Jose R. Castro, DVM, DACVS-LA, DABVP-Equine, CVA-Equine
Owner, Equine Surgeon, Acupuncturist, and Chiropractor
Dr. Castro was born in Quito, Ecuador. He obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Central University of Ecuador before moving to the United States in 2001. He completed a Large Animal Internship at the University of Tennessee and went on to complete an Equine Surgery Residency through UT and Woodford Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.
He is Board Certified in Large Animal Surgery (Equine Emphasis) by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and in Equine Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. He is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and a Tui-Na (Equine Massage) Practitioner by the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Florida. Certified Lameness Locator Practitioner, one of few in the United States; and Certified in Equine Veterinary Medical Manipulation (Equine Chiropractic) by the Integrative Veterinary Medical Institute.
He is an avid traveler and has presented at conferences on multiple topics in the United States, Ecuador, Panama, Spain and China.
His professional interests include Surgery (soft tissue and orthopedic), Sports Medicine, Regenerative Medicine and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. When he has time away from work, he enjoys endurance and long-distance horseback riding.
Before purchasing DCLAH in September of 2018, he was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Equine Surgery at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center.
Kristina Peacock, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Peacock grew up just outside of Middleburg, Virginia where she began riding horses at a young age. She spent most of her free time competing in gymnastics, but once she bought her first horse in high school, she was hooked. She received a bachelor’s degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech. During her time as an undergraduate student, she competed for the Virginia Tech Hunter Equitation Team, completed a sport horse breeding internship at Virginia Tech’s MARE Center and acted as the VT Equestrian Club President. The year before veterinary school, Dr. Peacock worked as an equine nurse at Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center. She always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian, but once she started this job, she was certain she was well on her way to becoming an equine vet and never looked back.
Dr. Peacock couldn’t get enough of Blacksburg, so she headed back south after a year of work to attend the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She found plenty of time for riding, enjoying Blacksburg with friends and helping raise her family’s litter of golden retriever puppies in between study sessions. She was also active in many veterinary school clubs, standing as President of a few, including the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Dr. Peacock returned home to complete a rotating equine internship at Piedmont Equine Practice in The Plains, Virginia. While she loves all facets of equine medicine, her passion for equine sports medicine, regenerative therapies, and ambulatory work continued to grow while working under this skilled group of veterinarians. In her free time, Dr. Peacock enjoys riding her horse Impulse and hiking with her dog Laney. She also has a passion for travel and loves spending time with her family and friends – there is never a dull moment.
Katie LoPresti, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. LoPresti was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Despite this “metropolitan” up bringing Dr. LoPresti displayed a love for horses at a young age. This love would eventually lead her to the east coast where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Equestrian Studies with a minor in Biology from Averett University in Danville, VA. While attending Averett she took her first equine anatomy and physiology course and realized she had a passion for how the equine body works and veterinary medicine. At Averett she competed on the IDA and IHSA Teams. While applying for veterinary school, Dr. LoPresti worked as a small animal technician in Greensboro, NC.
Dr. LoPresti attended Ross University on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean. While there she served as president of the Student Chapter of the American Associate of Equine Practitioners, President of the Feral Cat Project, and worked to create a working relationship between the owner of the horses at the closed racetrack and the students of the university. After her time on the island Dr. LoPresti completed her clinical year at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
After completing her education, Dr. LoPresti completed an 18-month internship at the private referral hospital, Equine Specialty Hospital, in Burton, OH. After her internship she worked for a year at Southside Equine Services in Phenix, VA before coming to Davie County Large Animal Clinic. Dr. LoPresti has a particular passion for internal medicine and particularly the diagnosis, treatment, and management of equine gastric ulcers.
In her free time Dr. LoPresti can be found competing on the hunter circuit on her mare, Tori, or attempting to tire out her dog Leia. She also has two cats, Rem and Khajma, who allow her to live at their home.
Paula Escudero, DVM
2022-2023 Intern Dr. Paula Escudero graduated from the San Francisco de Quito University back in her home country of Ecuador. She is our treasured Intern. Dr. Escudero professional interests are Sports Medicine, Complementary Medicine (Acupuncture and Chiropractic) and Performance and Rehabilitation. She enjoys horseback riding, mountain biking, and trekking.
