Our Team

Dr Tillman grew up in eastern NC and started working in the veterinary field as a kennel assistant at the age of 16 years old.  Her faith has always been a huge part of who she is and how she chooses to live her life.  She started going on mission trips at the age of 14 and has had the opportunity to be a part of over 20 missions teams (both national and international).  These experiences have helped foster a greater love for helping others in need and giving back to her community, using her God given gifts/skills.

Dr Tillman received her BS in Pre Veterinary Science with a Minor in Wildlife Rehabilitation from Lees McRae College in 2018.  She went on to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine.  While at LMU, she had a special interest in large animal and reproductive medicine.

Dr Tillman joined RSV in 2022 and has been a wonderful addition and allowed us to assist with more patients.  She sees both small and large animal patients, and provides in-home hospice and end of life care for pets.

Her family is a major part of her life and includes her fiance, Chris, three future step daughters, 5 nieces, one nephew and one great nephew.  She also shares her home with Roo (a Border Collie) and Opossum (a Domestic Medium Hair that she rescued soon after coming to Rowan County).

When she is not helping care of patients, Dr Tilman likes anything outdoors, including boating, fishing, hunting; traveling with friends, and spending time with family.

Her favorite thing about working at RSV is being a part of the family with the staff and being part of our local community.

Her favorite species to work with is cattle and her favorite type of animals are big cats, especially tigers.

Dr Annas grew up in Newton, NC.  He started exhibiting and raising Boer goats and beef cattle at an early age. He also developed an affinity for mules and donkeys as a child. 

He graduated from NC State University with an Animal Science degree and then received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Lincoln Memorial University.  Throughout vet school, Dr Annas participated in numerous cervidae (deer), small ruminant, and bovine reproductive internships and rotations, developing a strong interest in embryo transfer and artificial insemination.

Dr Annas joined the RSV team in 2019 and has been an integral part of the growth of the practice.  He provides both medical and surgical care to both small and large animal patients.  He also performs advanced reproductive techniques on small ruminants.

Dr Annas continues to have a strong love of animals and has Dudley (Border Collie who will help round up sheep and goat patients on occasion), Cooper (English Coonhound), Banjo (mule), Otis (donkey), and a breeding group of goats.

When Dr Annas is not working, he enjoys trail riding, spending time with his family, listening to Bluegrass, and watching the goats that he has raised competing in goat shows.  His goats have won many banners, including a few at the NC State Fair.

His favorite thing about working at RSV is being able to meet people that he develops life long relationships with.

Dr Annas’ favorite animals are goats, mules, and donkeys.

Emily graduated from South Rowan High School and is currently working towards becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician through Penn Foster.  She started her veterinary career at RSV in early 2024.

Emily is very talented and currently fills multiple roles when at work.  She may be seen anywhere from the reception desk to the kennels to assisting Dr Connolly with her appointments. 

Her pets are Magnolia, a Domestic Shorthair cat, and Miller, a Border Collie.

In her spare time, Emily enjoys reading, riding horses, and mudding.

What Emily likes the most about working at RSV is the feeling of being part of a family and the clinic feeling like a second home.

Emily does not have a favorite animal because she loves all of them, except snakes!!

Farrah worked as a veterinary assistant for several years prior to becoming a stay-at-home mother to sons, Bryson and Zander.  RSV was fortunate to have her join our team in early 2024 to resume her career in veterinary medicine.  Farrah has multiple talents and spends part of her time as the hospital assistant (caring for our pets that are left in our care) and part of her time helping with the front desk.

Farrah has been married to her husband, Fred, since 1997.  They have two dogs, Rango and Loula, and several Silkie chickens.  In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, raising chickens, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Farrah feels that working at RSV is rewarding because she is a part of an animal clinic that truly cares for the welfare of every animal that walks in and does everything in their power to provide quality care.  She thinks it’s an added bonus that she gets to love on dogs every day!!

Farrah’s favorite animals are giraffes.

Jordan graduated from West Rowan High school and started working in the veterinary field in 2020 and joined RSV in 2023.  She spends most of her days at Ranchside as our hospital assistant where she helps with surgery patients, sick patients, and makes sure that all of our boarders get taken care of!

She shares her home with her soon to be husband, young son, and her 6 year old female Catahoula Leopard dog named Charlie.

In her free time, Jordan loves spending time with her family and they try to be outside as much as they can.

Jordan’s favorite thing about RSV is being a part of an organization that feels like both a family and a team.  She likes that everyone tries to help each other do a better job of caring for our patients and clients.

Her favorite species of animal would be either dogs or horses because both of them hold a very special place in her heart.

Karlie grew up on a farm and has always had a passion and love for animals.  She started her veterinary career at RSV in 2023.  She is currently enrolled in Penn Foster’s program to become a Registered Veterinary Technician.  Karlie helps in multiple areas of the hospital and you could find her anywhere from caring for boarders, helping in the treatment room, or assisting clients at the front desk.

