Our Team

Dr. Robinson is a life-long resident of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She attended Riverdale High School and MTSU before graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. Dr. Robinson and Dr. Shirley were roommates all through vet school and it’s only natural that they continue working together today. Dr. Robinson chose to work at Family Pet Health because of the positive work environment and strong team approach to veterinary care that FPH provides. Dr. Robinson says one of her favorite parts of being a veterinarian is building long-term relationships with her clients.

Dr. Johnathon Dunn is originally from Memphis. He has had a passion for animals since he could talk and has known he wanted to be a veterinarian since kindergarten. During high school, he was an active member of the FFA and participated in sheep and hog exhibition, livestock judging, and held several leadership roles. Outside of school, Dr. Dunn volunteered at the local shelter, participated in feral cat spay and neuter programs and volunteered at the Memphis Zoo. He has always had a love for all animals regardless of their size.

Dr. Dunn’s first exotic pet was a rabbit named Petey. He quickly realized that not only did he have a passion for dogs and cats, but also for the more exotic pets as well. Currently, Dr. Dunn shares his home with dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and fish.

Dr. Dunn went to MTSU for undergraduate studies where he continued to be active in FFA as well as the Pre-Veterinary Society. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at The University Of Tennessee where he focused his studies on exotic species and has worked with many board certified zoo and zoo companion animal veterinarians. He is currently a member of American Avian Veterinarians, American Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, and American Exotic Mammal Veterinarians as well as being Fear Free avian certified.

Dr. Dunn was one of the first employees when Family Pet Health was created and is so excited to be back and to open the doors to even more exotic family pets. The positive work environment, team approach, and standard of care are what drew him back to Family Pet Health.

Bio coming soon

Emmy is originally from Quebec, Canada, where she became a licensed veterinary technician in 2023. She moved to Murfreesboro in 2024 and joined Family Pet Health in January 2025 after searching for a clinic that shared her same values for Fear Free veterinary medicine and a positive working environment. Her past work experience includes zoo medicine and wild bird rehabilitation.  Outside of work, Emmy loves spending quality time with her husband and family, being out in nature, reading a good book and cuddling up with their cats.

Bio coming soon

Kristal is a Memphis native and came to Middle Tennessee in 2005. She earned her LVMT license in 2008 and has been in the veterinary field since. Kristal came to Family Pet Health in June of 2023 and was reunited with Drs. Shirley and Robinson with whom she had worked years before. She enjoys the culture at Family Pet Health and appreciates the positive difference Fear Free medicine provides. Kristal particularly enjoys the challenge of a difficult venipuncture and educating pet parents about veterinary care.

When not working, Kristal enjoys time with her husband and two children. Her family is actively involved in their church, choir and youth sporting events. Topping things off is the addition of a new puppy to their family.

Bio coming soon

Hailey is originally from Wisconsin and moved to Tennessee in 2023 to take advantage of some warmer weather. While living in Murfreesboro and commuting on I-24 everyday to work as a surgery technician with a specialty clinic in Nashville, Hailey decided to check out options with a shorter daily drive. She was attracted to the culture and overall positivity at Family Pet Health and joined the team in early 2024.

Since moving to the Nashville area, Hailey and her fiance have come to love the live music scene in Middle Tennessee and regularly attend small gigs and shows. They also enjoy finding and attending Trivia Night in local restaurants. Hailey should definitely check out The Family Pet Podcast to learn about all of those “Fun Facts” from each episode.

 After finishing her active duty in the US Navy in 2017, Shannon moved to the Middle Tennessee area to attend Middle Tennessee State University. She went on to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Animal Science. Her goal is to continue to learn more about animal medicine and work towards being a Licenced Technician. In her free time, Shannon enjoys spending time with her children watching movies or playing games.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

 Hillary moved to Tennessee from North Carolina in December of 2012. She joined Family Pet Health in October of 2023 as a CSR, having worked in the veterinary field since October of 2000. Working as a CSR allows Hillary to utilize her BA in Psychology to figure out why Stephen is neurotic. When not working, Hillary spends all her free time with her younger son, either watching his archery tournaments or baseball games. She also has an older son who is a Marine and lives in NC with his wife and their two dogs. 

