Pets of VUMC

December 11, 2023

Pets of VUMC Collection # 5: Holiday pets

Is there a tabby cat snoozing by an open fire? Is a Jack Russell nipping at your nose? This is the collection for you.

Darcy Gassaway - Contract Analyst

Darcy Gassaway, Contracts Management. “Jed is a 2 1/2 year old American Staffordshire terrier mix. Jed likes to travel, long walks on the beach and loves to cuddle.”

Deck the hall with fur and cuteness! Whether adding a special element to holiday decorations (we’re looking at you, CatCat), walking in a winter wonderland or cozying up by the fire, these VUMC pets add to the joy of the season.

This is the fifth installment of photographs submitted by VUMC employees to the 2023 VUMC Voice Pet Photo Contest. Hundreds of pictures were submitted for the contest, and while we won’t be able to use all, or even most, of the pictures we received, we hope to showcase a good sample of the best of the beasts.

Remember, the top prize offered in the contest is a photo of your pet in VUMC Voice.

If you missed sending in an entry this year, and your pet is peeved about it, please reassure him or her that there will be a future VUMC Voice Pet Photo Contest, but explain that the deadline for entries for this year has passed, and no more pictures will be accepted. We hope your pet understands.

Watch for the next installment of VUMC Voice‘s Pets of VUMC 2023 — coming soon.

To see the other collections, as well as all the MyVUMC “Pets of the Day,” click here.

Linda Wilkinson, Acute Care Surgery. “CatCat LOVES to climb, and this is her favorite adventure: summiting the tree!” 
Nila Gillani, Office of Research. Malek the Weimaraner.

Ashley Vosilla, VUH Hospital Administration. “Nala is a 4 year old American Staffordshire terrier, who was a foster fail and wins over the heart of everyone she meets!”
Jill Porter, Vanderbilt Executive Wellness and Concierge Medicine. Jack is a 7 year old springer spaniel and he eats lying down.

Ginger Levinson, CELA. Ella.

Betsy DeMarcus, Anesthesiology. “Lucy and Knox enjoying some winter fun time – they love the snow! They are typical siblings, alternating between being best friends and fighting over all the toys!”

Rizwan Hamid, Division of Medical Genetics. “Abby is an 18 month old American Eskimo. She loves to play in snow (as is evident in the action shot here). In the background is Jack-Jack, a 3 year old American Eskimo.”
Betsy Parker, Clinical Research Center. “Lulu is a modestly domesticated feral Siamese/tabby mix. Likes: being fiercely sweet to her two humans and playing the floor is made of lava. Dislikes: any other humans.”
Kyra McComas, Radiation Oncology. “Rylee is fiercely loyal, lovable, and full of endless energy!”

Dallas Belcher, Vanderbilt Urology, Lebanon. “Cash’s first snow day!”

Susan Jungles, Health IT. Ragen is a 15 year old Shetland sheepdog. “Ragen became mine on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. We traveled to Monteagle, Tennessee to pick him out of two pups left in the litter. The family called him ‘Scruffy’ because he liked to play so much and didn’t mind getting a little down and dirty. When I saw him, I knew he was the one! One brown leg and one white leg. So cute and still feisty after a long day of play. He was car sick on the ride back to Clarksville; however, after a few practice rides, he is now my #1 co-pilot pretty much everywhere I go. My sweet Ragen is, and will always be, my special little man.”

E. Mason Campbell, Diabetes, Endocrinology & Medicine. Lexington, or Lex for short, is a 12 year old Australian shepherd/mastiff mix, and was adopted from the Nashville Humane Society. He loves the snow, sun bathing and taking his stuffed animals outside.”

Anna Catherine Holmes, Acute Rehabilitation. Despite Simba’s grumpy cat-esque face, he is a very sweet stray found on the side of the road in a Tennessee rainstorm. He loves cuddles and hates his harness and being cold (if you can’t tell). And as his name implies: he is the king of the house.”
Kricket Bradbury, Obstetrics at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital. Jagger by firelight.
Jody Orton, Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute. Rosebud is the name of this dog by the fireplace, and not the sled outside in the snow.
Michelle Steffen, Vanderbilt Home Care. Managed Care Coordinator. Maximus the German shepherd.

Linda Patterson, Vanderbilt Eye Institute. “Luke is a very smart dog — he has a time clock built in. When it’s time for me to come home from work around 4:30 he begins to get anxious knowing that it is time to take his daily car ride. He also has to have ice in his water bowl, and he will not eat out of a dog bowl — he has to have styro trays for his food. (Unbelievable).”
Christy Duncan, Finance. Bear being Santa’s little helper.
Brittney Sholar, VIP Midsouth, Springfield. “Snowflake embracing his new friend The Grinch.”

Chelsea Maples, Williamson Primary Care. Piper at the gates of the holidays.
Jess Hayes, Pediatric Emergency Medicine. “Mikey (Michalangelo) is a 45-pound hound mix who was rescued in 2016 and is reluctantly grateful for his parents dressing him in pajamas.”
Natalie Lassiter, Transplant. “Clyde and his elf.”

Rachel Serrato, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery. Coco and Chula. “Coco is a 3 year old PomChi. She loves to cuddle, loves car rides and pup cups! She loves to play with her squeaky toys, will entertain all my antics by posing for the camera and annoy her sister Chula! Chula is a 7 year old teacup Chihuahua. She is the Queen in our household. She is tiny but mighty and what she says goes.”
Chenoa Jacobs, Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. “Scotch is 6 years old and is a golden retriever. He smiles on command and brings much joy to our family.”