River Run Veterinary Hospital Logo

đź“ž 570 -622-1098

Facebook

Meet Our Staff Team Family

Dr. Jessica Walters, owner of River Run Veterinary Hospital, is a native of Schuylkill County, PA. She grew up in Auburn, PA where she took care of many types of the family pets from cats, dogs, fish, hamsters, and rabbits, to a guinea pig, chickens, and horses.

 

Dr. Walters first attended Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, PA where she received her Associates of Equine Science Degree. She then began her journey as a United States Coast Guard spouse and was first stationed with her husband in Chincoteague, VA. This is where Dr. Walters began pursing a career in the animal health field as a veterinary assistant.

 

When her family was transferred to Miami with the military, she continued to pursue a career in veterinary medicine while attending Broward County Community College to work towards her B.S. in Biology. One more military move, and Dr. Walters graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

 

After undergrad, Dr. Walters headed to the island of St. Kitts, in the central Caribbean, where she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her clinical year at Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine, AL.

 

She has been working locally since, and is excited to be back in her “backyard” and practicing what she loves!
Jessica Walters 3

Our Team

Veterinary Assistant

  • Brandea Stock​
  • Keyla Brill

Veterinary Technician

  • Sophia Bowers
  • Karen Sippel

Receptionists

  • Karen Sippel
  • Cathy Stone
  • Roxie Shook
  • April Hanson

Support Staff

  • Kathy Lishman, Bookkeeper
  • Keyla Brill, Certified Groomer

Sophia Bowers

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Sophia graduated in August 2025, with a degree in Veterinary Technology from Lehigh Carbon Community College.

 

She is passionate about providing compassionate, high-quality care to both animals and their owners, and strives to make every visit as comfortable and positive as possible.

 

At home, she enjoys spending time with her three pets, Henry and Pootie, her cats, and Ceasar, her dog, who always keeps life fun and reminds her why she loves working in veterinary medicine.

Sophia

April Hanson

Receptionist

April obtained her cosmetologist license in 2022 and nail tech license in 2021 but quickly realized her heart was set to animals. April started working at a pet resort while attending high school. She is also a manager at McDonald’s on the weekends and has provided in home pet care services, since 2019.

She loves helping clientele through tough situations and has a big passion for loving animals. In April’s free time she loves to crochet, clean, and spend as much time with her pets as possible!

April

Karen Sippel

Veterinary Technician & Receptionist

Karen resides in the Schuylkill Haven area with her dog Jubilee, and her cats and pet cockatoo. She has been working in the Veterinary field for 32 years. She enjoys helping pet parents grow and learn with their fur babies. When she’s not working, she enjoys walking and hiking with Jubilee.
Karen (1)

Cathy Stone

Receptionist

Cathleen is a high school science teacher who recently began working part time at River Run Veterinary Hospital. She enjoys meeting new people and their pets while working at the front desk.
 
She finds it interesting to combine her background in science and love of animals.
Cathleen lives in Minersville with her husband, two children, three dogs, cockatiels, guinea pig, rabbit, and ducks.
 
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her pets and gardening.
Cathleen (1)

Roxie Shook

Receptionist

Roxie is a North Carolina native where she graduated from high school. She then moved to Knoxville Tennessee, where she received an Associate’s degree in Business and Accounting from the University of Tennessee. After college, she pursued a career in the banking and hospitality industries. Roxie moved to Pottsville Pennsylvania in 2012.

She has always been an empathetic animal lover and recently decided to switch career paths to working in the veterinary field. She has been enjoying learning new things here at River Run Veterinary Hospital. Roxie shares her life with her husband, 2 kids, a grandson, and 5 cats. She enjoys gardening and traveling in her free time.
Roxie (1)

Brandea Stock

Veterinary Assistant, & Reception

Brandea resides in Summit Station with her family and is a graduate of Northern Michigan University with a BS in Zoology and a minor in Criminal Justice. Brandea started building her resume volunteering at zoos in the Midwest, which led to accepting an internship at an exotic animal ranch right out of college. Here, she gained experience in husbandry, enrichment, diet, education, and not to mention hand-raising some pretty cute kangaroos and camels.

 

A few years ago, life events brought Brandea back to Pennsylvania, where she immediately landed a job at an animal shelter. Here, she applied her knowledge to make her way up to running and eventually managing the shelter successfully, over the past 6 years. Brandea’s compassion for animals, and their caretakers, exudes through her work by going above and beyond to provide the best care possible. She is excited to bring her experiences to River Run and become a part of the vet team that cares for the four-legged family members in her community. 

 

Brandea Taylor Staff Picture

Keyla Brill

Veterinary Assistant & Certified Groomer

Keyla has had a lifelong passion for animals, dating back to her childhood dream of working with them. Initially, she pursued veterinary technician studies before shifting gears to focus on cosmetology. After a fulfilling eight-year career as a hairdresser, Keyla felt drawn back to her true calling—working with dogs. In 2021, she began her journey by bathing and brushing dogs, quickly realizing grooming was a natural fit. She earned her certification as a dog groomer and has spent the past two years caring for her furry clients and enjoying their affectionate kisses.

Outside of work, Keyla loves spending time outdoors, especially walking her three dogs. She also enjoys adventures like ATV riding in the mountains and exploring new places whenever she gets the chance.

Evoto