Welcome to Hope Animal Hospital
We’re proud to provide a wide variety of veterinary medical services for dogs, cats, in Cleveland County, NC & surrounding areas.
Our Mission at Hope Animal Hospital is to offer state-of-the-art, quality veterinary services with a personal touch for you and your pet.
Our commitment to you, our client, is to provide your pet with the same compassionate and professional medical care we would provide for our own pets. We will work to provide the necessary information and resources to help you make an educated decision about your pet’s health. We want you to understand your pet’s health problems and feel comfortable with choosing their treatment options.
Our commitment to your pet is to educate you as the pet owner, about the care your pet needs to keep them healthy and to prevent health problems that may affect them in the future. We will care for, and treat your pet in a loving manner while making every effort to ease any pain or suffering. We promise to provide your pet with the warm and compassionate care they deserve.
The word “Hope” means several things to us… but for you and your pet, we want it to mean hope for a healthy life and hope for quality of life.
About Our Practice
Hope Animal Hospital was established in June 2009 by Dr. Deanna Moseley Lawrence, a 1999 graduate of NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh, NC. It was named in honor of her beloved 3-legged Labrador Retriever, “Hope”. Located in Shelby, NC, we are a full-service small animal hospital.
Dr. Deanna Moseley Lawrence, DVM
PRACTICE OWNER, VETERINARIAN
Years in Practice: 23
Education:
North Carolina State University, Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine
“Dr. Dee” opened Hope Animal Hospital in June 2009. She has called Cleveland County home since moving here in June 2000. As an associate at Cottonwood Veterinary Hospital until 2006 and as the sole proprietor of Moseley Mobile Veterinary Care from 2006 until 2009, Dr. Lawrence has served the county and grown to love its residents and their pets. She currently is a member of the Cleveland County Public Health Board, President of Hope’s Chest Inc., and a member of Mountain View Baptist Church.
Dr. Lawrence currently lives in Fallston, NC with her wonderful husband Mike and has two beautiful stepdaughters, Pam and Riley, a son-in-law, Eric, AND 3 grandchildren, Ayden, Kaylee, and Jase. They also have a house FULL of dogs (aka “The Misfit Gang”).
Family and friends, along with her commitment to Hope Animal Hospital and her non-profit, Hope’s Chest, add to the blessings that God has given her over the years. Her love for animals is based on knowing that they are truly God’s creation and it is our job to love and care for them.
Interests:
Camping, fishing, ATV trail riding, traveling, and embarking on “new adventures” with her family
Dr. Jason Habel, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Years in Practice: 23
Education:
North Carolina State University, Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine
Originally from Ohio, Dr. Habel has called North Carolina home since moving here in 1986. He received his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!!) before attending Veterinary School at NC State University. He has worked as an associate veterinarian in Charlotte and Gastonia before coming to Hope Animal Hospital in 2019.
Dr. Habel lives in Kings Mountain with his wife Zennie and three children, Ansley, Chance, and Elliot. They share their home with a crazy (now lazy) pug Taz and their three-legged cat Lizzy.
Interests:
Anything outdoors, hiking, mountain biking, trail running, obstacle course racing and family game time.
Dr. Amanda Blanton McAdam, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Years in Practice: 16
Education:
North Carolina College of Veterinary Medicine
A native of Shelby, Dr. Amanda Blanton McAdam received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Warren Wilson College of Veterinary Medicine. After receiving her doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2006, she completed an internship at Blue Ridge Equine Clinic near Charlottesville, Virginia. She went on to practice as an equine veterinarian in Orange, Virginia, and surrounding counties for many years. In 2017, Dr. Blanton-McAdam pursued a career in small animal medicine at Culpeper Animal Hospital in Virginia to afford more regular hours and time with her young, growing family.
Dr. Blanton McAdam and her family returned to Shelby in May 2022 to be closer to her parents. She joined the team at Hope Animal Hospital in September 2022 and has been welcomed with open arms. Dr. Blanton-McAdam’s professional interests include client education, internal medicine, geriatric medicine, dentistry, and ultrasound. Her shift to small animal medicine has allowed her to create and maintain close client relationships.
