Our Owners & Veterinary Team in Raleigh, NC
On this page, we have a small snapshot of each of the owners and doctors who care so deeply for our pets. Learn more about them here, then make an appointment to meet them in person!
Owners
Gale Bowman Owner, DVM, MS
Dr. Gale Bowman is the founding owner of Bowman Animal Hospital and, although no longer practicing, is very involved in the management of the hospital. She received her DVM from Michigan State University in 1976 and then continued on to Auburn University where she obtained a Master’s degree in Small Animal Surgery and Medicine and completed a three-year residency in Veterinary Opthalmology.
She received the President’s Award from the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, and in 1995 was named North Carolina Veterinarian of the Year. From 1999-2003, Dr. Bowman served on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation.
Dr. Bowman established Bowman Animal Hospital and Cat Clinic in 1985 and not only has the practice grown over time, but she has also become an innovator by building a hospital dedicated to the integration of Eastern and Western veterinary care. As an acupuncturist, she encourages the integration of a variety of modalities along with herbal and homeopathic medicine for both preventative and curative small animal medicine.
Dr. Bowman is originally from Mt. Clemens, MI but currently lives in Raleigh with her husband, Dr. Karl Bowman, her beautiful Maine Coon cats, Baby and Eddie, and her Yorkshire Terrier, Moxie.
Gale Bowman Owner, DVM, MS
Karl Bowman Owner, DVM, MS
In 2003, Dr. Karl Bowman became a co-owner of Bowman Animal Hospital and Cat Clinic. While no longer a practicing veterinarian, he provides extensive advisory and administrative support to the management team. Dr. Bowman received his BS and DVM degrees from Michigan State University in 1974 and 1976, respectively. From 1976-79, he served as an intern and resident in large animal surgery (primarily soft tissue surgery) and completed his coursework and research project for the MS degree at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University. In 1981, Dr. Bowman completed a second residency in large animal surgery (emphasizing lameness and orthopedic surgery) at the New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He received the MS degree from Auburn University in 1981. He is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in the clinical specialties of veterinary surgery and equine practice, respectively.
In 1981, he was appointed to the equine surgery faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University (NCSU). Dr. Bowman is the author/co-author of more than 40 scientific publications and book chapters, and he has received four teaching awards. In 1996, the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association recognized him as the 1996 NCSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital Clinician of the Year. In 2003, he received the NCSU Libraries Faculty Award in recognition of outstanding contributions that support the NCSU Libraries’ mission and role within the university. After 25 years, he retired from NCSU as an Associate Professor (Emeritus), Equine Surgery.
Karl Bowman Owner, DVM, MS
Practicing Veterinarians
Julie Merriman DVM
Dr. Julie Merriman joined the Bowman veterinary team in 2007. Since she was a little girl, the only thing she ever wanted to do was to be a vet. When she was little, she wouldn't take a nap without first finding their neighbor's cat and pushing it in the baby stroller to her house to have him sleep with her. In 2004, she realized her dream by receiving her DVM from Oklahoma State Veterinary School. As a veterinarian, the most rewarding part for Dr. Merriman is forming a bond with her patients and their owners and making them both feel better!
Dr. Merriman lives with her husband, Matthew (also a veterinarian), her two twins, Eli and Paige, and their two pets, Greta, a Chorkie (Yorkie/chihuahua mix) and Stuart, their rescued domestic longhair cat. In her spare time, she loves exercising and going to spin class, traveling, chasing around her twins, and photography.
Julie Merriman DVM
Katharine White DVM
Dr. White grew up with a lot of dogs who ignited her love for animals. Additionally, she was influenced by her mother who had been a nurse and who supported and worked with her a lot during high school and college, giving her invaluable medical experience. In 2007, she obtained her DVM from North Caroline State University. She also has additional training in dentistry from the Animal Dental Center in Maryland. As a vet, her most rewarding experiences have been those where she has saved very sick animals who then go on to live many more happy years with their owners. One of her favorite parts of her job is getting to meet new clients.
At home, Dr. White has two children as well as two pets: Nugget, a lab terrier mix, named as such because she was meant to be big and wound up being small; and Charlie Girl, a domestic shorthair cat who is black and white with a cute mustache. When she has free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, riding bikes on the greenway, kayaking, and spending time with her wonderful family. Her deepest love, though, is dark chocolate!
