About Us
Your pet is an important part of your family, and when he or she is ill or is just due for a well visit to the doctor's office, you want the best medical care available.
From wellness exams and vaccines, to advanced diagnostics and complex surgical procedures, your dog or cat will receive high quality care at Town and Country Veterinary Hospital.
Our Services
Meet The Team
In 1995, Dr. Nick Ashford opened Town and Country Veterinary Hospital to provide pet owners in the Apex area with quality animal care. We now have five veterinarians and an amazing support staff to serve your pet's needs.
With a combined 70+ years of veterinary experience, our goal is to always provide quality and compassionate veterinary care for your pet in a warm, friendly and clean environment.
We understand that every pet's needs are different and we strive to prove that WE CARE.
Dr. Nick Ashford
Veterinarian/Practice Owner
Dr. Ashford was born and raised in Fayetteville, NC. He attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received a B.S. degree in Zoology. He then attended The North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine where he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1989.
Dr. Ashford co-founded Town and Country Veterinary Hospital and Animal Care Center in 1994. He is a member of the Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society, North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, Who's Who of American Medical Professionals, Cary-MacGregor Rotary Club and Apex United Methodist Church. He lives in Apex with his wife Laura; two children, Hadley and Clay; his Border Terrier Tipper; and his cat Oatmeal. His areas of medical interest include dentistry/oral surgery, ophthalmology, and internal medicine. His hobbies and leisure interests include water sports, fishing, boating, and working in the yard.
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Dr. Amanda Groulx
Veterinarian/Practice Owner
Dr. Amanda Groulx is originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando for 2 years before transferring to North Carolina State University. At NC State she earned a bachelor's degree in Animal Science and a master's degree in physiology. She then entered veterinary school, graduating with honors in 2010.
Dr. Groulx previously worked as one of our technicians and was thrilled to rejoin our staff as a veterinarian shortly after graduation. She enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine but has a special interest in dentistry, behavior and internal medicine. She is an active member of the AVMA and the NCVMA.
Dr. Groulx lives in Cary with her husband, Ryan and their three children, Sonora, Maizy and Owen. She has four dogs: Gus, Tupelo, Ike and Leia. Her hobbies include water sports, working out and baking. She enjoys being busy and works hard to balance her work schedule with her family life, ensuring that her children roll their eyes at her daily. She loves her job and is dedicated to making sure that our patients receive excellent medical care while providing support and guidance to our clients.
Dr. Deana McNamer
Veterinarian
Dr. McNamer was born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She received a BA in Biology from Ripon College in Ripon, WI in 1992. She then moved to North Carolina where she attended the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she received a PhD in Pharmacology in 1998. Following graduate school, she entered the North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with honors in 2002. During her 4th year in veterinary school she was awarded the Companion Animal Faculty Clinical Proficiency Award. She is currently a member of Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society, the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Her major areas of interest include surgery, preventative medicine, and a growing interest in ultrasound. Dr. McNamer lives near Jordan Lake with her husband Michael, and their whippets. She is a hobby breeder and occasionally breeds a litter of whippets. When not working she enjoys hiking with her husband and hounds, knitting and participating in lure coursing and conformation dog shows with their whippets.
Dr. Matthew Merriman
Veterinarian
Dr. Merriman was born and raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He attended the University of Oklahoma where he received a B.S. degree In Zoology. He then attended Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine where he earned his Doctor of veterinary Medicine in 2002.
He started out his veterinary career in Austin, Texas where he worked in a small animal hospital. He then moved to Dallas for 3 years where he gained extensive experience in emergency and critical care while working at a 24 hour emergency clinic. Dr. Merriman moved to the Raleigh/Cary area in 2006 with his wife, Dr. Julie Merriman. They have 2 children and 1 dog (Greta) and 1 cat (Stewart).His professional interests include soft tissue surgery and internal medicine. Dr. Merriman is an active member of the AVMA and NCVMA. He has completed his training through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and is now accepting patients for acupuncture therapy.
In his spare time Dr. Merriman loves to watch OU athletics football in particular, traveling, working in the yard and around the house, playing pick up games of basketball, and spending time with friends and family.
Dr. Jamie Slater
Veterinarian
Dr. Jamie Slater grew up in Shelby, NC and has remained a North Carolina native since. She achieved a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry at UNC Wilmington in 2019. Dr. Slater then graduated from NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 2023. She has a profound love of fish and aquatic life and received the Proficiency in Aquatic Animal Medicine Award during her time at NC State. Though she loves the fin babies, she loves the fur babies just as much.
Her companion animal areas of interest include soft tissue surgery, dental procedures and primary care. In her free time, Dr. Slater loves fishing, fish keeping and building DIY projects. She also enjoys tinkering with her antique MG Midget and honda motorcycles. She and her fiancée share a home in Apex with a large family of critters including a supermutt named Trout, a Dalmatian named Minnow, two kitties named Nyan and Possum, lots of American cichlid fish and a leopard gecko named Smokie. She takes pride in her efforts to make all her patients and their human parents feel heard, cared for and comfortable.
Sandi Berrie
Hospital Manager
Sandi Berrie has been the practice manager at Town and Country Veterinary Hospital since 1998. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 1996. She began working in the veterinary field after moving to Raleigh. Due to her warm personality and strong customer service skills, she naturally moved into her role as a practice manager. She lives in Cary with her three dogs Boo, Leroy, and Jordan and cat Nike.
Sandi's pride and joy are her two children, Tyler and Cameron and her grandchildren, London, Harper, River and Violet. She enjoys watching Duke basketball, Gamecocks football, cooking out and spending time with family and friends. Her love of animals and people is obvious and she strives for fantastic patient and client care.
Our Support Staff
