Dr. Nicole Martin

Veterinarian and Practice Owner

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, Summa Cum Laude, in 1997. Nicole married her high school sweetheart, Anthony Martin, in March of 1998 and started veterinary school at the University of Missouri 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.

In August of 2010, Nicole and Anthony welcomed their son Ian into the world. In May of 2017 they celebrated the birth of their daughter, Jovie.

Wanting to be a veterinarian since she was five, Nicole thoroughly enjoys her work and coworkers at SVH.  Nicole's hobbies include fitness, yoga, cooking, cycling, reading, and cinema.

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Support Staff

At the heart of Southern Veterinary Hospital, you'll find a wonderful team of hard working and dedicated staff members, each doing their part to ensure you and your pet receive the quality care and service you deserve.

Dianna Stewart

Office Manager & Receptionist

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, "Holly" a rambunctious lab, "Corky" a domestic shorthair who’s as sweet as sugar, "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, "Teal" a genetically challenged silver lab and "Nippy" a playful cat who found Dianna. 

Dianna’s hobbies include working in the yard, especially mowing the grass, baking, camping, cookouts with her family, pond fishing, and visiting the mountains in the fall with her dad.

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Allison Shuping

Registered Veterinary Technician

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 assisting with 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 of Wildlife Action. She also does some wildlife rehabilitation with a permit for small mammals.

Allison’s dog, Buddy (Chihuahua), does not like to ride in Allison's bicycle basket!

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Renee McPherson

Veterinary Assistant

A native of Columbus County, Renee McPherson joined the staff of SVH in August of 2005, fulfilling a life-long desire to work with animals.  “I enjoy working with the staff here at SVH, they’re a wonderful group of caring and compassionate people.”  Renee is a graduate of Whiteville High School and has an Associate in Arts degree from Southeastern Community College, along with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She has a soft spot for Australian Shepherds (especially after losing her beloved Sadie in 2018). When not at work, she enjoys relaxing at home with her cat Tess or spending time in the great outdoors. Her hobbies include reading, writing, photography and dabbling in various arts. 

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Tiffany Sellers

Veterinary Assistant

Tiffany was born in Whiteville, raised in the small town of Evergreen for 18 years and is now a resident of Chadbourn. She graduated from West Columbus in 2009 and attended SCC. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Erik. Tiffany is a volunteer actress/stage hand for Theater of the Republic in Conway, SC. Her hobbies include singing, dancing and acting. Animals have always had a place in her heart. She has two dogs, Dayze and Opie and two loving, crazy cats, Eli and Flint. She found us when she brought her puppy in to get checked out and has been with SVH since September 2010.

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Kayla Hinson

Veterinary Assistant

Kayla was born and raised in Whiteville, North Carolina, graduated from Whiteville High School in 2011 and attended Southeastern Community College. Since she was a little girl, Kayla knew that animals would play a major role in her life and was excited to join the Southern Vet team in the summer of 2011. She married Jeremy Hinson in June of 2013, and in the summer of 2019 they brought their first child, Joanna, into the world. Kayla and Jeremy also parent four fur-children: two dogs, Sam and Reagan, and two cats, Janice and Shrimp. When not at work Kayla enjoys spending time with family, investing time in her growing collection of plants, riding around her family's land on anything with a motor, traveling anywhere she can, and playing music with friends and family.