​​Our staff is made up of a wonderful group of people!  Each person adds a little something unique to our clinic and as a result, we have a great team that works well together and strives to make your pet's health care our top priority.

Dr. Robert Hooke is a 1979 graduate of Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Columbus.  He received his Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech.  He was raised in Highland County, where he worked on his family farm raising sheep and beef cattle.  He met his wife, Cindy, while employed at Westwood Animal Hospital in Staunton, VA.  They married in 1990 and purchased Gretna Animal Clinic in 1994.  In the years since purchasing the practice, Dr. Hooke has dedicated himself to providing the best possible veterinary medicine to his patients, both large and small.  It is that dedication that has kept Gretna Animal Clinic going strong!  In his spare time, Dr. Hooke can be found deer or turkey hunting.

Cindy Hooke is our office manager, part owner and the wife of Dr. Hooke.  She grew up on her family's dairy farm in Staunton, VA.  Her love and compassion for animals led her work at the ASPCA prior to joining the staff at Westwood Animal Hospital, where she and Dr. Hooke met.  Since purchasing the clinic in 1994, she has not only worked in the office of the clinic but also hands on in many different aspects, always available to lend a hand with any animal in any situation.  The Hookes live on a small farm on Zion Rd. in Gretna where they raise beef cattle.  They share their home with one dog, Addie, and two kitties, Minnie and Chester.  


Valerie Tyree LVT is our licensed veterinary technician.  She enjoys working in every aspect of the clinic, but the things she enjoys most are performing dental cleanings and taking radiographs!  The clients she meets and the patients she works with make her career worth every minute of every day!  Valerie is a graduate of 2002 VA Tech and 2008 Cedar Valley College.  She is the Piedmont Regional director of the Virginia Association of Licensed Veterinary Technicians.  Valerie is also a deacon and active member of First Baptist Church of Gretna and is the team leader of "Team Hot Rod" (in memory of her daddy) for the Danville - Pittsylvania County Out of the Darkness Program for suicide prevention and awareness.  Outside of being an LVT, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Kyle, and two sons, Parker and Bryson, as well as the family's black Labrador Retriever, Bodi!


Phillip Dalton, DVM  joined our staff about 20 years ago as an aspiring veterinarian.  He worked with us as he attended college courses that would later land him a spot in the veterinary program at Ross University.  He left our practice in 2009 and joined the fun in the sun on St. Kitts Island as he studied hard to become the DVM he always wanted to be!  Upon completion at Ross, he returned to the USA and finished up at Oklahoma State University.  He has returned to our practice as our newest veterinarian, showing special interests in orthopedics and large animals.   When not seeing and treating patients, Dr. Dalton spends his free time in his wood shop carving a duck and playing with his Golden Retriever, Tanner.  He and his wife Tami, also have a Jack Russel Terrier, Sarah Jane.

Samantha Dunn originally joined our team as our kennel attendant and veterinary assistant but eventually added receptionist and student technician to her job description.  She is a 2014 graduate of Gretna High School and is a student in the Penn Foster Veterinary Technician program.  Outside of work, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and spending time with her pets.  She is the proud owner of two dogs Dolly and Ranger.

Stephanie Costa is our veterinary assistant, receptionist  and student technician!  She is currently enrolled in the Cedar Valley Distance Education Veterinary Technician Program.  She grew up on a farm in Mt. Airy where her love for all animals, big and small, began!  Outside of work, she enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with her family.  Stephanie also enjoys spending time at home with her husband, Stephen, their son, Layne, their spoiled rotten beagle, Briar and an equally spoiled buff tabby named Waylon.  

Hannah Davis joined our staff in January 2019.  She is one of our kennel attendants and enjoys taking care of the pets in her care!  She is a 2014 graduate of Gretna High School.  She has loved animals all of her life, but has a special love for the "little critters" such as rats, ferrets and fish!  She hopes to finish her studies and become a veterinary assistant one day in the near future!!  Nature and hiking are the way to heart....but her family and GOD are her biggest focuses in her life!

Virginia Cook joined our staff in 2019.  She is one of our kennel attendants and loves her job!  She adores all of the animals and spends her extra time giving the fur babies lots of extra love and attention!  Virginia has four children and 9 grandchildren.  She has one horse, five dogs, two cats and four birds at home.  In her spare time, she takes of her animals (which are all spoiled rotten!).  She says that she loves what she does and wishes she had found Gretna Animal Clinic a long time ago!  Virginia has been nicknamed "kennel mom" by many of our regular boarders!!



Melinda Tolbert joined our team in December 2019 as a veterinary assistant and kennel attendant.  She is a 2012 graduate of Gretna High School and a 2018 graduate of the Animal Behavior College veterinary assistant program, where she became a certified veterinary assistant.  She is the mother of a beautiful little 5 year old girl, named Maddie Lynn.  In August of 2019, she adopted a rescue named Stone, who is a pit-bull mix.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and of course, Stone!  She enjoys the outdoors, traveling to new places and trying new things.  Melinda enjoys every aspect of the clinic and helping out with any and every task that needs to be done.  To quote Melinda "I enjoy coming to work and getting closer to my new work family!"

Skyler Freedle came to our office in December of 2019 as a veterinary assistant and receptionist after moving to Virginia from Maryland.  In addition to taking care of the pets that come into our office, she enjoys taking care of our clients needs both over the phone and in person.  During her time away from the office she enjoys time with her family, traveling and spoiling of her sweet pup, Charlie.

Kaitlyn Weimer
Joley Arthur