Interests:
In her free time, Dr. Blanton-McAdam enjoys running, mountain biking, yoga, gardening, hiking, traveling, and camping with her family. She and her husband, Garreth, live in Shelby with their 2 children, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and chickens.
Dr. Emily McCurry, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Born and raised here in Shelby, Dr. McCurry’s love for animals started at a young age. During high school Dr. McCurry worked at Hope Animal Hospital as a kennel assistant and later as a veterinary assistant. Her love and passion for veterinary medicine grew even more when she took in her first rescue dog Murray her senior year of high school. “Miracle Murray” became an inspiration for her as she began to pursue an education in veterinary medicine. Dr. McCurry received her undergraduate degree in Animal Science from The University of Tennessee (GO VOLS!) before attending veterinary school at Lincoln Memorial University.
Dr. McCurry is married to her childhood friend Cody whom she met in kindergarten. Together they have a variety of pets ranging from dogs, cats, donkeys, goats, and a pasture full of cows!
Interests: baking, gardening, watching Tennessee football, working cows with her husband, traveling
Erin Sikes
Lead Registered Veterinary Technician
Education:
Gaston College Veterinary Technician Program, AAS
Interests:
Gardening, reading, spending time with her family and pets.
Erin grew up in Lincoln County, North Carolina. After graduating from Gaston College in 2000, she began working as a veterinary technician at Cottonwood Veterinary Hospital. In March of 2009, Erin started working for Dr. Lawrence during the construction of Hope Animal Hospital 2009. And the rest is history :).
Erin and her son Ashton live in Cleveland County along with their many fur-babies.
Amanda Carpenter
Registered Veterinary Technician
Education:
Gaston College Veterinary Technician Program, AAS. Trained in Medical Transcription, Clemson University. Certified in Cattle/Herd Artificial Insemination.
Interests:
Amanda grew up in Cleveland County on a family-owned farm where she still lives with her four wonderful children — Cheyenne, Savannah, Dakota, and Mason. Together they raise Hereford cattle, have chickens, guinea pigs, and of course several dogs and cats. They like to go to junior cattle shows and fairs where the kids show their livestock.
Amanda joined Hope Animal Hospital in January 2011.
Kristen Hurdt
Registered Veterinary Technician
Kristen grew up in the Navy bouncing from town to town. She now calls Shelby her hometown. She lives with her husband Joseph and their fur children Gabby and Aero.
Kristen graduated with her BS in Animal Science from NCSU in 2013 and she recently received her RVT certification. She joined Hope Animal Hospital in November 2014 as a receptionist but has since become part of our veterinary technician team with special interests in dental health and alternative Chinese medicine practices. She has lots of experience as well as a heart of gold that she gives 100% of to her patients at Hope Animal Hospital. Kristen is also a board member and active volunteer for Hope’s Chest, Inc. since 2018.
Education:
Penn Foster Veterinary Technology Program
North Carolina State University, BS Animal Science and Cooperative Extension Education with a Minor in Marketing in 2013, CCC, Associates in Liberal Arts in Sign Language and Biology.
Interests:
Traveling and going on new adventures whenever possible, hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway and visiting National and State parks as much as possible, her favorite pastime is being crew chief for her husband’s hot air balloon Suncatcher, Kristen and Joseph travel across the country sharing their love for the sport of Hot Air Ballooning at different rallies and festivals. This year they will be attending Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta as primary pilots and representing North Carolina at this major sporting event.
Brittany Rabb
Lead Client Service Representative
Brittany moved to Cleveland County from Chicago, IL when she was 10 years old. Her love for animals started at a young age. This passion helped steer her into a career where she could help care for them. She started as a client of Hope Animal Hospital with her “herd” of fur-babies and is now a part of our team. She loves helping people and helping care for their pets.
