Our Team

We're Here for Every Moment

5-Star Facebook Reviews

“Dr. Elia and her staff are wonderful! We had the greatest experience with our sick senior beagle (17 years old). Throughout his care, we could really tell that Dr. Elia loves her job, and really cares for her patients.” Charlotte

Dr. Jaime Elia, DVM

Owner | Chief of Staff

A native of New Jersey, Dr. Elia grew up in Tenafly and currently resides in Sussex County. Dr. Elia received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in 2000, her graduate degree from Cornell University in 2002, and her DVM degree from Ross University in January 2006, attending University of Minnesota for clinical rotations. After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Elia practiced at Pomona Animal Hospital in New York. In 2007 she began working at Cresskill Animal Hospital where she ascended to Chief of Staff through December 2015. In January 2016 she became owner of The Animal Hospital of Roxbury.

Dr. Elia’s medical interests include animal behavior, internal medicine, and working together with her clients to provide a long lasting, healthy, and enjoyable human-pet relationship. She prides herself in giving back to the animal community through cooperative efforts with various local rescue and shelter organizations.

While attending University of Minnesota for clinical rotations, Dr. Elia met her husband Brent. Brent is a mechanical engineer but you will frequently see him helping out around the facility. In 2013, they welcomed their daughter Taylor to their active family, and in 2015, Sydney joined the family. You will frequently see Taylor and Sydney at the clinic and attending hospital events in support of their mom! The girls enjoy horseback riding lessons with their mom. The family currently has 5 horses at their home and Rocket the pony is teaching more little kids to become great riders! Azlan, Brackett, Coho, and ponies Hotdog and Taco reside at the family home in Hampton. Dr. Elia and the girls enjoy competing at local horse shows on the weekends. In her spare time, Dr. Elia enjoys camping and hiking. She also likes to spend time with her friends, family, and many pets as well as cooking and gardening. On weekends off, Dr. Elia enjoys spending time at her family farm in upstate New York.

In addition to the horses and ponies, the family zoo includes: Rumor a Doberman, Lager a Boxer, and 4 domestic long-haired cats – Steely Dan, Snoop, Bowie and Floyd. And we can’t forget 16 year old Kazi the Maltese who keeps everyone in line!

Sadly in 2021 both Farley and Alibi passed away. The family misses them terribly but the antics of Rumor and Lager certainly have helped ease the pain of their losses. They will always grace the walls of AHR as part of our logo and remain in our hearts forever.

Dr. Shanna Hickenbottom, DVM

Veterinarian

A native of Warren County New Jersey, Dr. Hickenbottom completed her bachelor of science degree in Biology at Bethany College in Bethany, WV in 2007. She went on to obtain her DVM degree at The Ohio State University in 2011 (Go Bucks!). After graduation, she practiced small animal medicine in rural Ohio for 4 years before starting as the staff veterinarian at the Humane Society of Parkersburg. She has since moved back home to be closer to family in the summer of 2019.

Dr. Hickenbottom’s medical interests include shelter medicine, small animal medicine and surgery, behavior, client communication, and rabbit medicine. She enjoys working with local area rescues, TNR (trap-neuter-release) programs, and Fix-it programs.

Dr. Hickenbottom spends most of her free time with her family. She and her husband, Dustin, have an active school age son, Colton, and their pets. They have 2 dogs: Maggie, a Golden Retriever and Pippi, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They also have 2 cats, Doc and Gatsby. Most of her pets were acquired through her work at the shelter. They like doing lots of outdoor activities together such as camping, biking, hiking, and enjoying the beautiful scenery northern New Jersey has to offer. When she is home, you can frequently find her reading, gardening, having family game nights, or teaching her dogs new tricks. She is an advocate and supporter for Autism research and support.

Dr. Kerry Elizabeth Scholz, DVM

Veterinarian

A New Jersey native, Dr. Scholz began her journey into veterinary medicine by working as a veterinary technician during college. She earned her B.S. in Animal Science from Rutgers University-Cook College and a M.S. in Instructional Technology from Drexel University before starting vet school. She received her DVM from Ross University in 2007 after completing her clinical rotations at Auburn University. After graduating from veterinary school, she returned to New Jersey to complete an equine internship and stayed on as an associate at Running “S” Equine Veterinary Services for 6 years. Dr. Scholz then worked at Bucks County Equine where she was exposed to alternative therapies. She started her studies with the Chi Institute at that time and completed her Acupuncture class in 2014. In February 2015, she started her own practice so that she could use integrative medicine to more effectively treat the needs of her patients. She believes it is important to focus on the patient and not on the disease process to provide the highest level of care possible. Dr. Scholz is excited to share her philosophy and knowledge with The Animal Hospital of Roxbury family.

Dr. Scholz’s professional interests include internal medicine, dermatology and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) modalities such as Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy. She is working towards becoming a Certified TCVM Practitioner as she continues her studies in Food Therapy and Tui-na, a form of Chinese medical massage.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her friends and family, doing yoga and riding her horse, Toby. She also hones her alternative skills on her own fur babies, Cyrus, Connor, Emmett and Chloe as she caters to their geriatric needs.

