Dr. Nicole Martin

Veterinarian
Practice Owner
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Nicole Martin was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma. She and her family (Mom, Dad and one troublesome older brother) moved to southwest Missouri when she was five.
She attended Missouri Southern State University and received her Bachelors of Science in Biology in 1997. Nicole married her high school sweetheart, Anthony Martin, in March of 1998 and started veterinary school that fall.
Graduating, with honors, in May of 2002, Nicole and Anthony (with two dogs and four cats in tow) set out east for warmer weather and to enjoy the ocean and mountains in North Carolina. As fate would have it, Jeff Burroughs was looking for a veterinarian to join his team at Southern Veterinary Hospital (SVH).
Wanting to be a veterinarian since she was five, Nicole thoroughly enjoys her work and coworkers at SVH. Anthony soon found employment with Whiteville City Schools as the Director of Technology and Career and Technical Education. Nicole's hobbies include windsurfing, saltwater aquariums, tennis, handgun target practice, biking, reading, and cinema.

Dianna Blackwell

Office Manager
Receptionist
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Dianna was born in Columbus County. She grew up there and has remained a resident to this day. Dianna comes from a small family; she has two brothers, Dean and Scott, whom she enjoys going fishing and camping with occasionally.
After working in a local textile plant for thirteen years, the company announced it was closing so Dianna enrolled at Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, NC to obtain an Associate in Applied Science Degree. She attended school full time for a while and was then offered a job by Dr. Burroughs as Office Manager/Receptionist for Columbus Veterinary Hospital in Cerro Gordo, NC in 1999. Determined to finish classes, she worked full time and went to school at night taking classes she needed as they became available. She graduated with her degree in June of 2002 with high honors.
Dianna’s office duties consist of everything from answering the telephone to doing the companies payroll and quarterly taxes, but her favorite part of each day is meeting pleasant people and their furry little friends.
Dianna also enjoys her many pets, "Sunshine," a cockatiel, "Sebastian" a blonde Chow that loves vanilla cream cookies for breakfast, "Miss Millie" a domestic shorthair who’s as sweet as sugar, "Bei Jing" a domestic longhair who rules the house, "Theodore" a bossy domestic shorthair that isn’t afraid of anything, "Urshula" a very energetic Australian Shepherd that was unfortunately deaf at birth, the wildest of them all, "Bam Bam" a domestic shorthair that loves to play fetch, and "Charcoal" her right hand black lab.
Dianna’s hobbies include working in the yard, especially mowing the grass, baking, camping, cookouts with her family, pond fishing with Mark her "significant other", and visiting the mountains in the fall with her dad.

Allison Shuping

Registered Veterinary Technician
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Allison Powell Shuping was born and raised in Columbus County. At a very early age her parents knew animals would play a role in her future. All her dad's hunting puppies didn't grow up to do much hunting because Allison was too busy playing with them and riding them in her bicycle basket.
Allison graduated in 1986 from Hallsboro High School, attended Southeastern Community College and graduated in 1988 with Associates in Arts Degree. After working a couple of years, she decided to pursue her dream of a career in Veterinary Medicine and enrolled at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, NC. She graduated in May 1993 with an Associate in Applied Science and Veterinary Medical Technology and passed the State and National Board exams becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician.
Allison moved and worked in Durham at Cornwallis Animal Hospital for some time before moving back to Columbus County to work for the Late Dr. D.W. Pittman, Jr. "Working four plus years with Doc was more educational for me than all my schooling. He was more knowledgeable than any book I could have ever studied! I loved and respected him deeply!" After sadly closing Pittman Veterinary clinic in 2000, Allison went to work at Columbus Veterinary Hospital in Cerro Gordo, until Dr. Burroughs reopened Pittman Veterinary Clinic, where she worked until Southern Veterinary Hospital was opened.
Allison is an active member of West Whiteville Baptist Church, singing in the choir since the age of nine. She enjoys singing solo on special occasions and at visiting churches. She is active in Women on Mission (an outreach mission group of ladies within the church) and enjoys directing Vacation Bible School.
Allison fills her extra time with Wildlife Action, Inc., a non-profit organization that helps teach kids about conservation and preservation of our natural resources. She is the North Carolina State President and the Secretary/Treasurer of the local chapter (Lower Cape Fear River). She also does some wildlife rehabilitation with a permit for small mammals.
Allison has 2 dogs: Kris (black lab), Gabby (lab mix); neither of them like to ride in Allison's bicycle basket!

Jenny Pennington

Veterinary Assistant
Receptionist
Facilities Coordinator
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Jenny Pennington was born in Cook County, Illinois, where she lived until the age of two. Her father’s work as a Holiness Preacher lead them to many new places as she grew up. Jenny now lives in Chadbourn, NC with her husband, two daughters, and grandson. Four dogs and one cat make up the rest of the family. Joining the Cerro Gordo team in January of 2001, Jenny started off as a kennel assistant. She worked her way up to helping in the exam rooms and moved on to the reception area. For several months, Jenny worked in both the Cerro Gordo and Whiteville offices. Now at SVH only, Jenny’s duties rotate her through the hospital as needed. She her enjoys her job and its challenges.