Dr.Gainey is a 2006 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the owner of Belpar Pet Care Centre and Uniontown Veterinary Clinic. In December 2009, he and his wife, Angela, moved to Uniontown and purchased the Uniontown practice and in 2012 he then purchased Belpar. Prior to moving to Uniontown, he had practiced in Dover and Salem, Ohio where he worked with a wide array of medical and surgical cases. Dr. Gainey’s passion for animals comes from growing up on a dairy farm in Holmes County, Ohio. He was raised around holstein dairy cattle, horses, dogs, cats, chickens and pigs. To this day, he does his best to find time to visit his mother, who is an avid rider, and enjoys riding his horse “L.B.” His veterinary interests are in soft tissue and laser surgery, preventative care and chemotherapy. Dr. Gainey has been trained in Regenerative Therapies and Joint Injection by The Veterinarian and Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group. He has pursued regenerative medicine because pets are living longer and need the same cutting-edge treatment that humans have available. He and Angela have six four-legged children, four dogs “Annabelle,” “Benson,” “Honza” and “Molly.” and two cats “Steiny” and “Angus.”
Vedessa Meluch is a 2005 graduate from the University of Southern Mindanao, Philippines. While in the Philippines, she studied zoo and swine nutrition along with animal conservation. After shortly moving to the United States, she attended the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada for an intense year of skills and enhancement training in small animal medicine. In 2016, Dr. Meluch became certified by the University of Tennessee to practice canine and feline physical rehabilitation. She also obtained extra curriculum for conservative management of canine and feline osteoarthritis. She has brought to Belpar Pet Care Centre alternative forms of relief and treatment for obesity, osteoarthropathy, post surgical recovery, relief of pain, and help pets with mobility for neuropathic and orthopedic pain. Dr. Meluch and her husband live on a farm and have many cows, horses, ducks and dogs. She spends her free time driving a big tractor while harvesting corn and hay. She isn’t afraid of getting dirty and changing the oil on the tractors, as well!
Dr. Mike Slawienski s a Board Certified Surgeon who has worked in the Cleveland/Akron area for several years. He is available for advanced/complex surgical procedures on dogs and cats on a scheduled basis. Orthopedics/joint surgery, fracture repair, soft-tissue surgery, oncology surgery, neurosurgery and other complex surgical procedures can be performed on premesis. After a diagnosis has been made by one of our doctors and surgery has been recommended, we will schedule an appointment for you to meet with Dr. Slawienski in the morning and surgery will take place that day. In most cases, your pet will go home that evening.
Dr. Slawienski is a native of Buffalo, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Cornell University and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1992. He completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at West Los Angeles Animal Hospital and trained as a resident in veterinary surgery at the prestigious Animal Medical Center in New York City. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999. Dr. Mike practiced at Associated Veterinary Specialists in St. Louis before moving to Ohio with his family in 2004. He has provided soft tissue, neurologic and orthopedic specialty surgeries for patients of veterinary hospitals in Northeast Ohio and surrounding areas since that time. Dr. Mike is an avid homebrewer and as a BJCP certified judge has judged beer competitions nationally and abroad. Dr. Mike enjoys spending time with his three young wonderful children and his wife and his dog Roux and cat Shadow.
Dr. Samantha Bercheck, BVMS graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland in 2015. Having grown up in northeastern Ohio, she moved back to be closer to family. She lives with her partner Ron and wonderful furbabies: Chablis (German Shepherd), Floyd (Super Mutt), Jura (Cane Corso mix), and 3 cats- Squidden, Islay and Basil Hayden. When not around the clinic she enjoys tending to her bees, playing board games with friends and trying new restaurants.
Shelly is our Lead Receptionist. She has been employed at Belpar Pet Care Centre since 1991 and has been an asset to our office. You may not see her as much as before, that’s because she does a lot of behind the scene work such as: inventory for entire office & payroll. Shelly enjoys being part of a team that gets along well and has a common goal of caring for pets. She considers Belpar as her second home. She and her husband, Jeff, enjoy taking cruises on her time off. A fun fact about Shelly is that her co-workers keep her young by teaching her about her smart phone! Shelly has two kitties named Atom and Eclipse and recently adopted Cheyenne a red Doberman.
“Keep your pet’s food fresh! Air tight containers work best for storage and make sure your pet’s food is consumed within 6 weeks! Make sure to purchase the appropriate bag size.”
– Shelly
Sarah joined our team in September 2012 and helps at the front desk and with marketing. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, reading, being outdoors, and remodeling her home with her husband. Sarah also makes her custom Penelli dog and cat collars, harnesses and leashes. Sarah and her husband Dennis have two dogs, Penny (Bernese Mountain Dog) and Ellie (Golden Retriever).
“Make sure to keep your pets up to date on their vaccinations and screenings to help guarantee their health!”
-Sarah
Shawna has been a Veterinary Assistant at Belpar Pet Care Centre since 2007. She enjoys working in the veterinary field because of the challenges that each day bring. Her hobbies include cooking and working in her garden. She and her husband have two cats, Sniper and Raghetti, a boston terrier/pug, Abe and a labrador retriever mix, Cash.
“Play with your dog’s feet and ears to get them used to the stimulation.”
– Shawna
Julie graduated from the Veterinary Tech Program at Kent State in 2009. Julie previously served our country through active duty in the Army before earning her degree. Along with her three children she also has six dogs and seven cats! She loves working with animals.She also is an active foster through Ohio Fuzzy Pawz, a local shih-tzu rescue. Julie has been a valued member of our staff since 2010. She began working at our Uniontown location and transferred to Belpar in June 2012.
