Meet the Byram Animal Hospital Team

Owner / Veterinarian

Dr. Jonathan E. Mitchell was born and raised in Jackson, MS. Dr. Mitchell graduated from Forest Hill High School in 1996. He went on to complete his associate degree at Hinds Community College in Raymond, MS, before being accepted into veterinary school at Mississippi State in 1999. He graduated from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003.

Dr. Mitchell married his high school sweetheart, Dr. Brooke Mitchell, in 2001 while they were still in veterinary school. After graduation, Dr. Mitchell accepted an associate position here at Forest Hill Animal Hospital, working along with the previous owners Drs. Bill & Jennifer Sullivan. Dr. Jonathan and Dr. Brooke became full owners of Forest Hill Animal Hospital in November 2004. Dr. Mitchell has a special interest in soft tissue and orthopedic surgical cases.

He has two children, Avery and Cole, along with 3 dogs and a cat. Dr. Mitchell is an active member of Wynndale Baptist Church in Terry, MS. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association. He loves spending his free time in the outdoors with his family and friends.

Owner / Veterinarian

Dr. Brooke Mitchell was born in Starkville, MS, and moved to Byram, MS, in middle school, where she finished high school in 1996. She then attended Hinds Community College and finished her undergraduate at Mississippi State University. She attended veterinary school at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine class of 2003.

Dr. Brooke (as she is known) met Dr. Jonathan Mitchell in high school, and they were married in 2001. After graduating from veterinary school they began working together at Forest Hill Animal Hospital and purchased the hospital in 2004. Dr. Brooke takes a special interest in small animal internal medicine, ultrasound, soft tissue surgery, and preventative medicine.

In her spare time, Dr. Brooke enjoys spending time with her family. She has two children, Avery and Cole, which keep her on her toes. She also has 3 dogs and a cat: English Setter Luke, Labrador Retriever Lacey, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Tucker, and Longhaired Calico Scarlett. She is a member of Wynndale Baptist Church. She is also active in the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Ashley Bailey received her B.S. in Animal and Dairy Science in 2006 and her D.V.M. in 2010, both from Mississippi State University.  She is married to Simon Bailey.  They have two children, Turner and Elizabeth. They also have 2 cats (Dixon and Bednar), a dog (Clementine), and a hamster (Lady Gaga). Dr. Bailey enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, gardening, and painting. She is a member of Redeemer Church, PCA.  She prioritizes the human-animal bond and hopes to be the “other family doctor.”

Raised in Colorado, Stephen completed his undergraduate degree in Denver.  He graduated from Mississippi State University in 2007 with his doctorate of veterinary medicine followed by an internship in Miami, FL.  Emergency and critical care has been his primary area of practice and interest, as he has remained in the south which included 4 years in Nashville, TN. 

Associate Veterinarian at Forest Hill Animal Hospital and Byram Animal Hospital

Dr. Bethany is from Butler, Alabama. She received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in business management at Auburn University in 2012 where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She received her degree as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University in 2017. Right after graduation, she worked at Animal Emergency and Referral Center from 2017-2020. She then went to work at Banfield from 2020-2021 where she was Area Chief of Staff. In December 2021, she joined the staff at Forest Hill Animal Hospital/ Byram Animal Hospital.

Dr. Bethany’s main interest in veterinary medicine includes preventative dentals, extractions, orthopedic medicine and emergency/critical care. 

Dr. Bethany has been married to her husband for 10 years. They have 3 children together: Brooklyn, Memphis and Madison. They have a house full of dogs: Dakota (13 yo Schnauzer mix), Hank (11 yo GSP), Georgia (10 yo GSP), Diesel (8 yo GSP) and Cabella (8 yo GSP). They will be welcoming another GSP to their family around Christmas named Charleston. 

When Dr. Bethany is not at work, she spends time with her children and husband. She also enjoys reading and the outdoors. 

Renee has worked at Byram animal hospital for 11 years. She currently lives in Florence with her husband Greg. They have 2 dogs, Burt Case & Murdock and 5 cats, Belle, Willie, Hendrix, Tiger and Frankie. Renee says working with animals has been such a blessing. Some days can be a challenge, and there are plenty of ups and downs, but at the end of the day we have come together as a team to provide love and care to all the pets so they can go home to their families. Being part of the byram animal hospital family has been an amazing part of her life and she wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

Nancy has been grooming dogs at Byram Animal Hospital since 2012. In her spare time, she enjoys hunting and fishing with her husband on their farm in Raymond. She belongs to several shooting groups, and also spends time showing her dogs and her registered quarter horses. 

Jessica has been a member of the Byram Animal Hospital Team since 2016. Before moving to Byram Animal Hospital, she worked at Forest Hill Animal Hospital for 17 years. Jessica lives in Raymond with her husband and daughters. She currently has 1 cat, a chihuahua and a mixed breed dog. 

Ashley Goodson was born and raised in Byram, MS. She graduated from Copiah Academy in 2015 and completed her associates degree from Copiah-Lincoln community college in 2017. Ashley then went on to Mississippi State University to complete her Bachelor’s degree  in veterinary medical technology in 2021 and later obtained her veterinary technician certification. She joined the Byram Animal Hospital family in September 2021. She has 4 dogs- Ramsey a yorkie mix, Landry a chocolate lab, Chesney a pit mix, and her old dachshund snickers. Her hobbies include fishing, hunting, cooking, and being on her families cattle farm.  Ashley is interested in educating clients on heartworm prevention, reproduction, and oncology. If you ask Ashley what her favorite breed of dog is she would quickly tell you dachshund and any type of heeler.  

Ashlyn Neal has been working between both clinics since June of 2019. Ashlyn has a son, Laine and four dogs. Finn (GoldenLabraDoodle), Faye (Lab), Boo (Terrier Mix) and Baylor (Rottweiler Mix). She holds a special place in her heart for any type of lab/lab mix. If Ashlyn is not at work, she is more than likely driving around the United States exploring new places. Ashlyn is planning on going to Hinds to finish her biology degree in the Spring.

Kimberly Burns has been receptionist for Forest Hill and Byram clinics since 2014. She is married with 3 daughters and one grandson. She has one dog (Smokie) and 3 cats (Tiger, Peach and Shugs); all of whom are rescues or foster fails. Kimberly loves spending time with her grandson, her family and is an active member at Lakeshore Church in Byram. 

Kristyn was born in Clinton, Mississippi and graduated from Hillcrest Christian School in 2012. She then went on Hinds Community College to get her associates degree in veterinary medical technology in 2016. Kristyn obtained her veterinary technician certification also in 2016. She started her veterinary technician career at Forrest Hill Animal Hospital but now works at both clinics. Kristyn also works at the Animal Emergency and Referral Center in Flowood where she found an interest in emergency medicine and critical care. Kristyn and her fiancée Christian have 3 dogs- Shadow, Ollie and Dak and 2 cats- Binx and Felix. If you asked Kristyn what her favorite breed of dog is she would say Black Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd. 

My name is Kate Sturgeon. I am currently a junior at Mississippi State, majoring in Biology with a concentration pre-vet. I am a kennel/tech assistant at both clinics. I have 8 dogs of my own, Char, Macy, Bumble, Bea, Cotten, and Honey. I also have two cats, Kylo and Skunk. I love spending time with all my animals. I also love working at the clinics because I get to learn so much about veterinary medicine. 

My name is Morgan Cannon. I am a junior majoring in Biological Sciences at Mississippi State. I work as a kennel worker and a tech assistant at both clinics. This is my cat Bluberry who lives at State with me! I love all animals and have tons of my own. I enjoy working and getting experience so I can be a Veterinarian when I am older!