About Us

Dr. Sunil Kakarla, an experienced and compassionate veterinarian in Cary, NC, grew up in India. After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced as a companion animal veterinarian for five years in a metropolitan city in India. He moved to the United States in 2005 with a passion for practicing high-quality veterinary medicine in an advanced setting. During that process, he pursued his MS and Ph.D. in a renowned lab at Marshall University in West Virginia.

As a graduate student, Dr. Kakarla performed cutting-edge research and had several high impact publications to his credit. While pursuing graduate studies, he simultaneously completed the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) in 2010.

Soon after this accomplishment, he began volunteering at several local animal hospitals. He completed his clinical experience program and obtained his license to practice in the US the same year.

In 2011, after graduating with a doctoral degree, he joined a small animal practice in Durham/RTP where he established a huge clientele and treated about 6000 to 7000 pets per year.

With his continued passion to provide the best quality veterinary care, he joined the state-of-the-art Walnut Street Animal Hospital in June 2016. As a veterinarian in the RTP area of NC, he strongly believes in quality care for pets and in being available to his patients when needed.

Sunil Kakarla is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and has special interests in dermatology and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, as well as emergency medicine. Dr. Kakarla is married and has a son and a daughter. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, including his 1-year-old Golden-Doodle, Brownie, and a 4-year-old Poodle, Milky. He enjoys serving his community by actively helping rescue groups and shelter pets, and in his free time, he plays volleyball.

After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced and managed a companion animal hospital for twenty years. He moved to the United States with a passion to work as an associate in advanced-setting animal hospitals. His main aim is to cultivate a positive, happy, and inclusive working environment for the staff, providing a friendly and welcoming environment for all the clients. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his better half, Jyotsna, and their two children, Bhuvan and Rutvi.

Dr. Vani Jhaveri grew up in Mumbai, India, and spent most of her childhood, feeding and caring for stray dogs and cats in the city. She completed her Bachelor in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry degree from Bombay Veterinary College in India, in 2016, and spent the next few years working at a small animal practice, assisting at the racetracks with horses and volunteering at non-profits for homeless animals.

Unfortunately, her passion for working with horses didn’t match the limited scope to do so in India, so she began pursuing her licensing exams to move to the USA. While in the process of doing so in the midst of COVID, she began her own private mobile practice, attending to dogs, cats, and horses in and around the city during and after the pandemic. She finally completed her North American Veterinary Licensing in 2022 and moved to North Carolina soon after.

Dr. Vani goes on hiking trips and explores close-by cities with her rescue pup, Joy, and on weekends, you can find her playing the drums on the worship team of her local church in Apex. Inspired by her own journey, Dr.Vani’s dream is to someday have a shelter for homeless and aged animals of all kinds, and be able to provide a safe haven, through them, for people who need some extra love and care in their lives.

Dr. Amanda Matrai grew up in a small town in Brazil, where she always loved caring for animals, and as a child deeply enjoyed every veterinary visit. During her Veterinary school years, she spent a year in the US as an exchange vet student and an intern at a Zoo. After graduating in Brazil, she moved to North Carolina and decided to pursue her degree equivalency. While studying for the program, she worked with cardiovascular microsurgery in the research field at a local University and as a veterinary technician at animal hospitals, and volunteered with feral cat spay & neuter non-profits.

Upon completing her North American Veterinary Licensing, she has been working at Walnut St. Animal Hospital where she enjoys helping her patients while using the Fear-Free approach to minimize their stress and anxiety. Outside work Dr. Matrai enjoys spending time with her husband and her two loving cats, Jinx and Rico. Her personal interests are pottery, swimming, martial arts, and outdoor activities.

Sarah is an NC State graduate with double majors in Animal Science and Applied Nutrition. She has lived with animals her entire life and has always had a special place in her heart for them. She has been with the company since 2019, and she loves her job. Not only does she have the opportunity to meet new people and pets on a daily basis, but she also gets to help those fur babies stay happy and healthy with their families. Her favorite things to do outside of work include spending time with her furry kiddos; two dogs named Ochi and Denali, and two cats named Juniper and George. When she’s not at work, you can find her hiking with her dog, or taking part in any other activities in which she can include them.