Lynsey Lackey
Client Service Representative
With over 15 years of veterinary experience, Lynsey is a dedicated professional who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her work. When she’s not caring for animals, you’ll find her with her two beloved golden retrievers, Abilene and Nevada, showcasing her undeniable passion for the breed. Lynsey’s connection to animals extends beyond her career, as she shares her life with four horses and her husband Andrew and enjoys the serenity of trail riding and camping in their free time. Her commitment to animal well-being and her love for the outdoors define both her professional and personal pursuits.
August Alexander
Lead Kennel Attendant
Interests:
Enjoying the outdoors and spending quality time with her family
August Alexander is a native of Cleveland County and a 2013 graduate of Crest High School. She is the mother of two beautiful boys and a fiancé to a wonderful man. August is compassionate and loves her fur babies. Her passion has always been to help animals and she is very excited to be a part of Hope Animal Hospital.
August started at Hope Animal Hospital in July 2021
Cassie Spangler
Registered Veterinary Technician
Cassie grew up in Lattimore, NC and graduated from Burns High School. She earned her associates degree in Applied Science at Gaston College in 2022 for Veterinary Medical Technology and she is now working toward her Veterinary Technician certification. She began interning straight out of school at Hope Animal Hospital, then received a full time job. She has a good mix of large and small animal medicine in her life as she also works on a dairy farm. She currently has 5 dogs and 5 cats, but is never opposed to an addition. Helping animals is her passion.
Emily Murray
Veterinary Assistant
Emily was born in Soldotna, Alaska, raised in Shelby, NC, but still have family in Alaska who she frequently visits.
She graduated from Western Carolina University with a BS in Biology. Her ultimate goal is to become a RVT. She is happily married to her husband, Lucas, and together they have one son, Dawson, who is their pride and joy. Additionally, she has 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 bearded dragons.
She has enjoyed being around animals since she was young, encouraging her to work closely with animals in her adulthood. Her love for animals originated from her beloved granny, who always had a house full of pets (dogs, cats, birds, etc.). Additionally, she would visit Hope Animal Hospital with her granny and her pets when she was young.
She started as a Kennel Technician in 2017 and is now in an Veterinary Assistant/Technician role. Leading her to start her position at Hope in July 2022. She enjoys seeing the companionship between client and pet. Her goal is to make sure each client is educated so, their pet can live a long and healthy life.
She enjoys being outdoors whether it’s hiking, walking her dogs, playing with her son, or being by the pool.
Melissa Howard
Veterinary Assistant
Melissa Howard joined Hope Animal Hospital as a Veterinary Assistant in March 2024, fulfilling her lifelong passion for working with animals. She holds an AAS in Criminal Justice from Isothermal Community College but pursued her true calling in veterinary medicine.
Melissa’s love for animals began in her youth, inspired by her experiences growing up around pets. Now, she cares for an impressive 38 pets at home, with George, Edgar, Hero, and Sharpie holding a special place in her heart.
If she could be any animal, Melissa would be a hawk, embracing the freedom of flight and a new perspective. Committed to ensuring pets live healthy, happy lives, she finds fulfillment in caring for animals and making them feel better.
Kylie Payne
Client Service Representative
Kylie joined Hope Animal Hospital as a Client Service Representative in May 2023, bringing her passion for building relationships with clients and their pets to the team. She finds joy in her work and feels a strong sense of belonging among her supportive colleagues.
Kylie is the proud owner of six fur babies, with her husky, Mishka (or Moo), being her greatest source of comfort and strength. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, walking her dogs, and spending time by the pool.
If she could be any animal, Kylie would choose to be a crow, drawn to their mysterious nature and independence. Her dedication to creating a welcoming environment makes her a valued member of the Hope Animal Hospital family.
Ellie “The Princess”
Special Office Helper
Interests:
Hiding in her cat condo, being an introvert, eating, sleeping, meowing for her treats, being “The Queen” 🙂
Ups “The Joker”
Special Office Helper
Interests:
Commanding attention at all times, begging for treats, holding down the fort, and being the boss of everyone at Hope Animal Hospital. He also likes to teach the “newbies” that come thru Hope’s Chest how to be a true cat.