meet them, you know every word is the absolute truth. Having just recently met Dr. Hathaway I don’t have any stories… yet! What I do know from the few interactions we have had is that she is kind and easy-going. Those are personality traits that can be hard to find and should be treasured. She has a huge heart and practicing veterinary medicine, especially the surgical aspect, is her passion. I am looking very forward to working with her on a professional level as well as learning as much as I can from her. Also, I can’t help but feel like there’s room for some shenanigans between us… To say I am excited or looking forward to being on the team here at Walnut Cove Veterinary Hospital and serving the community is a gross understatement. I have no doubt we will make a lasting difference in Walnut Cove, Stokes County and the surrounding area, not just in veterinary medicine but quickly becoming a pillar of this community that I love and call home. Can’t wait to meet new people and pets and hopefully see people and pets I already know and love. “And suddenly you just know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”