Meet Our Staff

Dr. Antinoff obtained her DVM from the University of Wisconsin in 1992 and continued to do an internship in small animal medicine and surgery, followed by a residency in avian and exotic pet medicine and surgery. Following ABVP board certification in 1997, she established the first specialty exotics practice operating as part of a referral center in the country. She has authored chapters and articles in veterinary texts and journals, and has spoken locally, nationally, and internationally to veterinarians and pet owners. She served as a consultant for online veterinary groups, providing interactive information to veterinarians nationwide, and has served on the editorial boards of several veterinary journals. She has also mentored over 25 veterinary interns in exotic pet medicine.

In her spare time, Dr. Antinoff enjoys travel, rollerblading, and bicycling, often combining all of these in a trip! She also loves spending time at home with her pets – Mojo, a terrier mix; Louie, a Miniature Dachshund, two cats Zephyr and Zuzu, and Gracie, the African grey and Big, the macaw.

Dr. Dowling graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. As a veterinary student, she worked with the Nashville Zoo, Vancouver Aquarium, Toledo Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and the Wildlife Center of Virginia to gain more experience working with exotic species. After veterinary school, Dr. Dowling completed a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, prior to starting an internship position with Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital. Dr. Dowling then went on to complete a residency at Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital. Since then, she has passed her boards and become a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

When working with exotic species, Dr. Dowling has interests in population medicine, preventative medicine, and nutrition. In her free time, Dr. Dowling enjoys hiking, trivia night, baking, and spending time with her cat, Captain.

Dr. Hoppes is Professor Emerita of the zoological medicine service at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Dr. Hoppes earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Oklahoma State University in 1993. Prior to that, she worked as a registered nurse for 10 years caring for human patients. She completed an avian medicine and surgery residency in 1999 at North Carolina State University and became a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in avian practice in 2000.

She is a past-President (2012-2013) of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and is also an active member of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. Dr. Hoppes joined TAMU in 2006 and her research interests include avian analgesia, avian behavior, enrichment and Avian Bornavirus in parrots through her work at the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center. She is a recipient of the prestigious T.J. Lafeber Award for her contributions to avian health advancements and serves on the Credentialing Committee of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

Dr. Jones graduated from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. While in vet school, she gained experience in multiple areas of exotic animal medicine by working with the Texas A&M Small Animal Hospital Zoological Service, the Houston Zoo, the San Antonio Zoo, Tufts Wildlife Center, and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. She traveled to Peru on a study abroad program to work with macaws in the amazon rainforest alongside Dr. Hoppes and did a two-month veterinary internship at a wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica. Following veterinary school, she completed small animal internships at Neel Veterinary Hospital in Oklahoma City and here at Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital. Dr. Jones has successfully completed a formal ABVP residency and is currently preparing to take board examinations in avian medicine and surgery.

Dr. Jones enjoys working with all exotic species but has a special interest in birds (of all types!). In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, and spending time with her family in Houston along with her pets  (two cats, Toad and Charlie Boy; and Black-headed Caique, Little Foot).

Dr. Schimek graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2018.  Her love of exotic pets grew from owning her own special rabbit named Kevin.  She spent time learning from exotic pet specialists in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana during her time in vet school.  After 4 years of clinical work post-graduation (in both general practice and emergency practice), she started a clinic in the greater Milwaukee area that served exclusively exotic pet species. In her quest to become a board-certified specialist, Dr. Schimek joined Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital in 2023 and is completing a residency focused on exotic companion mammal species. 

In her spare time, Dr. Schimek enjoys reading, traveling and sampling craft beers.  She has two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels named Burt and Jerry. 

Dr. Thielen graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. From there, she completed an internship at Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in Florida and then a 2-year avian residency at the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in New York. Dr. Thielen became a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in avian practice in 2020.

Dr. Thielen was the founding Medical Director of Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital. She is currently a Clinical Professor at Cornell University in New York. She remains an owner of our hospital and continues to see patients here when her University position allows.

Dr. Welle is a board-certified avian veterinarian. He has long been captivated by the feathered dinosaurs that are birds and enjoys the unique challenges of keeping them and other unusual creatures healthy and well-adjusted. Four macaws and six chickens haunt his farm along with one dog and four goats.

After graduating from the University of Illinois with his DVM, Dr. Ken Welle was in general practice for seven years before gaining board certification in Avian Practice from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. For the next 15 years his private practice was limited to birds and other non-traditional pets and he worked with a local zoo. His passion for this field led him to return as faculty to the University of Illinois in 2011 so he could share his knowledge and experience with veterinary students. In addition, Dr. Welle has been very active in the Association of Avian Veterinarians serving as a board member, treasurer, and president, and has been on the residency committee of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners for over a decade. He has also lectured at local, national, and international conferences.