Karlie shares her home with her parents, Brian and Kayce, brother- Curtis, German Shepherd-Maggie and Australian Shepherd-Mollie Mae.

In her spare time, she enjoys painting, fishing, and playing with her dogs.

Karlie’s favorite thing about working at RSV is working with all the animals and the amazing staff members.

Her favorite type of animals are dogs.

Katie Graduated from Carson High School and then Lenoir-Rhyne University with a Psychology degree.  She started riding horses when she was in the first grade and competed in District and State 4H shows throughout high school.  She also rode for the equestrian team at LR.

She started her veterinary career at RSV in 2023.  Katie is the primary assistant for Dr Annas.

Katie married her boyfriend of 9 years in November 2024 and they live with her Cocker Spaniel, Rooster.

When she isn’t working, Katie likes to spend time with her whole family, including her older brother and sister.  She also likes going on adventures with Rooster, spending time with friends, baking/cooking, and traveling.

Katie’s favorite things about working at RSV are working with people who have become like family and getting to take care of people’s 4 legged family members!

Her favorite type of exotic animal are giraffe’s and her favorite breed of dog is the Cocker Spaniel.

Mackenzie grew up on (and still lives on) her family’s small farm in Lexington, NC, where they raise pastured poultry, swine, and cattle.  She started working the veterinary field when she was in high school.  She graduated from the University of Mt Olive with a Bachelors of Agriculture Production Systems with a concentration of Animal Science.  She is currently working on her Masters of Science in Animal Science at NC State University.

Mackenzie joined RSV in 2020 and we have been very fortunate to have her part time to help us on the weekends.  She can be found in the treatment room or helping out at the front desk.

Mackenzie married Jonathan Luther in 2023 and they share their home with Tucker (a Border Collie) and Ari (a Dalmation).

In her spare time, she enjoys reading or spending time outside with her dogs and her husband.

Her favorite thing about working at RSV is being able to interact with and get to know the clients and their pets over the years.

Her favorite animals are dogs and jersey cows.

Rebekah grew up surrounded by animals and spending most of her time outdoors.  In high school, she was active in the FFA, showed lambs, and grew pumpkins for the community.  She graduated from South Rowan High School in 2010.  She attended grooming college and started in the veterinary field in 2015 as a groomer.  Rebekah joined RSV in 2020 and has transitioned to a veterinary assistant.  She is the main assistant for Dr Tillman.

Rebekah’s family includes her husband (high school sweetheart-Ronald), daughter-Kaylee, dogs-Annie & Finn (German Shorthair Pointers), Deuce (Australian Cattle Dog), Speck (horse), goats and lots of chickens.

When not at work, Rebekah enjoys traveling and making memories camping with her family.

Rebekah’s favorite thing about working at RSV is that it has given her the opportunity to realize her childhood dream of becoming a veterinary technician.  And she loves working with animals.

Her favorite type of animals are chickens!

Ava is attending Pfeiffer University and majoring in Biology with a biomedical concentration.  She hopes to pursue a career in veterinary medicine after graduation.

Ava started working at RSV in 2024 and has enjoyed the incredible opportunity that it has been for her.

Growing up, her family saved various animals ranging from a racoon to an opossum, as well as many cats and dogs.

Her current animal companions are 5 dogs, one cat, two guinea pigs, and two goats.  Her absolute best friend is Jovi, a black and white domestic shorthair cat that took her three days to rescue.

Outside of school and working at RSV, Ava loves to go shopping with her mom, golfing with her grandpa and racing with her dad.

Grayce Moore is the daughter of a veterinarian so she grew up getting to be a part of the veterinary industry.  She attends West Rowan High School and joined the RSV family in 2024.

Grayce has one dog named Gidget and two horses named Tally and Angel. 

She is very passionate about agriculture and active in her FFA chapter.  She also participates in rodeos, running barrels, with Tally. 

Grayce’s favorite thing about working at RSV is having the opportunity to expand her knowledge of the veterinary field while still being able to participate in her rodeo and FFA activities.

Isaiah is a student at West Rowan High school and joined RSV in early 2024. 

His pets include a Beagle, Domestic Shorthair cat, two Holland Lop rabbits, and several fish.

His hobbies include anything outdoors, especially swimming, mountain biking, and fishing.  He also loves to do anything with animals, whether that is showing, raising, or just taking care of them.  He is in multiple clubs at West Rowan and holds leadership positions in most of them.  These include:  National Honor Society, ULead, Health Science, Crosby Scholars, 4-H, and FFA.

Isaiah’s favorite thing about working at RSV is being able to see and interact with all different types of animals.  He loves being able to see the many different breeds of dogs and cats.  Watching surgical and medical procedures is also helping him gain more experience to allow him to be better prepared for his transition to college in the near future.

Isaiah’s favorite type of animal is the African Wild Dog.

Taren’s first job was with Food Lion, where she spent 10 years working at the corporate level.  She then decided to stay home and raise her three children.  When it was time for her to return to work, she was able to turn her passion for animals into her next career and has been grooming since 2011.

