Meet Our Team

Dr. Jessica Hathaway

DVM | CVA | Owner

Dr. Jessica Hathaway grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in central New York, where her love of animals, nature, and the outdoors began at an early age. By middle school, she already knew that caring for animals would become her life’s work and that veterinary medicine was the path she wanted to pursue.

Dr. Hathaway studied pre-professional biology at the Florida Institute of Technology before being accepted to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. While at Cornell, she worked as a veterinary technician in the small animal intensive care unit, an experience that helped shape both her clinical skills and her passion for caring for animals and their families during some of their most difficult moments. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2000.

Following graduation, Dr. Hathaway made DeLand home and has spent more than 25 years caring for pets and families throughout East and West Volusia County. After the birth of her three sons, she spent several years providing relief veterinary services, allowing her to work alongside teams at a variety of practices throughout the community.

For Dr. Hathaway, exceptional veterinary medicine is about looking beyond a single symptom or diagnosis and caring for the whole patient. She believes conventional and integrative medicine are most powerful when used together, combining strong clinical and diagnostic skills with additional therapies that can support comfort, healing, mobility, and quality of life.

In 2018, Dr. Hathaway became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist through Chi University. Her clinical interests include urgent and emergency medicine, soft tissue surgery, dentistry, ultrasonography, and both abdominal and cardiac imaging. Her integrative training includes acupuncture and animal neuromyofascial release, as well as experience with ozone therapy, hyperthermia treatments, tumor-specific electroporation chemotherapy, and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine approaches including food and herbal therapies.

At the heart of her approach is a desire to give patients and their families more options. Whether she is helping a pet through an unexpected emergency, managing a chronic condition, supporting mobility and comfort, or walking alongside a family facing a cancer diagnosis, Dr. Hathaway strives to listen carefully, consider the whole picture, and create a thoughtful treatment plan tailored to each individual patient.

Dr. Hathaway’s passion for veterinary medicine extends well beyond the exam room. She has served as both Secretary and President of the Volusia Flagler Veterinary Medical Association and is deeply committed to mentoring and supporting fellow veterinary professionals. She meets weekly with new veterinary graduates from across the country, helping them strengthen their clinical skills and navigate the transition into practice with greater confidence.

In 2022, Dr. Hathaway presented on the use of integrative veterinary medicine in emergency and critical care at the Annual International Conference on Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, where she received an Excellent Speaker designation. She also has a special interest in neurodivergence within the veterinary profession and has trained as an ADHD and life coach. That passion led her to develop a three-part lecture series focused on supporting mental well-being, professional fulfillment, and career longevity for veterinary professionals.

Dr. Hathaway continues to teach and advocate for an approach to medicine that brings the best of both worlds together, embracing integrative therapies while maintaining a strong foundation in evidence-based Western medicine, diagnostics, and clinical care.

Above all, Dr. Hathaway considers it a privilege to care for the animals entrusted to her and to build lasting relationships with the people who love them. Her goal is simple: to help every patient live as comfortably, fully, and happily as possible while ensuring their families feel heard, supported, and confident in the care they receive.

Dr. Pamela Schrager

DVM | CVA | Owner

Dr. Pamela Schrager has dedicated her career to providing thoughtful, compassionate veterinary care grounded in exceptional clinical medicine and a deep appreciation for the whole patient. Her journey has taken her from emergency and critical care medicine to teaching and mentoring future veterinarians, and ultimately to an integrative approach that focuses not only on treating illness, but also on supporting lifelong health and well-being.

Dr. Schrager graduated with High Honors from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. During veterinary school, she received numerous awards recognizing her achievements in both medicine and surgery, including the Upjohn Award for Proficiency in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, the W.B. Saunders Small Animal Surgery Award, the Charlie Bild Clinical Proficiency Award in Small and Large Animal Medicine, and the Merck Veterinary Manual Award.

Following graduation, Dr. Schrager completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine, emergency care, and surgery at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She remained at the university for nearly two additional years as an Assistant Clinical Specialist in Emergency Medicine. During this time, she co-developed and co-taught the clinical emergency rotation for senior veterinary students and was honored with the University Students’ Teaching Award,an early reflection of what would become a lifelong passion for teaching and mentorship.

Dr. Schrager went on to spend nearly a decade as Chief of Emergency and Medical Services and Intern Coordinator at a large referral hospital in Washington, D.C. There, she continued to develop her expertise in emergency and critical care, surgery, and small animal ultrasonography while training and mentoring veterinary interns. Many of those veterinarians went on to careers in small animal, wildlife, zoo, and marine mammal medicine, and she continues to collaborate and consult with colleagues she has mentored throughout her career.

Over time, Dr. Schrager’s experience caring for critically ill patients led her to look more deeply at how veterinary medicine could not only treat disease, but also support the body and help prevent illness whenever possible. As she transitioned into primary care practice, her focus expanded to include whole-food nutrition and integrative therapies alongside conventional medicine.

