Dr. Gainey is a 2006 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary medicine and the owner of the Uniontown Veterinary Clinic. In December 2009 Dr. Gainey and his wife Angela moved to Uniontown and purchased the practice from Drs. Dave and Denise Ballinger. Prior to moving to Uniontown Dr. Gainey had practiced in Dover and Salem, Ohio where he worked with a wide array of medical and surgical cases and had the opportunity to work with and learn from a large number of other veterinarians. 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, and a few chickens and pigs. To this day Doc does his best to find time to visit his mother, who is an avid rider and to ride his horse “L.B.” His veterinary interests are in soft tissue and laser surgery, preventative care, and chemotherapy. Dr. Gainey and his wife Angela live in Uniontown with their four footed children, four dogs “Annabelle,” “Benson,” “Honza” and “Webster” and two cats “Steiny” and “Angus”.
Dr. Ayssa Auer joined our staff in March of 2017 after practicing at a small animal clinic in Stow, Ohio. She grew up on a small farm in Indiana and later graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Animal Science in 2009 and continued her education at Purdue to receive her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. She enjoys the veterinary field because it allows her to help give a voice to the creatures that don’t have one. Dr. Auer and her husband, Tim, were married in August of 2016. Together, they have many pets! “Chloe-Bear” Shiba-Inu/Basenji mix, “Chloe-Jo” Golden Retriever, “Chloe the Tortoise, “Domino No!” Domestic Shorthair cat, “Tiny Baby Life Coach” her Cat and Mentor, many fish all named “Chloe” except for “Beta-baby!” (can you see that she likes the name Chloe?) In her spare time she enjoys gardening, growing basil and riding horses.
“Cats are not small dogs! They are really good at hiding illnesses. Grain-free diets are only a trend!!!”
– Dr. Auer
Dr. Jeremy Blankenship joined our staff in October 2017. He received his Bachelor of Science in Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (2003) and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University (2007). He enjoys working in the veterinary field due to the variety that the job brings. He enjoys working with animals and loves to educate his clients on how to optimize their pets’ health. He is a veterinarian with an engineering degree, so he approaches problems from many different angles. He and his wife, Stephanie, have 2 children; Luke and Riley. In his spare time, he enjoys disc golf, reading, hiking and spending time with his family. Dr. Blankenship has a Shiloh Shepherd, Tonka, and 5 cats; Fergi, Apac, Dexter, Panda & Percy)
“Always ask questions. Healthcare can be complex and our goal is for you to understand your pet’s health as well as possible and all options available to you.”
– Dr. Blankenship
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. Shortly after 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. Belpar Pet Care Centre and Uniontown Veterinary Clinic. 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.
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, Annabelle, Benson, Honza and Webster. Her favorite part about working at the Uniontown Veterinary Clinic is working alongside her husband and providing quality care to the community’s four-legged family members.
Beth is the longest tenured member of the Uniontown veterinary staff (30+ years… hooray) Beth graduated from Hoover High School and continued her education through the Aultman Paramedic Program. She enjoys helping our clients with the health of their pets and bonding with them. Her hobbies include collecting Barbies, reading cook books and trying new foods. Her and her husband, Dave, have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. When she’s not at work, she is busy taking care of her 4 legged children: Gidget (Papillon Mix) Panzer (Munchkin Cat) and Boo Boo (Blue Maine Coon).
“When your pet is on a step-down dose of steroids, I suggest using a calendar to pre-mark the days, then you can just cross them off as you give meds.”
– Beth
Mandy is another valued receptionist here at Uniontown. Her favorite thing about working in the veterinary field is being able to care for all the dogs and cats and treat them like her own. In her spare time, Mandy and her husband enjoy hiking, reading, kayaking and spending time with their son “Birch” and chihuahua, Lola.
“New situations can make your puppy nervous. Take him or her lots of places, especially to the vet for fun visits like weight checks and to pick up prescriptions. This gives your pet a chance to make new friends and visit without the nervousness of always getting poked!”
– Mandy
Amy joined our reception team in July of 2017. She was born and raised in Florida and grew up with farm animals. She knew from a young age that she wanted to help animals. Amy enjoys working in the veterinary field because she loves to see different breeds and personalities of cats and dogs.
Brittany, also known as “Nay-Nay,” is a graduate from Brown Mackie College in June of 2015. When she was younger, Brittany knew she wanted to work in the veterinary field because she found great interest when she would take her pets to the vet with her family. Her favorite part about working with animals is helping them because they can’t tell you what is wrong; It is both challenging and rewarding all at the same time. She enjoys hanging out with her family, cooking, art, all Cleveland sports, listening to music and spending time with her 2 cats; Kitters and Jasper.