Katharine White DVM
Amy Butler DVM
Dr. Butler loves animals and taking care of them and their families. Growing up in a farm setting, she has always been surrounded by dogs, cats, cows, and chickens. She spends a lot of time outdoors, too, and loves to watch animals in nature. At one point, she even considered becoming a marine biologist due to her love of snorkeling and scuba diving. Yet, she decided on a veterinary career and received her DVM from North Carolina State University in 1996. As a vet, she very much enjoys solving problems that help pets heal and feel better. The most rewarding part is nourishing the bond between humans and their pets; it's such a pure love.
In her spare time, Dr. Butler loves paddling (kayaks, canoes, paddle boards), camping, and hiking, especially with her kids and her dogs! Despite all her career accomplishments, her kids are what she's most proud of.
Amy Butler DVM
Katie Taylor (previously Koehler) DVM
Dr. Taylor earned her undergraduate degree in Biology & Psychology from Virginia Tech in 2006. She then went on to accomplish her Doctorate in Veterinary medicine from Western University of Health Sciences in 2010. As a child, Dr. Taylor grew up in New Hampshire and New Jersey where she developed a love for animals with her numerous pets and knew at a very young age that she wanted to become a veterinarian. Dr. Taylor loves getting to know her clients and their beloved pets and has a special interest in Dermatology, Dentistry and Internal Medicine. She is also certified to perform PennHIP radiographs and the JPS procedure on dogs that are predisposed to Hip dysplasia.
Dr. Taylor's family includes her husband Rodney, daughter Shaelynn, and sons Christian, Nick, Evan and Nate. She also has an Irish Wolfhound named Nessie, a Ragdoll cat named Mufasa and her daughter's Holland Lop bunny named Snowy. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, skiing, traveling to new places, and most of all-spending time with her family!
Kate Taylor DVM
Elizabeth Crossno DVM
Dr. Crossno, originally from Crossville, Tennessee, was first introduced to the veterinary profession by her mother who was a veterinary technician. She spent most of her childhood helping her mom take care of animals and working in animal hospitals. Originally, she went to college with an interest in Biology wanting to move into Herpetology, but fell in love with Animal Physiology. Ultimately, this love and her childhood experiences led her to become a Veterinarian. Additionally, Dr. Crossno served in the military for 7 years where she worked as a chemical specialist while pursuing her veterinary degree. Dr. Crossno went on to received her Veterinary Medical Degree from Oklahoma State University in 2018 and continued full time in the military after graduating.
During her early career, Dr. Crossno served as a military veterinarian. In this role, she cared for military working dogs, color guard horses, and all the soldiers’ personal pets. After working as a sole practitioner on the military base, Dr. Crossno is now excited to work with the collaborative team of veterinarians at BAH.
One of the things Dr. Crossno loves most about the veterinary field is the wide variety of medical cases and patients she gets to experience every day. Additionally, she enjoys the satisfaction of seeing client’s happiness and relief after she has helped their companion(s) feel better.
As you could guess, Dr. Crossno has a variety of pets at home, including: 2 Dobermans named Soren and Argus, both rescues; 2 shelter cats named Twister and Iskierka; a leopard gecko named Geck; a corn snake named Candy Corn; a jeweled lacerta named Garrus, and a blue tree monitor named Bastet.
Outside of work she has many interests -- roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, any and all video games, building things, art and drawing, being outdoors, and exercising. Eventually, she would love to start her own farm and breed blue tree monitors.
Elizabeth Crossno DVM
Relief Staff
Kelly Pordon DVM
Dr. Pordon has been filling in with us since October of 2019 and will be continuing that partnership. She attended veterinary school at Kansas State University and has been a practicing veterinarian for 13 years. Outside of BAH, she volunteers her time at several rescue organizations.
Emily Hunt DVM
Dr. Hunt is rejoining the BAH team on a temporary basis. She previously practiced with us for 13 years as a full-time associate. She received her veterinary degree from North Carolina State University and has almost 20 years in the field. Her experience and expertise have been focused on small animal general practice, exotic medicine, and veterinary acupuncture.
Juliane Evans DVM
Dr. Evans received her DVM from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. Along with practicing general medicine, Dr. Evans is a certified veterinary acupuncturist, having graduated from the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in 2016. She is passionate about pain management, dental care, and ophthalmology.
Laura Ellsaesser DVM
Dr. Ellsaesser received her BS in Zoology from Auburn University in 2008, and graduated from North Carolina State University of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She enjoys general practice, small animal surgery, and exotic medicine. She is ProHeart and Fear Free Certified.
S. Kate Thompson DVM
Dr. Thompson is a North Carolina State University graduate and has been in small animal general practice for the last 3 years. She is passionate about geriatric care, behavior, and dermatology. Her goals are to practice high-quality medicine for her patients and communicate effectively and compassionately with pet owners.