 Kayla is a Murfreesboro native. She was previously a Licensed Massage Therapist for 10 years and has transitioned into the animal medical field. Kayla is another team member who joined Family Pet Health first as a CSR before taking those customer services skills into a role caring for our patients. She is currently in school with an eye on working with wildlife rehabilitation after graduation. In her free time, Kayla loves going on outdoor adventures with her daughter and enjoying live music.

Samantha is originally from NYC and recently moved to Murfreesboro to enjoy the high humidity summers and to laugh at our snow day policies in the winter. She has been in the veterinary field for over 10 years and became a licensed technician in 2017. Samantha has a dog and two cats that “are her world” and loves new adventures, going to new places and meeting new people.

Stephanie was born and raised in Murfreesboro. She graduated from Oakland High School then attended Volunteer State for a degree in Veterinary Technology. In 2016, Stephanie obtained her degree and became a Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician. She joined the team at Family Pet Health in 2018 eager to embark on a Fear Free approach to veterinary medicine.

Stephanie’s favorite part of the job is providing education to pet parents and coworkers. She believes in utilizing Fear Free techniques to strengthen the human-animal bond. Stephanie is a proud mom of 2 children, Elizabeth and JJ. She is happily married to a man that loves cats as much as she does. She enjoys reading, spending quality time with her family and friends, and vacations to the beach.

Dr. Amy Shirley, originally from Tracy City, Tennessee, first came to Murfreesboro as an MTSU student and met her husband Michael while both were studying Animal Science in college. Dr. Shirley went on to graduate with her veterinary degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 2005. After graduation, Dr. Shirley moved back to Murfreesboro to practice as a small animal veterinarian including 10 years as an associate doctor and 3 years practicing as a relief doctor in the greater Middle Tennessee area.

Dr. Shirley and her family have lived in the Buchanan area since 2007 and accepted the opportunity to purchase Black Fox Veterinary Hospital in the Murfreesboro/Buchanan community in 2018. Later that year, they renamed the practice Family Pet Health. Since that time, she has worked to provide trusted care and be the family doctor for the pets in the community.

Dr. Shirley set out with a mission to create a positive and collaborative work environment that cares about the wellbeing and mental health of her doctors and team as a top priority. She believes that if she can take care of her team, they will take care of the clients and patients. She also is focused on the emotional well-being as well as the physical well-being of her patients. She was an early adopter of the Fear Free approach to veterinary medicine which helps diagnose and treat fear, anxiety, and stress in our patients especially when receiving medical attention. Dr. Shirley and her team at Family Pet Health were proud to become the first Fear Free Certified veterinary hospital in Rutherford County in 2019. Dr. Shirley hopes to build on this foundation to improve the lives of her team and patients. Dr. Shirley loves all species of animals but has a special devotion to the feline patient and small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Dr. Shirley developed a love for the human-animal bond growing up and was very active in 4-H. She has fond memories of showing sheep and horses. Now she and Michael have 3 children of their own and enjoy seeing them participate in 4-H and finding their own interests and activities. Their family enjoys taking day trips and vacations together such as hiking and camping in their pop-up camper with a goal of visiting all the state parks in Tennessee. She and her family love their local church family at New Vision Baptist Church at Buchanan. Her children say that she enjoys working as a vet and cleaning the house as this is where she spends much of her time!

Dr. Sam grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California and wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she could remember. She attended MTSU on a full-ride softball scholarship where she received her bachelor’s degrees in Animal Science and General Science. She then attended veterinary school at UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2020.

During veterinary school, Dr. Sam was a part of various clubs, but took a special interest in the Veterinary Emergency Response Team. She taught dart-gun wetlabs, knot-tying wetlabs and organized demonstrations for first responders in large animal extraction techniques. She also developed and tested Rescue Loops for horses with Dr. John Madigan and the International Animal Welfare Training Institute. Other interests of Dr. Sam’s are small animal behavior, geriatric pain management and feline medicine. She became Fear Free Certified in veterinary school and is an Elite Fear Free Certified Professional.

After veterinary school, Dr. Sam completed a 1-year internship at an equine hospital in Southern California. She then decided to pursue her passion in small animal medicine and was ecstatic to find a clinic that shared her ideals back in Murfreesboro. Dr. Sam joined the Family Pet Health team in 2021 and quickly became the clinic lead on all things Fear Free.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Sam enjoys fishing, working out, watching TV and being out in nature. She continues to teach her cat, Koda, new tricks and is passionate about helping him live his best life full of enrichment. She played in the World Championships with the Puerto Rican National Softball team and is planning to coach softball once she has a family of her own.