Katie joined our staff in April 2017. She graduated with an Associates Degree in Applied Veterinary Science from the Vet Tech Institute of Pittsburgh in 2015. She enjoys working in the veterinary field because it is constantly expanding and she learns something new every day. Katie and her husband, Matthew, have a kitty named “Samson.” Her hobbies include spending time outside, being with family and snuggling her cat. She is also the youngest of 8 kids!
“Regular dental care is important for our pets, just like us! They often need professional cleanings, but try to establish a brushing routine at home, to prevent tartar from building up.”
– Katie
Angela serves as our Practice Manager. She takes care of human resources, accounting, inventory and marketing for the clinic. She networks within the local Chambers of Commerce and the BNI Green Initiative Chapter. She is also an advocate for The 3/50 Project, a nationwide program that promotes local spending and supporting small businesses. She and Dr. Gainey have 6 pets; two cats, Steiny and Angus, and four dogs, Benson, Honza, Webster and Annabelle. Her favorite part about working at Belpar Pet Care Centre is working alongside her husband and providing quality care to the community’s four-legged family members.In her spare time, Angela enjoys quilting, reading, and traveling. A fun fact about her is the first day she worked in a veterinary clinic was the 1st day she owned one! She and her husband, Dr. Gainey also are foster parents to her teenage 2nd cousin, Emily!
“Get Pet Insurance!”
– Ang
Brittani is a Veterinary Assistant who joined our staff in September 2015. She has had 1 1/2 years experience working in the veterinary field with small animal, large animal and exotics. She also works at our Uniontown Office! Her favorite part about working with animals is educating clients on how to keep their pets happy and healthy. Brittany has a Boxer, “Diesel”, a kitty named “Biscuit”, and 4 horses.
Nicole joined our boarding staff in October 2016. When not busy working or attending classes at Kent State University, she enjoys spending time with her cats, Emmy and Domino, hiking, reading and being with family and friends. She enjoys working in the veterinary field because it is allowing her to gain experience toward her journey of becoming a veterinarian. A fun fact about Nicole is that she has been a vegetarian since 2012.
“Make sure to bring the appropriate amount of food when boarding your dog or cat!”
– Nicole
Nicole joined our staff in July 2018. She is currently enrolled at Ross Medical College to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. She enjoys working in the animal field because she likes to be around animals and help them and their owners by making their lives better. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her pets; Tiny (Newfoundland), Henry (Golden Retriever) and Patches(Guinea Pig). Something really neat about Nicole is that she lived in the Bahamas for 3 years and home-schooled her 2 children.
Bethanie joined our staff in October 2015 to help with Weekend and Holiday Boarding. She loves being with all the animals and getting to know everyone’s pets! In her spare time, Bethanie enjoys swimming, lifting weights, loves her sports(GO BUCKS!) and is a daily dog walker. She also teaches criminal justice classes at Kent State University.
Kayla has been a part of our staff since June 2017. She was hired to assist in boarding. She enjoys working with animals because they depend on us to care for them and to be their voice. It is an honor to her to care for such loving hearts. A fun fact about Kayla is that she was born on the beach in Queens, NY. She has 2 cats, Lilly and Bluebell. In her spare time Kayla enjoys horseback riding, petting animals and singing.
“Be descriptive in order for us to care for your pet as if they were still at home when they board with us.”
– Kayla
Bonnie has been a valued volunteer with us for several years. After losing her dog, volunteering at Belpar has given her a chance to be around animals on a weekly basis. Her hobbies include rubber stamping, geneology and reading. Bonnie is a retired school teacher. A fun fact about her is that She is Mrs. Claus for the city of North Canton during the holidays!
“Love your pet as family. Make sure they get all the care they need.”
– Bonnie
Julie joined our front desk team in early 2019. Julie has three dogs (Brody, Daisy and Messi) and a cat named Oliver. In addition to spending time with her animals, Julie spend time with her husband and three daughters. She also enjoys reading and working on her pearl jewelry jewelry business.
Kandis joined our team in 2019 while attending Ross College. She obtained her Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology in May. Kandis loves making a difference in the veterinary field, and animals have been her passion since she was a kid. Kandis enjoys spending time with her Maine Coon cat, Tyrion, painting, crocheting, and spending time with family.
Kitty came to us the summer of 2012 after being hit by a car and had a broken pelvis and tail. After extensive therapy, she had to have her tail amputated due to the severity of the break. In her free time, Kitty enjoys napping in our break room on a chair, drinking water out of a faucet and hiding in random places and popping out when she wants to catch us off guard! She has a new talent of knocking on doors to have us open them for her. She has such a big personality for such a little girl.
Willis was found in the winter of 2013 by a nice family. After a thorough exam, he was found to be healthy, but his tail had something wrong with it. We believe it may have gotten caught in something. This caused damage to it to the point where it needed amputated. The plan was to keep him here for treatment, then find him a home. We all fell in love with his personality and he became our second clinic kitty. Willis loves to chase tennis balls, sleep, get lots of treats, hid in fun places and greet all of our patients coming in.
Jack joined our Belpar family in June 2014. His mother was moving into assisted living and could not take him with her. We tried to find Jack a home, but we quickly realized his home was with us! This sweet boy was used to being an indoor/outdoor kitty, so during the day, he has to stay in our back offices, otherwise, he would venture outside once a door opened! We do walk him outside frequently, and his favorite thing is eating grass! Jack loves taking his “cat” naps and being very vocal!
