Dr. Amy Crum, Laurel’s House President and Veterinarian
Amy Crum is a veterinarian with sixteen years of experience in the field of companion animal welfare. Dr. Crum led the Houston SPCA veterinary team as the medical director for five years during which she spearheaded the expansion and creation of a wide variety of programs, participated in large scale animal cruelty seizures and natural disaster responses, and taught every senior veterinary student in Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine in their mandatory Animal Welfare rotation. Dr. Crum was also an associate adjunct professor at the TAMU CVM teaching shelter medicine to first and second year veterinary students. As a member and current chair of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association’s Shelter Medicine Committee since 2015, Crum has aided in the organization and administration of continuing education programs for fellow shelter veterinarians, has assisted with drafting proposed legislation, and has joined TVMA leadership with lobbying efforts.
Dr. Cheryl Hoggard, Laurel’s House Vice President and Veterinarian
Cheryl Hoggard graduated from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. Since that time she has completed advanced training in wildlife medicine, including an internship at the clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel Florida. She has worked at multiple wildlife rehabilitation hospitals: she was a staff veterinarian for Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute in Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, the medical director and veterinarian for Piedmont Wildlife Center in Durham, North Carolina, a staff veterinarian at Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation of Texas in San Antonio, Texas, and a staff veterinarian at the Houston SPCA in Houston, Texas. The HSPCA includes the Wildlife Center of Texas which receives 10,000 wildlife patients yearly representing nearly 300 species. While at the HSPCA Dr. Hoggard taught wildlife medical care and companion animal medical care to veterinary students from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hoggard has authored multiple publications on wildlife care, and she has been active in training and teaching wildlife care via lectures and workshops at the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) Conferences and NWRA Wildlife Medicine Course. She has been a member of NWRA for the past 25 years and served on its Board of Directors for eight years.
Dr. Erin Gatz, Laurel’s House Veterinarian
Erin Gatz is a veterinarian with over twenty years of experience in the equine industry, with four of those primarily in equine welfare. Dr. Gatz developed a feeding protocol for the Houston SPCA based upon current research surrounding nutritional management of the emaciated equine. Dr. Gatz also developed standard operating procedures for managing various medical issues of the equid in the shelter setting, was involved in large cruelty seizure cases, and taught Texas A&M fourth year veterinary students during their animal welfare rotation. Dr. Gatz is a current member of the Texas Equine Veterinary Association (TEVA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). Dr. Gatz serves on the on the Equine Welfare Committee for the AAEP. In November, 2019 she travelled to Guatemala with TEVA to provide much needed medical services to the working equid and help educate the community on best management practices.
Rudy Enriquez Laurel’s House Director of Operations
Rudy has worked in animal welfare for 15 years both as a veterinary technician and as a manager. He joined Laurel’s House in March, 2021 and we are overjoyed and fortunate to have him on the team.
Kymberly Free Laurel’s House Founding Member and Lead Technician
Kymberly Free graduated from the Veterinary Tech Institute in 2014 and is a licensed veterinary technician. She worked at the Houston SPCA both as a veterinary technician and as a manager in the community coordinator position which entailed planning large-scale adoption events and coordinating transfer of animals among various organizations. Kym has also worked in private practice emergency facilities and with private rescue groups gaining a broad perspective on the pressing animal welfare issues in the Houston community,