Dr. Diana Renee Dupree grew up on a 365-acre family farm in Central Kentucky. From her first memories, she wanted to be a veterinarian. She graduated from Morehead State University with a bachelor’s of science degree before attending Mississippi State University for veterinary medicine. After graduating with her DVM degree, Dr. Dupree entered small animal medicine first as an associate veterinarian and later as a partner/owner with a clinic in Hazard, KY for a number of years. In 2010, Dr. Dupree moved to the Murfreesboro area where she did relief veterinary work and ended up meeting Dr. Shirley at one of those clinics.

Dr. Dupree has been happily married to her husband Robert since 1987. They have two beautiful adult daughters, Kaci, a lawyer in Chattanooga, and Sidney, a college student at Lincoln Memorial University, and are active members at Lighthouse Baptist Church. She has two Australian cattle dogs, a cat, and three Tennessee walking horses at their farm.

Dr. Dupree considers the opportunity to work with the team at Family Pet Health in a Fear Free environment to be a high honor.

Dr. Jennifer Nunnery is grateful and proud to be a part of the Family Pet Health team. A Murfreesboro native, she moved away to attend Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia followed by veterinary school at The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation in 2002, she completed a fellowship at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA. Making the switch to small animal medicine, she practiced at Centre Animal Hospital in State College, PA for nearly 11 years before the pull of family (and milder winters) brought her home to Murfreesboro. She has been with Family Pet Health since 2018 and now serves as the clinic’s medical director.

Dr. Nunnery is drawn to cats and big dogs, but just about anything with fur will make her smile. She has a special place in her heart for the scared dogs that have gone from “needs muzzle” to “loves visiting” over the years. She especially enjoys surgery and helping senior pets live their best lives.

When not working, she can often be found hiking with her daughter Allison, husband Mark, and Golden Retrievers Lily and Eliza. Her household also includes three fabulous cats.

A native of Franklin, Kelly has been in Murfreesboro for about 8 years. She earned her LVMT license in 2023 and has been with Family Pet Health ever since. With her quick wit and hearty laugh, Kelly always brings a smile to our team and clients. She and Stephen aren’t allowed to sit beside each other in team meetings because they can’t stop cutting up and he always makes her laugh during team photos. Outside of the clinic, Kelly loves spending time with her dog Riley and being outdoors or on the water.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Zoey has called Middle Tennessee home since 2005. A lifelong animal lover, for many years she worked with horses, taught riding lessons, and oversaw horse camps and programs that focused on educating people about horses. In 2016, after a few years at home with her children, Zoey returned to school, this time focused on veterinary health. In 2019 she graduated with honors from Columbia State Community College with a degree in Veterinary Technology and joined Family Pet Health a short time later.

Zoey loves her job and considers herself fortunate to have found a practice like Family Pet Health where she works with an amazing team and has the opportunity to develop great relationships with clients and pets. Her favorite part of the job is seeing the animal-human bond, which is also what she loved about working with horses and people. Understanding the importance of gaining an animal’s trust makes her appreciate the Fear Free approach even more. In her free time Zoey enjoys reading psychological thrillers, watching documentaries about almost anything, kayaking, and spending time with her family, friends and, of course, her pets.

Yousef moved to Tennessee in June of 2006. He then attended Volstate Community College where he graduated from the Pet Assistant Program in 2018. Yousef can be found on his Murfreesboro farm taking care of his variety of livestock or enjoying his days in the great outdoors camping, fishing, and hiking.

Jenna moved to Murfreesboro in 2020 from Chicago, IL, where she was born and raised. In 2018, she began school at McHenry County College and went on to receive her veterinary assistant certificate. Jenna joined the Family Pet Health team in 2020 and has been bringing smiles to our patients, clients and team ever since.

Her passions outside of work include spending time with her family, reading, spending time outdoors, watching movies and spoiling her Golden Retriever, Arlo.

Erica is an Alabama native who moved to Tennessee in 2003 and earned her Certified Veterinary Assistant degree in 2008. Her past experiences include working with rescue groups to socialize and rehabilitate abandoned dogs. She is excited to join the team at Family Pet Health and looks forward to providing care to pets in a Fear Free environment. When not at the clinic, Erica enjoys spending time with her family and taking her pups on hikes for nature photography and astrophotography.

