Meet Our Team

Dr. Julie Fitzwater is one of the newest veterinarians at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic & Lodge. An Ohio native, she grew up in Tallmadge and attended Kent State University, where she received her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in zoology. Her decision to join the veterinary profession stemmed from her love of medicine and the bond between people and their pets. She has been active in the veterinary field since 2009.

In 2016, she graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine with honors as a Phi Zeta Honor Society member. While in veterinary school, she was the president of the Alpha Psi Veterinary Fraternity and was involved with many veterinary student organizations as well as volunteer efforts throughout central Ohio. She is currently a member of the Ohio Veterinary Medicine Association (OVMA) and American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA).

Dr. Fitzwater’s main areas of interest are emergency medicine and surgery. She first gained experience in these areas through various externship opportunities in emergency medicine and general practice throughout veterinary school. She has worked alongside board-certified orthopedic surgeons, gaining firsthand experience in orthopedic and soft tissue surgery as well as neurosurgery.

Her favorite part of working here is the diverse nature of the practice, where she can utilize new technology and procedures to help both pets and people. She also enjoys working alongside the highly trained staff that cares so much about the pets they treat and the communities they serve.
Dr. Fitzwater resides in Norton, OH, with her husband, Kevin, and her dog, Balto, who was adopted from the central Ohio prison program. She is a self-proclaimed ‘foodie’ and an avid hiker whose goal is to travel and hike all the national parks.

Since the age of five, Dr. Zahurak knew she wanted to grow up to be a veterinarian because she loved the idea of taking care of animals. She saw her dream come to fruition years later when she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University in 1996.

Now, as one of the associate veterinarians of All Creatures Veterinary Clinic and Lodge in Rittman, OH, she loves being able to work with pets alongside a great veterinary team and support staff. She also welcomes the diversity and unpredictability of every day and seeing the caring pet owners who would do anything for their pets.

Dr. Zahurak is affiliated with the American Animal Hospital Association, Summit County Veterinary Medical Association, Ohio Veterinary Medical Association, and American Veterinary Medical Association. To stay current on the latest in veterinary medicine, she completes 50 hours of continuing education every year in various subjects, including the latest diagnostics and how to treat heart failure.

Dr. Zahurak is married with four children. She is also the proud pet mom of two dogs named Tank, a Pekingese, and Buddy, a faithful mutt. When she’s not at the practice, she spends her free time with her husband and children. She also enjoys cooking and reading.

Carley is a graduate of The University of Findlay with the plan to soon pursue a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. She joins the team with a lot of knowledge and has been a great addition. She is joined by quite the dog crew at home including two labrador retrievers and two golden retrievers. When Carley is not at work you can find her reading, journaling, playing basketball and volleyball, hanging out with friends, and her favorite hobby is spoiling her nephews and niece.

Cadence’s favorite part about the job is hanging with the pups in daycare and the feeling is mutual because our daycare kiddos love her! Her love for animals comes in all shapes and sizes, including horses! In her free time, she loves to go horseback riding and attend rodeos. Cadence has a fur-baby crew of her own, including Bailey-Mac, Axel Finn, and Ace.

Lacey is one of our client service representatives and daycare attendants here at the lodge! She has been working with dogs and cats for quite some time now. Her favorite part about coming to work is getting to have a relationship with so many different pups and getting to work as a team! Lacey has 2 dogs of her own named Storm and Daisy. She also has two cats named Dozer and Penny! She loves to spend her free time in the great outdoors going riding, walking with her dogs, and going camping!