Meet theSurgiPet Team

Dr. Kurt Potgieter, or “Dr. Kurt” as clients know him, graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois in 2007. He has been a devoted veterinarian during his many years in private practice and has always enjoyed getting to know his clients and their pets. Throughout his career, Dr. Kurt has held a special interest and talent for veterinary dentistry, non-routine surgery, and orthopedic surgery. An avid sailor, Dr. Kurt has sailed through many of the world’s most beautiful places, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and across the Atlantic Ocean, stopping off at some of the world’s hidden gems, including St Helena (U.K.) and Fernando de Noronha (Brazil). He even sailed through the Great Lakes from Lake Huron, MI, to Oswego, NY – the leg around Niagara Falls through the Welland canal locks was especially interesting. Dr. Kurt spent time in New York City at the New York Botanical Garden and the American Museum of Natural History studying the molecular systematics of the Dogbane and Milkweed plant families. He also did postdoctoral work in electrophysiology, studying signal transduction in feeding network neurons in a predatory sea slug. His hobbies include beekeeping, spending time with his pets, raising chickens, gardening, and constantly repairing his backhoe. Currently, much of his spare time is spent working on his sailboat to get her ready for a new adventure. We are so thankful that Dr. Kurt has decided to bring his many years of experience to SurgiPet.

Dr. Feroli is originally from West Townsend, Massachusetts. From there, she completed her undergraduate degree in Biology, Chemistry, Wildlife Management, and Pre-Veterinary Medicine at the University of Findlay in Ohio. She spent an adventurous year living on a Wildlife Sanctuary in Texas, assisting the veterinarian with wild animals such as vultures, bobcats, monkeys, and bears! After that, she graduated from Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. With one year of private practice under her belt, she made the rewarding switch to non-profit medicine. She was a staff veterinarian at Lifeline Animal Project and medical director for the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia. Dr. Feroli’s professional passions include dentistry, finding creative surgical solutions, cardiology, and heartworm disease.

In her free time, Dr. Feroli can be found at home with her two dogs, Zuri and Ruger, and her cat Gray. More likely though, you will find her and her husband at the farm or on the trail spending time with their three horses, Digit, Tyr, and Fig. Dr. Feroli and her husband enjoy camping with the horses and exploring different parks all over the south.

Dr. Katie Penland is a Georgia native practicing veterinary medicine in North Georgia since 2012, when she graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to attending veterinary school, she studied at Berry College in Rome, GA, where she enjoyed getting to work as a pre-vet student on their working dairy and horse farm.

Upon graduating from veterinary school, she started in mixed animal practice but transitioned to predominantly small animal medicine after the first few years. Most of her time spent as a veterinarian in North Georgia has been in private practice; however, she has also been fortunate to have spent some time working in a shelter setting, performing high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter for the pets of North Georgia.

Dr. Penland is trained in veterinary acupuncture through the Chi Institute in Florida and enjoys utilizing this skill as an adjunctive therapy for her patients. She values the continuous opportunity to never stop learning that veterinary medicine offers, as well as the joy of expanding her abilities to help pets in new ways. Dr. Penland enjoys fast-paced days but also appreciates being able to spend a little extra time with client education and training when possible.

She has a menagerie of feathered and furred family members at home, including chickens, goats, dogs, and fish. Outside of work, Dr Penland enjoys spending time with her husband and their two daughters.

Veterinary Medical Advisor

Dr. Amy Orlin has worked as a small animal veterinarian for over 30 years. After graduating from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988, she worked as an associate in a small animal private practice in Snellville, GA, until 2001. At that time, she left the private practice world to work as the first shelter veterinarian at Dekalb Humane Society, now known as Paws Atlanta. This is where she learned to perform HVHQ (high volume, high quality) spay and neuter surgeries on shelter dogs and cats. This experience prepared her to cofound Project CatSnip in 2002, a program of the Atlanta Animal Alliance, where she performed high-volume, low-cost feline spay/neuter from a mobile clinic. Dr. Orlin cofounded WellPet Humane in 2008, another program of the Atlanta Animal Alliance. As the Medical Director of WellPet, she ensured the low-cost, high-quality veterinary care of thousands of dogs and cats belonging to pet owners with financial hardships. Dr. Orlin is now dedicating her time and experience to continue assisting pets belonging to people with limited financial means through the nonprofit charitable organization now called The Boca Fund, and working with FurKids Animal Rescue and Shelters as a Shelter Veterinarian. We are grateful to Dr. Orlin for bringing her years of experience to SurgiPet as our Veterinary Medical Advisor.