Fran

Receptionist

Fran has been a member of our team at AHR for 5 years and enjoys welcoming our clients at the front desk and over the phone. Whether you are here for vet services, boarding, or grooming appointments, Fran strives to provide the best customer care to you and your pets. Prior to raising 3 children, Fran was an HR and Finance Manager at AT&T. Most recently she managed the adoption center at the Rockaway Mall for Eleventh Hour Rescue. Fran is passionate about animal rescue and her love for all dog breeds, big and small. She is an active volunteer with several animal rescue organizations, serving in various capacities. At home, she has a 10 year old Maltese and a 1 year old calico rescued from a busy inner city shelter. Fran is dedicated to being a knowledgeable liaison between the pet parent and AHR’s medical team. Her heart is always with her 2 granddaughters who reside in Georgia.

Nicole

Receptionist

Born in the kennel, Nicole has been an employee at The Animal Hospital of Roxbury since the beginning of time. Whether working the front desk in reception or assisting with patients in the hospital, Nicole enjoys taking on many roles throughout her day. Nicole is a certified dog trainer, has a certification in animal behavior and has a passion for animal nutrition. When she isn’t at the hospital, Nicole enjoys spending almost all of her free time with her Beauceron, Mercy. The two spend most of their time together participating in competitive sports such as FactCAT and Scentwork through the AKC and UKC. They are also currently training to get Mercy certified in therapy work.

Brittany

Certified Veterinary Technician

Brittany’s love for animals started at a young age when she volunteered at local animal shelters. Later she got her first job at an animal hospital as a kennel worker, receptionist, and veterinary assistant. Brittany then got her veterinary technology degree from Bergen Community College. She has since worked with small and large animals, and exotics. At home she has 3 dogs – Tonka, Hemi, and Landon, 3 cats – Rodney, Diesel, and Tipper, and a bird. When not at work Brittany enjoys spending time with her family, especially outdoors.

Adriana

Veterinary Technician

After spending time in the art world, Adriana found her true passion while volunteering at an animal shelter as a kennel attendant & adoption counselor. There, she started her journey onto becoming a veterinary technician and hasn’t looked back. Adriana has spent nearly 14 years in veterinary medicine growing, learning, and expanding her experience and education with certifications ranging from laser therapy, The Human-Animal Bond, and more always on the horizon… including making the final dash to certification as a vet nurse.

Adriana started with AHR during a pretty crazy time… March 2020 and despite adjusting to a new practice during a time of “new normal” it hasn’t wavered her drive or love of the field. Her medical interests include senior pets, dentistry, behavior, and helping anyway she can in shelter/rescue organizations. Outside of veterinary medicine, Adriana enjoys time with her family, dog, and cats.

Remi

Certified Veterinary Technician

Born and raised in New Jersey, Remi has known he wanted to be a vet tech since he was 9-years-old, and he’s always had a strong connection with animals. He graduated from Bergen Community College in 2013 with a degree in Veterinary Technology. He is a certified veterinary technician and crazy cat lady. After graduating, he worked at a large, high-volume animal hospital for 6 years. He has been with the Animal Hospital of Roxbury since 2019.

Remi is passionate about mental health and leads a team every year to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He also volunteers, handwriting letters of hope and support to people worldwide struggling with their mental health. Remi loves art and spends much of his free time drawing and creating. He resides in Parsippany with one of his best friends and their feline overlords.

Jacki

Veterinary Technician

After 12 years in the creative design field, Jacki needed a change. She always had a love for animals, volunteering at various rescues in her free time. She joined the AHR team in 2016 as a kennel attendant and has worked her way up to a veterinary technician position. She’s currently attending school to become a certified veterinary technician and has obtained a certification in dog training. She has 2 dogs and a cat of her own, and loves hiking and traveling.

Alison

Veterinary Technician

I recently moved to Lake Hopatcong and joined the AHR team in August of 2021 as a veterinary technician.
Prior to that, I have been in the veterinary field for 10 years and love what I do. I have a huge passion for my feline patients. I also have a big heart for senior dogs. I recently adopted my senior dog Mac. I also have 3 cats and a gecko.

Teresa

Veterinary Assistant

Teresa has been a veterinary assistant at The Animal Hospital of Roxbury since 2020. She’s been working with animals since 2017 and grew up with dogs including Laborador Retrievers. This is what started her love for animal nursing. She previously worked in the kennel and reception at other facilities and loves to pet sit. Since becoming an assistant at AHR, her love for animals has grown even more. She has a 1 year old son named Orlando whom she loves very much. She also has Paige, a 6 year old English Bulldog – her favorite dog breed!

Alison

Veterinary Technician

Stephanie Z.

Kennel Attendant

Stephanie began working at the hospital in December 2014. She is currently finishing up her associated at the County College of Morris in exercise science and is transferring to William Patterson University to finish her degree in athletic training. Steph is also a certified personal trainer. She has been serving in the army national guard for 4 years as an MP (Military Police). She enjoys spending her free time with her 2 dogs, rock climbing and exercising.

Noel L.

Kennel Attendant

Bio to come…