Hello! My name is Caitlin, and I have been with Walnut Street Animal Hospital since 2017. I started out as a receptionist and after being with this practice for a year, I was promoted to Manager and transferred to our sister location, Capital Boulevard Animal Hospital. I absolutely loved the experience of opening a new clinic and getting acquainted with all of the rescues. I am excited to start my new role as Client Coordinator with the company. I have always loved working with clients and making sure the owner and furbaby have a positive experience. In my free time, I am with my 2 human kiddos as well as my own furbabies.

Kaydee is a graduate of N.C. State with both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Animal Science. She recently joined the company in 2022 and is excited to be part of the team. She has worked in the veterinary field for over 15 years as a veterinary assistant, from small animal practices to emergency medicine, most recently at NC State CVM. She has recently taken a step back from her hands-on role to work on the administrative side of the practice. When she isn't working, she is spending time with her husband and two beautiful daughters, as well as their four crazy cats.

Originally from Wilmington, Brittany moved to Raleigh in February of 2021 to persue her career working with animals. She’s known she wanted to do so since she was in Kindergarten and job shadowed at a veterinary hospital her senior year of high school. She worked at a dog boarding facility for four years following graduation in 2017. She made the big move to Raleigh when she was offered a position to work in an animal hospital. She has always had a passion for animals and loves to give each pet all the love she has to give. She has three very sassy Pomeranians — Payton, Willow, and Sawyer — and a very sweet Tuxedo named Sylvester James Pussycat.

Kiara originates from New Jersey and is a new resident of the Raleigh area. She graduated in May 2022 from the University of New Haven with a degree in psychology and a concentration in forensics. Kiara is an avid animal lover and grew up with all kinds of pets. In New Jersey, she had a blue-fronted parrot named Amazon, a golden retriever named Cinnamon, and a cat named Mystique. With her in Raleigh, Kiara also has two pittie mixes named Lola and Hela. Over the next few years, Kiara plans on expanding and utilizing her veterinary skills to give the best care to all of our patients. In her free time, she loves cuddling with her animals, dancing, and trying new foods.

Lucy graduated from SUNY Farmingdale in 1982 as a New York State Licensed Veterinary Technician and has been in the veterinary industry for more than 35 years! She moved to North Carolina in 2008 and worked at Banfield for some years before joining the Walnut Street Animal Hospital family when it opened in the summer of 2016. She has been happily married since August of 1995 and has three dogs and three cats with her husband, Eric. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, needlecrafts, and gardening. She has even made some of the decor we have here in the clinic!

With a passion for animals that began in 2017, I started my journey working closely with a breeder who was both a licensed veterinarian and a conformation trainer specializing in Schnauzers. My early experiences included roles as a kennel technician and private pet sitter, which laid the foundation for my expertise in animal care. Over the years, I’ve gained comprehensive training, from handling dogs of various temperaments to working in a veterinary clinic setting. For the past year, I’ve been proud to contribute to and expand my knowledge within our practice. I’m also a dedicated pet owner, sharing my life with an American Pitbull Terrier named Tonka. In my free time, I enjoy crafting and spending time outdoors. Pink and purple are my favorite colors.

Maliah joined our team in 2022 and is currently one of our lead receptionists. Ever since Maliah was a child, her passion has always been animals, with the dream of working in a veterinary setting. She got her first horse as a teenager and now owns a farm of 12 horses along with a jersey cow, goats, and other livestock. Maliah resides in Godwin with her partner, Ryan, two Golden Retrievers, and a Labrador Retriever. Her future plans are to expand her personal business and continue to live life to the fullest!

Taylor lived most of her life in New York, then moved to North Carolina in 2017. She joined the Walnut team in 2022 to help others and their fur babies! Taylor currently resides in Raleigh with her partner, Hayden, and their baby boy, Grayson!

I am 22 years old and was born on June 13th — Gemini season! I was born in Chile and lived there until the age of six. Since moving, I have lived in the Cary-Raleigh area. I am a dog mom of two: Scrappy (a Jack Russell Terrier) and Cheeto (a Golden Retriever/German Shepherd mix). Both are rascals filled with energy and love.

Vanessa grew up in New York and the surrounding areas before moving to Cary, North Carolina, in 2015. She is a mom of four kids and loves to take care of fur babies and help owners with any and all of their needs!

My name is Katie Menasian, and I am a CSR at Walnut Street Animal Hospital. I love helping our clients with any questions they may have. I do my best to make sure our clients and patients feel safe and comfortable. I am also a wife and a mother of two. We have two fur babies and a ball python at home. I have always been passionate about animals and try to foster dogs when I can.