Dr. Schrager believes the best medicine begins with understanding the individual patient—their history, lifestyle, nutrition, environment, and unique health needs. Her goal is to bring together strong conventional medicine with carefully selected integrative therapies to provide patients and their families with more options, whether they are navigating an acute illness, managing a chronic condition, or simply working to maintain health through every stage of life.

In 2018, Dr. Schrager studied Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine at Chi University and became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. She further expanded her integrative training in 2024 when she became certified in Animal Neuro-myofascial Release (ANMR). These therapies complement her extensive background in emergency medicine, surgery, critical care, diagnostic imaging, nutrition, and primary care.

After more than three decades in veterinary medicine, Dr. Schrager remains passionate about learning, teaching, and finding better ways to care for her patients. She believes that integrative medicine is not about choosing between conventional and alternative approaches, it is about thoughtfully bringing them together to create the most comprehensive care possible for each individual animal.

Above all, Dr. Schrager values the relationships she builds with her patients and the people who love them. She understands that pets are family, and she strives to ensure that every family feels listened to, supported, and empowered to make the best decisions for their companion. Her approach is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and a shared goal: helping each patient achieve the healthiest and most comfortable life possible.

Kerry Wagoner

Hospital Administrator | CVT | Owner

For Kerry, veterinary medicine has always been about more than caring for animals, it is about caring for the people who love them and supporting the veterinary professionals who dedicate their lives to helping them.

Born and raised in DeLand, Kerry has deep roots in the community she is proud to call home. Her career in veterinary medicine began with hands-on patient care as a Certified Veterinary Technician, giving her an understanding of veterinary medicine from the treatment floor up. That clinical foundation continues to shape the way she leads today, with compassion for patients, respect for the veterinary team, and an appreciation for the trust families place in those caring for their pets.

Throughout her career, Kerry has managed a wide variety of veterinary hospitals, from large, fast-paced practices to smaller, close-knit hospitals. Each experience has strengthened her belief that a truly exceptional veterinary hospital is built not only on excellent medicine, but also on strong relationships, open communication, teamwork, and a genuine desire to do what is best for every patient.

Kerry shares Persimmon’s passion for integrative veterinary medicine and believes strongly in looking at the whole animal rather than simply treating an individual symptom or diagnosis. She values an approach that combines the strengths of conventional veterinary medicine with integrative therapies, giving families more options to support their pets’ health, comfort, and quality of life throughout every stage of life.

As Hospital Administrator, Kerry brings together her clinical background and years of veterinary management experience to help create an environment where patients receive exceptional care, clients feel welcomed and heard, and team members feel supported and valued. She believes that when a veterinary team is cared for and empowered to do its best work, that compassion naturally extends to every patient and family who walks through the door.

Being part of Persimmon Integrative Veterinary Center is especially meaningful to Kerry because it allows her to help build something special in the community that raised her. She is proud to be part of a locally rooted practice centered around relationships, thoughtful medicine, and a shared commitment to caring for animals as the beloved family members they are.

Above all, Kerry hopes every person who walks through Persimmon’s doors feels that they have found more than a veterinary hospital, they have found a team that genuinely cares about them, their pets, and the community they all call home.

Megan

Marketing and Community Engagement Manager

Megan has called DeLand home for the past 18 years and has developed a deep love for West Volusia and the families who live, work, and play here. Over the years, she has become actively involved throughout the community, building relationships and supporting local organizations, businesses, schools, and causes that make this area such a special place to call home.

Her love of animals is an equally important part of her life. Megan breeds and shows Golden Retrievers under the Cloud9 kennel name, with a focus on preserving the health, temperament, beauty, and versatility of the breed. She is a member of the Golden Retriever Club of America, Mid-Florida Sporting Dog Club, Mid-Florida Golden Retriever Club, and Florida Gulf Coast Golden Retriever Club. Through the world of purebred dogs, she has developed a deep appreciation for responsible breeding, canine health, and the extraordinary bond we share with our animals.

Megan is also a member of the Krewe of Amalee, reflecting her love for the traditions, friendships, and community spirit that make DeLand unique.

As Marketing and Community Engagement Manager at Persimmon Integrative Veterinary Center, Megan brings together two of the things she cares about most: animals and community. She believes a veterinary practice should be more than a place families visit when their pets are sick. It should be a trusted partner, a resource, and an active part of the community it serves.

Megan is passionate about sharing the heart behind Persimmon- telling the stories of its patients and team, creating opportunities for education and connection, supporting local organizations and events, and helping families better understand the many options available for their pets’ care. She shares Persimmon’s belief in looking at the whole animal and values an integrative approach that supports health, wellness, and quality of life through every stage.

For Megan, being part of Persimmon is especially meaningful because it represents an opportunity to give back to a community that has given so much to her family. She is proud to help build a veterinary practice that is deeply rooted in West Volusia and founded on compassion, relationships, and a genuine commitment to the people and animals who call this community home.