Our Veterinary Team
DR. Emanuel Edgar Ponsford, III | Medical Director
Dr. Ponsford, a 1980 TAMU graduate, owned and operated a small animal hospital in El Paso for 27 years. He spent five years with a national corporate practice as Chief of Staff. and was a top 20 producer. For the past several years, Dr. Ponsford, has studied the Toyota Production System (Lean) and how it might be applied to veterinary medicine. He has written and co-written articles on Lean, recently led a webinar on Lean management for AVMA's Lead and Learn Continuing Education series, and spoke at both the 2019 and 2020 AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conferences.
Dr. Ponsford is the founder of the blog LeanVets and is the author of the new book, Lean Veterinary Practice Management: Higher Quality, Less Waste, Greater Staff Engagement and Continuous Improvement. In addition, he is the inventor of the Ponsford Surgical Drapes available through Jorgensen Labs.
Dr. Ponsford enjoys reading non-fiction, woodworking and Celtic folk music. (He has been known to play the bagpipes, Irish whistle and the bodhran- a Celtic hand drum!) He currently lives with his wife, a rescued Great Dane, four cats, two parrots and two Pygmy goats in the Dallas Metroplex area.
Dr. Charles Pipes | Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Charles R. Pipes was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Helping animals has always been a passion of his, even as a child. In 1972, he enrolled at Texas A&M University as a pre-veterinary student and was a proud member of the Corps of Cadets. Dr. Pipes attended veterinary school at Texas A&M and earned his DVM in 1978.
Over the course of his 44-year career, Dr. Pipes has made his mark on the profession by providing good-quality veterinary medicine and striving to help people in his community across all socioeconomic levels.
He has been a continuous member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA, Lifetime Member Status) and the Dallas County Veterinary Medical Association (DCVMA).
Dr. Pipes is truly committed to the veterinary industry in every way but his greatest joy still lies in the exam rooms, humbly helping his patients and their parents.
Dr. Stephanie Stoehr | Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Stephanie Stoehr grew up in San Diego, California and attended San Diego State University. She graduated in 2009 with a BS in Biology with the emphasis in Zoology. Dr. Stoehr then went to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island in St Kitts. She finished her clinical year at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in January of 2015.
After attending veterinary school, Dr. Stoehr moved back to California to be close to family and friends. She joined a corporate practice and was with them for seven years, where her passion grew from soft tissue surgery and chronic disease management. Dr. Stoehr moved to the Bend, Oregon area because of the plethora of outdoor activity, but her career was not giving me what she was looking for. This is when she joined Country Brook Animal Hospital and made the big move to Dallas, Texas.
As a child, Dr. Stoehr's dream job was to be a veterinarian and there was never a plan B.
Dr. Stoehr absolutely loves soft tissue surgery, wound management and chronic disease management. Her love of complicated and challenging cases means she is always eager to learn something new, advancing her skills and knowledge base.
When not working, Dr. Stoehr is either working out at the gym, hiking (when the weather permits), or traveling. She has volunteered throughout her career and absolutely loves providing free preventative veterinary services to the homeless and our veterans.
Dr. Jennifer Hewitt | Relief Veterinarian
Dr. Jennifer Hewitt grew up in Vancouver and Calgary, Canada. She dreamt of working with animals since her childhood. She attended the University of Calgary and received her Bachelor of Science in Zoology with Honors and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees-- which were completed in 2008 and 2013.
Dr. Hewitt has worked in mixed animal practices, but primarily in small animal medicine for the last 7 years. Over the last few years, she has gained experience in emergency medicinal practice, as well.
Dr. Hewitt's special interests include dermatology. In fact, she has continued education in the field and has even practiced in a dermatology-exclusive clinic. She is very passionate about helping to improve the quality of life for the itchy patients!
During her free time, Dr. Hewitt can be found outdoors running, hiking or skiing. She enjoys cooking, gardening and traveling with her husband and 3 dogs.
Our Veterinary Support Team
Erin Downward | Practice Manager
Erin is an experienced pharmacist and veterinary hospital manager. Her passion and drive to provide the best possible care for all animals was developed at an early age, growing up on a farm in rural Ohio.
As a veterinary practice manager, she strives for excellence in patient care, team development and leadership. Erin spends her free time outdoors, biking, kayaking, camping and hiking with her dog, Charley.
Courtney Kirkland | Online Pharmacy Specialist
Courtney oversees the online pharmacy program for our veterinary practice, ensuring clients receive savings, convenience, and peace-of-mind when purchasing medications and products for their pet's optimal health and wellbeing.
Courtney grew up in Brackettville, Texas. She has 7 years of experience in the veterinary industry working as a vet and kennel technician. She is a certified laser technician and safety specialist and at her prior clinic, she was the on-site laser technician.
In her free time, Courtney enjoys spending time with her three children and their chocolate lab, Creek. She also enjoys reading, cooking and fishing. During the spring, she can be found with her husband on the diamond coaching Little League Baseball.