“Just as animals can calm us, we can calm them. They also feel our anxiety and nervousness. It’s best to try and stay relaxed when they are nervous.”
-Brittany
Ashley is a 2013 graduate from Brown Mackie College with an associates degree in Applied Science. After her internship with us, she first started working with us at our Belpar office helping with boarding pets. She transferred to our Uniontown office to assist in surgery and as a veterinary assistant until she received her license in 2014. A fun fact about her is that she is the oldest of 8 children and she likes exotic animals. Ashley enjoys nursing pets back to health and sharing her knowledge with others. Her hobbies include candle making, scrap booking and spending time with her husband and 2 daughters, Lilly and Annabelle.
“Education is key. Do your research whether it be food, breeds, whatever, make sure you use reliable sources and when in doubt ask your veterinarian!”
-Ashley
Nicole has been a member of our staff since June 2016. She became a Registered Veterinary Technician through Kent State University. She enjoys working in the veterinary field because there is always something new to learn every day. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys target shooting, 4 wheeling and spending time with family. She has 3 White German Shepherds (Cotton, Motto and Sasha) and 6 cats.
“Obesity shortens life span and reduces quality of life. Talk to your vet about healthy treat alternatives!”
– Nicole
Amy received her Associates Degree in Veterinary Technology at Brown Mackie/Ross College and has been with us since March 2017. She externed with us at our Belpar office and we loved her so much we offered her a position!!! Amy enjoys taking care of all animals because it gives her great pleasure to nurture our companions and give them the opportunity to live great lives with their owners. Amy and her son have 2 cats: Mae and Ruby. In her spare time she enjoys traveling outside of the country, reading, golfing and spending time with her son. She really loves to ride roller coasters, but not ones that spin in circles!
“A pet’s love is pure and unconditional.”
– Amy
Hannah joined our staff as a room assistant in May of 2017. She currently is enrolled at Kent State University to become a registered veterinary technician. She loves animals and loves being able to learn new things every day at work, and she gave the clinic cat “Dee Dee” her fur-ever home. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, volleyball, swimming, reading and hanging out with friends.
“Don’t listen to everything you read on the internet (AKA coconut oil)”
– Hannah
Dani joined our Staff in September 2017 as a room assistant. She attended Massillon High School and Brown Mackie College. She enjoys learning new things every day in the veterinary field. When she was younger, she wanted to be a nurse or a dentist, here at Uniontown Veterinary Clinic, she is able to practice both! A fun fact about Dani is that she has had tubes in her ears 8 times plus reconstruction once as well as surgery to improve her hearing. She can still hear, but asks for people to speak up! Dani has a Miniature Poodle, Ruby, and 3 cats; Belle, Jasmine and Baby Girl. In her spare time she enjoys reading, coloring and watching movies.
“Important to do an exam once a year even if you don’t see any problems, a vet could catch it early!”
– Dani
Sydnee joined us in 2019 and was a former groomer and kennel assistant. She has always loved animals and helping ones in need. All 3 of her fur babies (Penny, the pittie mix; Salem & Binx, black twin cats) are rescues. She has a tendency to catch and return lost pets to their homes or find homes for strays in her neighborhood. A fun fact about Sydnee is that one of her favorite meals is Dyno Nuggets and mac & cheese. Sydnee is currently working hard to buy a house with a backyard that “Penny” deserves.
“Calling your vet with a question is a lot better than Dr. Google!”
– Sydnee
Webster is a Miniature Dachshund owned by Dr. Gainey and his wife Angela! You can find him usually snuggled with his brother, Benson, in our back office! He loves to greet everyone with a friendly bark.
Benson is a Wirehair Dachshund. He also is owned by Dr. Gainey and his wife Angela! The wirehair dachshund is normally known as “the clown” of the dachshund family, and that he is!! Benson loves to play and come and say hello to everyone when they arrive for their appointment. He doesn’t know a stranger! He has been competing in dog shows with his mom, Angela, and has achieved his “GRAND CHAMPION” status!
Annabelle is the smallest Wirehair of the family.She is such a tiny peanut. Dr. Gainey and Angela got her for the intent to continue showing Wirehair Dachshunds. She, also, is a clown! She is so spunky and full of energy. She loves to play with her brothers and “talk” to all the patients coming in for their visits.
Honza is the newest Wirehair to join the family! He came from Poland (Yes, the Country!) to compete in AKC events. He is a total mama’s boy. His hobby is Barn Hunt and chasing his cat brothers around the house.
Next time you are in our office, feel free to ask if the Gainey kids are working, and they will sure be glad to see you!!
