Nancy St. Peter, DVM

Dr. St. Peter, known by most as Doc, was fortunate to have been raised on a Quarter Horse breeding farm in Portland, Oregon. Since early childhood she has raised, trained, and showed champion Quarter Horses in 4-H, open, and AQHA circuits. Living on a breeding and show farm gave her a fantastic opportunity to see horses at every phase of their development, and instilled in her the desire to be a veterinarian. In pursuit of this dream she volunteered regularly with her local veterinarian, but was discouraged from the profession due to her small stature. This only strengthened her resolve, however, at the age of fourteen, she was determined to succeed despite it being a male dominated profession.

Her educational journey began at Portland State University where she obtained her Batchelor of Science in Biology. Graduating with honors, she then applied and was accepted to the very competitive veterinary program at Purdue University. While at Purdue, she discovered a love for surgery, and upon completion of her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with an equine track, she pursued an internship in equine surgery at Chino Valley Equine Hospital in California. Setting herself apart from her peers, Dr. St. Peter elected to accept a residency in large animal surgery at the University of Florida, and is now one of only a handful of surgeons as a board certified surgeon.

Dr. St. Peter has a unique love of animals. She has developed a veterinary hospital whose goal is not simply to heal injured animals, but to nurture and bond with her patients. Remembering her days on the breeding farm, Dr. St Peter said, “when one of our horses got hurt my sisters would run crying to the house, but I would stay and help the veterinarian, and then wait up all night with the horse until it felt better.” More than 30 years later, Doc is as passionate about veterinary medicine as that little girl on an Oregon breeding farm.

Doc likes to garden and has a passion, second only to animals, for making things grow! She enjoys long walks with her dogs, “Anna,” “Finder,” and “Momma”; and trail rides on her horses, “Peppy” and “Dot.” Dr. St. Peter has a penchant for antiquing and frequents flea markets on the weekends. She spends much of her free time on the ranch taking care of her assortment of misfit, orphaned rescue animals, like her cow herd: “Ellen,” “Oprah,” “Filly,” “Molly Moo,” “Buffalo,” and “Petunia.”

Purdue University – Doctorate Veterinarian Medicine 1991

University of Florida – Resident, Large Animal Surgery 1995

April Salazar, DVM

Dr. April Salazar grew up on Westbrook Farms, her family’s Quarter Horse breeding farm outside of Houston, Texas. Horses have been a huge part of her life. At an early age she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian, and her goals never wavered. She began barrel racing at the age of three, stopping only to pursue her educational goals.

She met her husband, Ralph, while at Texas A&M and they are both proud members of the Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2002 (WHOOP!). They were married just after she graduated from veterinary school and Ralph commissioned into the United States Army. They spent a year in Ft Rucker, Alabama, where Ralph attended the U.S. Army Rotary Wing Flight School and Dr. Salazar developed a small business in equine dentistry.

Veterinary Interest: Growing up on Westbrook Farms, Dr. Salazar has always had an interest in reproduction. While in vet school, she elected to take all of the reproduction and neonatology classes that were optional. She also discovered a love of equine dentistry when she earned a position on the SCAVMA (Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association) Equine Dentistry team, and finished 1st place at the 2003 national competition in the individual category. While in Alabama, she began PowerFloating teeth and found this tool to be a wonderful asset in improving the level of care veterinarians can provide to horses of all ages.

Hobbies: She and Ralph enjoy trail riding on their three Quarter Horses, “Vista,” “Cheyenne,” and “Lil Guy.” In the summer, they enjoy cooling off out on the water in their ski boat, and in the winter they prefer the powdery slopes of their favorite ski resorts. Ralph is a Medevac BlackHawk pilot with the 4th Infantry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. He also has his private fixed wing license and Dr. Salazar enjoys flying with her husband over Central Texas. Being a veterinarian and a soldier are more than full time jobs, but they make the most of their little getaways.

Texas A&M University - Animal Science 2002

Texas A&M Veterinary School - Doctorate Veterinary Medicine 2005

Veterinary Hospital of New Waverly - Resident, Large Animal 2005

Andrews Animal Hospital - Resident, Small Animal 2006

Clifford M. Honnas

Professor of veterinary medicine, earned his B.S. and D.V.M. degrees from Colorado State University and joined the A&M faculty in 1989. Integrity, values, compassion, and sincerity are just a few of the words used to describe Honnas, a world renowned expert in his field who is lauded as a personal mentor to many. One colleague describes the essence of Honnas by stating, “His selflessness in his interactions with all makes him a person that others are endeared to and earns him the respect of all those around him.” Honnas’ academic schedule, described as “daunting” and “vigorous” by colleagues, prompted another to call him “the hardest working veterinarian in the hospital;.” Despite such a workload, another colleague admires Honnas for his uncanny ability to strike “the perfect balance between his work and his personal relationships with his friends and family.” Perhaps his most profound contribution can be measured by his students, who consistently strive to emulate him as a doctor, teacher, mentor and friend.

BS Colorado State University

DVM Colorado State University

Professor of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery

Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery