Meet Our Team
Veterinarians
Our doctors work exclusively with exotic animals, and are members of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians, Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, American Veterinary Medical Association, and Georgia Veterinary Medical Association.
Jason Hutcheson, DVM
Owner / Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Hutcheson earned a BS in Biology from Georgia Southern University in 1994. He then obtained his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia in 1998. He worked at For Pet's Sake while attending vet school and joined the veterinary staff full time in 2001. In 2006, he purchased the practice from Dr. Shepherd.
Holly Burchfield, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Burchfield graduated from Clemson University in 2011 with a degree in Biological Sciences. She attended the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, where she graduated with an emphasis in Zoological Medicine in 2015. She has been an Associate Veterinarian at For Pet's Sake since 2015. Dr. Burchfield has a special interest in wildlife, and serves as the Director of Veterinary Medicine at the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE). She lives in Decatur with her husband, one Russian tortoise, and cats.
Julia Hill, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Hill received her DVM from the University of Georgia. She completed an internship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel, FL, where she learned advanced diagnostics and medicine on a variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals. Her special interest is avian medicine and behavior, and she enjoys teaching parrot owners how to care for their unique pets to promote a healthy and fulfilled life. She also works with Papayago Rescue House, a Georgia based pet bird rescue. She lives in Tucker with a flock of budgies and a snake.
Staff
Katie is the Operations Manager, handling important tasks such as payroll and office snacks. Katie attended Georgia State University where she studied Anthropology. She is very passionate about primates and feminism. She currently lives with her fiancé in Decatur with one sweet kitty, one wild puppy, three guinea pigs, a fat bearded dragon, and a ball python.
Mark is originally from Minnesota. He is one of our veterinary technicians. Prior to working for For Pet's Sake, Mark worked in three public aquariums, including Georgia Aquarium, and has also worked as a curator for Rainforest Cafe. He has a cat named Charlie, an African grey parrot named Max, and a macaw named Midori.
Our Founder
Dr. Mimi Shepherd
Dr. Mimi Shepherd is the founder of For Pet's Sake. She has retired. Dr. Shepherd graduated from Florida State University in 1975 earning a BS in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics. After working at the Food and Drug Administration for a few years she attended the University of Georgia, earning her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. In 1999, she obtained Diplomate (Avian) status of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
