Meet Our Team
All Creatures Veterinary Clinic and Lodge in Rittman, OH, is pleased to be staffed with a team of experienced veterinarians to care for your pet.

Meet the Team
All Creatures Veterinary Clinic & Lodge in Rittman, OH, is staffed with a team of nearly a dozen support staff. As pet owners ourselves, we’re happy to welcome your pets to our clinic and lodge facilities and treat them with the care they deserve. Learn more about each team member below. If you have questions about or would like to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors, please feel free to call us.
Veterinarians

Dr. Emily A. Jackson
Dr. Jackson's Bio
Dr. Jackson joined our team in 2010 after earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University. Her decision to pursue veterinary medicine as a career stemmed from her desire and ability to not only heal and help pets with medical needs but to help the people who love them.
With special interests in various pet species, her specialties include small mammals, reptiles, and exotic pet medicine. She attends annual conferences to stay current on the latest in veterinary medicine, with topics ranging from exotic pets to surgery to special procedures. She also maintains affiliations with the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association and American Veterinary Medical Association.
As one of the associate veterinarians at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic and Lodge in Rittman, OH, Dr. Jackson loves being able to save pets’ lives due to the advanced technology at the practice. She also relishes being on the cutting edge of veterinary medical advancement and improving the lives of pets and their people.
Dr. Jackson is married and has three cats named Buddy, Holly, and Gypsy; a golden retriever named Gabrielle; an English Bulldog named Lilla; and a red-footed tortoise named Bixby. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and hiking.

Dr. Julie Fitzwater
Dr. Fitzwater’s Bio
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.

Dr. Chellene Zahurak
Dr. Zahurak's Bio
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.

Dr. Jana Gerding
Dr. Gerding's Bio
For Dr. Gerding, veterinary medicine is a second career. In 1996, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Malone University in Ohio and worked as an intensive care and emergency veterinarian for 23 years in Virginia. In 2016, she returned to the university setting and graduated in 2020 with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Virginia Tech. After graduating, Dr. Gerding and her husband moved back to Ohio to be closer to her parents.
Dr. Gerding began her career in general practice for two years and then spent two years in emergency medicine. Keeping current in veterinary medicine is extremely important to her, and she completes numerous hours of continuing education per year. After receiving her DVM, Dr. Gerding completed a two-year course that focused on caring for cats and dogs in general practice. She has also completed veterinary courses and continuing education on exotic pets.
Dr. Gerding is certified as a Fear-Free Practitioner and currently holds certificates in Basic and Advanced life support. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS).
Her interests include complex case work-ups for sick animals, wound care, surgery, working with anxious pets, and ultrasound. She is also looking forward to learning about and treating the clinic’s exotic pet population. Dr. Gerding also really enjoys educating clients and helping with the human-animal bond, including working with therapy and service dogs. One of her dreams is to participate in a disaster relief organization.
Dr. Gerding is married and has six cats and one dog. She and her husband are very involved with Kitten Krazy, a non-profit organization in Medina, Ohio. Dr. Gerding is their volunteer veterinarian and sits on the Executive Board. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, gardening, and creating stained-glass window pieces.
Support

Casey
Practice Manager
Casey's Bio

Maggie
Lead Veterinary Technician
Maggie's Bio

Lauren
Veterinary Assistant
Lauren's Bio

Megan
Lodge Associate/ Veterinary Assistant
Megan's Bio

Sara
Client Service Representative
Sara's Bio
Sara is a graduate of Kent State University, and we’re happy to have her as a part of the All Creatures Veterinary Clinic & Lodge family. When not assisting our clients, she loves cooking, baking, reading, and walking at local metro parks. Sara shares her home with a four-legged friend who means the world to her; her cat named BoBo Toulouse.

Emily
Client Service Representative
Emily's Bio

Landri
Lodge Manager
Landri's Bio

Sam
Lodge Associate
Sam's Bio

Nicole
Lodge Associate
Nicole's Bio

Melanie
Lodge Associate
Melanie's Bio

Cameron W.
Lodge Associate
Cameron's Bio

Cadence
Cadence's Bio
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
Lacey's Bio
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!

Jade
Jade's Bio
Jade has been in the animal field for quite some time now. She loves to spend her days at work ensuring this is our pet’s home away from home! Aside from spending time with our furry friends she is a great addition to our client service team! When Jade isn’t working, she loves to spend time with her family, going swimming, and watching movies!

Cameron Y.
Cameron's Bio
Cameron is one of our daycare and boarding attendants here at the lodge. Her favorite part about coming to work is making an impact on every pet’s life that walks through the door! Cameron has quite the crew at home including her three dogs Rosie Pooh, Groot, and Odie and her ball python- Cosmo! When Cameron isn’t working, she enjoys time with her pets, doing art, reading, and being with family!