Taren joined RSV in 2024 as the main groomer and has been an absolutely wonderful addition to our team!  She takes such pride in her work and does a great job of both making dogs look great and putting them at ease!!

Taren and her husband Cale are blessed to have three grown children: Julianna (husband Matt), Jonah, and Jaxon.  Their family also includes a 14 year old tortoiseshell cat named Luna.

Taren still considers her grooming to be part hobby/part career because it is still her passion.  When she is not grooming or spending time with her adult children, you can find her walking in the park, dabbling in cake decorating, doing puzzles or listening to interesting podcasts.

In addition to being able to enjoy a career that is her passion, her favorite thing about working at RSV is being able to balance her job and her family.

Taren’s favorite type of animals are dogs.  She is looking forward to getting another one in the future.

Kate grew up on the finger lakes of Canandaigua, NY and spent a lot of time at her grandparents cottage on Canandaigua Lake.  She graduated from Canandaigua High School in 2001 and then took a couple of years off before she attended a 2 year college for computer applications.

Kate began her career in veterinary medicine  in 2008, when she first started working with Dr Connolly.  She joined RSV in 2020 and has been an integral part of our practice since we opened at our current location.

Kate married her boyfriend of 13 years in 2013 and they have three beautiful children together-Kolton, Kenzie, and Konner.  They also share their home with Kiwi (their 3 year old cat).

When Kate is not at work, she spends her time with her family!

Kate’s favorite thing about working at RSV is her boss and coworkers.  The support everyone has for each other is beyond just working with one another.  A lot of them, Kate has had the privilege to work with for 16 years!

Her favorite animal is the manatee.  She always loved seeing them when she was a little girl vacationing at her uncle’s house in Florida.

Cindy grew up surrounded by animals and developed her love for animals at a very young age.  She played basketball throughout her school years but her biggest passion since she was 5 years old has been raising and showing sheep. She has shown and won shows all over the country and now raises show sheep. Cindy graduated from West Rowan High School.

Cindy officially joined the RSV team in 2021.  She tries to keep everyone organized, fills in wherever she is needed, and covers the shifts when no one else is available or if the weather is bad!

Cindy has her own menagerie that includes horses, sheep, cats, and livestock guardian dogs, but her closest pets include Skunk & Mac (Border Collies), Arnold (female Domestic Shorthair cat), and Ethel (Water Buffalo).

When not at work, Cindy can be found looking after her animals, at a sheep show, or hanging out with her friends and family, including her boyfriend Josh and her many cousins.

Her favorite thing about working at RSV is getting to know patients and seeing them come in as puppies/kittens and watching them grow up.

Her favorite animals are sheep and dogs.

Jessica grew up spending time with animals and competing in rodeo events.  She graduated from North Iredell High School and has worked in the veterinary field for 20 years.  She joined RSV in 2021.  Jessica spends a lot of time helping everyone in the treatment room and she is the primary Inventory and Facilities Manager.

Jessica is married and has 2 beautiful daughters.  Her entire family shares in her passion for the rodeo.  Their family also includes multiple horses and Border Collies, Rambo and Reba.

When she is not at work, Jessica’s days are filled with caring for her family and going with them as they all compete in various rodeo events.

Jessica’s favorite things about working at RSV are the animals and people that she gets to work with.

Her favorite animals are dogs and horses.

Madison started her career in the veterinary industry when she joined RSV in 2021.  She spends her time at RSV assisting Dr Connolly and Dr Rambo with appointments and trying to help keep everyone organized!!  She is our primary Scheduling manager.

Madison grew up in a family that have all devoted their lives to working with animals in many ways.  That helped her choose her path to veterinary medicine as a career and rodeo as a hobby.

Her pets are cats, Biscuit and Carl, a Sulcatta tortoise named Sue, and her best Border Collie friend-Fig.

Madison’s favorite things about working at RSV are the people she gets to meet and being able to hear some of their stories and life experiences.  She really enjoys the many clients and unique critters that she gets to interact with every day and it keeps life interesting.

Her favorite animals are horses because they are the coolest, most intelligent creatures you can find.

Rachel grew up in a missionary family in Mexico.  She started her career in veterinary medicine in 2013 and started working with Dr Connolly then.  Rachel started with RSV on the first day that it originally opened in Dr Connolly’s basement.  She helps keep everyone organized and is in charge of our marketing and social media.

Rachel is married with four children:  Josiah, Grace, Rose & Maverick.  Their family also includes 3 horses, 16 goats, 3 dogs, 3 cats and too many chickens, ducks, and guineas to count.

Her other job/hobby is raising and milking her goats and making skin care products for her company-Rustic Edge Soaps.  You can even buy her products in our lobby!!

When not working or looking after animals and children, she enjoys horseback riding, reading, hiking, or anything on the farm or outdoors.

Rachel’s favorite thing about working at RSV is her coworkers and the fact that everyone is a team that cares for one another and seem like family.

Rachels’ favorite animals are goats and horses.