Hospital Operations Manager

Sam has been dedicated to animal care since 2013, bringing over a decade of hands-on experience and heartfelt compassion to every patient. She joined the SurgiPet team in 2024, where her love for animals and passion for supporting their well-being continue to thrive.

Sam not only cares deeply for pets, but also for the people who love them. She has a genuine appreciation for pet parents and the bond they share with their animals, and she strives to support that connection through attentive, empathetic care.
When she’s not at the clinic, Sam enjoys spending time with her family and two pups, Waylon and Jolene! She loves staying active both indoors and outdoors, and more recently has taken an interest in gardening.

Hospital Administrator & President, The Patterson Foundation

Stephanie Patterson has been a part of the veterinary medicine world for over 30 years and is dedicated to improving the lives of pets and their people. She and her husband, Mark, founded The Patterson Foundation, a non-profit animal welfare program that oversees several projects, including SurgiPet. Stephanie is also an avid lover of nature and wildlife. She and her husband have devoted much of their lives to educating others about wildlife conservation. When not at work, she is either working in her gardens, playing in the woods, reading, catering to her cats, or finding new projects for her husband to do at home.

Veterinary Assistant

Nicole has been with SurgiPet since 2022 and brings with her years of knowledge and advanced technical skills. Her knowledge, skills, and compassion for pets make her a vital part of our team, and we are so grateful that she came on board here at SurgiPet.
Nicole says she has been working with animals since high school and has never wanted to follow a different path. She enjoys spending time with her four cats and participating in various crafts, such as painting and clay art.

Veterinary Assistant – Social Media Promotion

Marla comes to SurgiPet with more years of experience than she would like and wants me to say “haha”. Having her come on board has been a huge asset to patient care. Her level of compassion is unmatched as she treats every pet as if it were her own. This means every pet has 20 blankets, a thermal wrap, bed warmers, and extensive hugging. I would seriously want Marla as my personal nurse in a hospital! Thank you, Marla, for everything you do for our patients!

Marla has loved animals since she was a little girl. She has been working with animals since she was 15 years old because that is where her heart is. She loves her many pets: Ernest Gilbert, a basset lab mix; Rosie Louise, a basset hound; Sweetie Caroline, a dachshund; and Todd Gurley, her kitty. Oh, and she also has a loving husband who tolerates all the fur babies.

Veterinary Assistant

Bree is currently a pre-veterinary medicine student at UNG and works part-time at SurgiPet, preparing for her future as a veterinarian. While a senior in high school, Bree was awarded Excellence in Research for a sterility study she performed at SurgiPet using different techniques to sterilize cautery instruments.

When not studying for school or working at SurgiPet, Bree enjoys hanging out with her friends, sewing, dabbling in different art projects, and catering to her cat Tinkie Yeti. We are so thankful to have such a gifted young lady working at SurgiPet. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for her.

Toni started her career in shelter medicine back in 2021. She has been assisting or raising animals in various ways since she was a young girl. Currently enrolled at Gwinnett Tech, she is pursuing a veterinary technology license to utilize her knowledge to continue helping nonprofit organizations.

In her free time, Toni cherishes spending time with her six dogs, two cats, and her adorable Cockatoo, Pearl. She also enjoys spending time with friends, remote camping, and finding new plants to purchase.

Veterinary Assistant and Superhero

Jessica has been with SurgiPet since we opened our doors and is a master of keeping us organized and stocked, as well as spoiling every cat patient who enters the door. Jessica has been working in the veterinary field for 11 years, and her compassion for animals fills every aspect of her life. When not at work, she helps with stray cats in the community and takes care of her own spoiled kitties. Jessica is a true lover of animals, and we are so grateful for her compassionate care here at SurgiPet.

Reception

Alexis has been with us since we opened the doors in 2021 and states that she enjoys every minute of her job. Alexis has been working in the veterinary medicine field for about 17 years and elevates our practice with her years of knowledge, patience, and understanding. She is a doting cat mom who loves her fat cat Figaro. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her three beautiful grandchildren, going to thrift stores, and reading. Alexis goes out of her way to help as many patients as she can fit on the schedule and then squeezes in extras to keep us on our toes. She deeply cares about pets and their people, which makes her a very special part of our SurgiPet family.