Maddie is originally from South Florida and moved to Murfreesboro in 2019. She heard about Family Pet Health being a wonderful, fear free veterinary clinic and jumped at the opportunity to join the team. Maddie plans to continue her education and earn her veterinary technician degree. On her days off, she loves to spend time with her family and boxer mix Nala.

Sarah is from Woodbury and took animal science classes all four years at Cannon County High School. She hopes to follow in the footsteps of her late uncle who owned a veterinary practice in Smithville. Sarah is currently going to Vol State to be a licensed vet tech and plans to continue her education further down the road. Family Pet Health is the beginning of a career in veterinary care. In her spare time, Sarah likes to spend time with family, go to the gym, foster kittens/wildlife, house sit other’s pets and spoil her sweet tabby and great pyrenees, Eli and Moses.

Alec is a rarity in this city– a Murfreesboro native, born and raised. His college career began at Murray State University; after two years, he transferred to Middle Tennessee State University and graduated with a degree in Animal Science. Alec joined the Family Pet Health team in April of 2024, drawn by the Fear Free medicine and the welcoming community. Outside of work, Alec can be found performing at a local community theater or finding new hiking spots.

Savanna has lived in Murfreesboro, TN all of her life and recently graduated from Oakland High School. She is passionate about her love for Jesus, family, and animals! Her hobbies consist of playing her ukulele and singing, wrapping surgery packs, and calming down animals under sedation. She has been serving faithfully at New Vision Buchanan as a worship leader for 3 years.

Halie moved to Murfreesboro after graduating from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo in 2021. Halie has puts her Experience Industry Management degree into use by organizing our grand opening celebration in 2023 as well as directing our annual Walk My Dog Program each spring. Halie also manages all of the Family Pet Health social media channels.

When not at work, Halie loves spending time outdoors with her dogs and going to concerts. Since moving to the Middle Tennessee area, Halie has begun studying the history of country music and is a big fan of the classic artists.

Stephen came to Family Pet Health in January of 2019 to help out his brother Michael for a few weeks with marketing and communications projects. Surprising nearly everyone who knew them as kids, the Shirley brothers are still going strong six years later as they explore opportunities to spread the Family Pet Health story to the greater Murfreesboro community and beyond. As Director of Operations, Stephen takes care of the behind the scene tools (internet, phone, DYMO labels) to allow the medical team to provide the best care possible to patients.

When not at Family Pet Health, Stephen can almost always be found at a nearby soccer field working as a referee. Stephen also enjoys long walks with his wife Elizabeth in which they laugh at his dog Maverick trying to pee on every mailbox and chase every cat in their neighborhood.

Katie moved to Murfreesboro from Illinois in 2020 with her husband and youngest daughter Jenna (who also works at Family Pet Health.) She joined Family Pet Health as a CSR in November 2020 and enjoys having the opportunity to help fur babies and their families. Some of her favorite things about being a CSR is being the first person of contact for new clients, scheduling appointments, and keeping the flow of visits running smoothly for our amazing treatment team. When not at work, she loves to read, watch movies, and spend time with her three other daughters and five grandbabies. Exploring our beautiful state is another favorite pastime!

Fun fact: Katie was a certified Jazzercise instructor for 18 years and is passionate about fitness!

Desteney grew up in the Middle Tennessee area and graduated from Cannon County High School in 2016. After working several years as a prison guard, she decided to pursue a career in the veterinary field. She came to Family Pet Health to pursue opportunities for professional growth and experience. One area of particular interest for Desteney is ensuring that her patients have healthy teeth and smiles.

Desteney lives in DeKalb County with her nine animals–five dogs, three cats, and a horse. On her days off, Desteney spends time with her animals–playing with, caring for, and training them.

Tori enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends. She loves to ride horses, play softball, fish and spend time on her family’s farm. She also has three dogs who are her world!

Michael’s favorite part of working at Family Pet Health is hiring great team members who possess a passion for animal care and client education. He believes that if you hire great people, equip them with the tools they need, and then get out of their way, they will take great care of clients and their pets. You never know what you may find Michael working on around the animal hospital. From paying the bills and leading team meetings, to recording training videos and weeding the flower beds, he is a jack-of-all trades. Never afraid to tackle a problem or try new approaches to tasks, Michael encourages feedback from Family Pet Health clients regarding any way that we can make the visit to the vet a more pleasant experience for you or your pet.