Our Doctors
Jim Adams, DVM
Dr. Jim Adams dreamed of being a veterinarian after reading James Herriot’s “All Creatures Great and Small” and is grateful now for the gift of serving the community as a veterinarian for over 38 years. His highest calling is helping people by caring for their animals.
Jim has deep roots in this area having been raised in Winston-Salem, N.C. and spending youthful summers on his extended family’s diversified farm in Russell County, Virginia.
Jim attended North Carolina State University where he was a member of the NC Fellows Leadership Development Program and was actively involved in student government. Most importantly, it was at NC State where he met his wonderful wife of over 40 years, Lisa.
He graduated from Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984, and then moved to Virginia and joined a large animal practice with a primary interest in bovine herd health. He joined Carroll Veterinary Clinic in 1986 and continued to work primarily with large animals for the next 20 years while developing his small animal skills in this rapidly growing mixed practice. He was a founding partner of Foothills Pet Healthcare Clinic in 2000 and continues to split his time between what are now two very busy companion animal practices. He currently serves as the medical director for both practices. His professional interests include internal medicine, endocrinology, dermatology, and emergency practice.
Jim and Lisa have lived in Galax Virginia for almost 40 years where Lisa operated her independent CPA practice until her recent retirement. They are avid outdoors people, enjoying hiking, road and mountain biking, alpine skiing, travel, and cooking together. Jim has a passion for mountain climbing in the Pacific Cascades with his adventurous friends and family. He has served for multiple terms on both the Galax School Board and the Galax Planning Commission.
Together, they pursue time with their grown children Kelsey (a school administrator in Henry County) and Charley (a tech executive in Charlottesville) and are so grateful for their son-in-law Johnny (a bank executive) and Aubrey (an educational software administrator). They are also delighted to enjoy time with their grandson, Wesley James, of Charlottesville.
H. G. Mark Strauss, DVM
As early as sixth grade, Dr. H. G. Mark Strauss’ parents recognized his aptitude for science, and they encouraged it. He was the first child of his generation to be college bound, and his father was a big supporter of Dr. Strauss pursuing a veterinary degree. By the time Dr. Strauss graduated from high school, becoming a veterinarian was his one and only career choice. He attended Towson State College and University of Maryland and graduated with a BS in microbiology. He went on to attend the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 1980.
Dr. Strauss came to the twin county area in 1980 and worked in a multi-species practice. He quickly realized that the community was right where he wanted to stay for the rest of his career. He founded Carroll Veterinary Clinic in 1984 and has since seen it grow into a four-doctor practice. In 1999, Dr. Strauss co-founded Foothills Pet Healthcare Clinic with his partner, Dr. James G. Adams Jr.
Dr. Strauss enjoys all aspects of practice and maintains a special interest in orthopedic surgery and behavior. He also plays a key role in the business administration side of the practices.
Married to Brenda, a native of the Galax/Fries area, Dr. Strauss and his wife are blessed with five adult children and six grandchildren. The couple lives on a farm in Hillsville with two dogs and three cats, all of which came into the family with medical issues. The Strauss’ also graze 60 to 80 beef cattle each year.
When not at work, Dr. Strauss can be found getting his hands dirty on the farm or enjoying his favorite hobby—antique Mack trucks. He currently owns two B-61 Macks from the 1960s that he frequently works on and runs occasionally for work purposes. Dr. Strauss’ other hobby is 0-gauge model railroading, which he enjoys with his 7-year-old grandson who lives just across the yard. One of his favorite things in life is obliging his grandson’s requests to ride on the tractor or work on the trains. He and his wife also enjoy RV camping and taking their grandchildren on trips. The couple hopes to do the big cross-country tour in their RV one day.
The Strauss family is blessed to be part of First United Methodist Church of Hillsville, where Brenda and Dr. Strauss are members of the choir. Dr. Strauss has served the church as finance chairman and currently serves as treasurer. He and his wife have been on many mission trips together, going to Mexico in 2001 and 2005.
“I have always maintained that veterinarians never choose their pets, but that they get chosen by animals that are facing an untimely demise. In addition to caring for the needs of my family’s own pets, if called to do so, I would like to go on more veterinary mission trips. It’s a chance to help give back some of the many gifts God has given me.”
Teresa (Fischer) McKenzie, DVM
Dr. McKenzie Knew she wanted to be a vet at 10 years of age when she was inspired by a veterinarian who saved the life of her family dog who had been hit by a car. Dr. Mckenzie also developed a passion for dairy cows while working on a dairy farm close to her home starting around the age of 13.
Pursuing her dream, Dr. McKenzie attended Cornell University and graduated in 1992 with a BS in animal science. She earned her DVM from the same university in 1996.
Dr. McKenzie began her professional career as a herd veterinarian for a dairy farm in upstate New York, where she provided care for over 10,000 Holstein cows. In May 1999, she began practicing with Carroll Veterinary Clinic and Foothills Pet Healthcare Clinic, where her current interests focus on small animal preventive medicine, internal medicine, and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Mckenzie appreciates the collaborative efforts with her colleagues and support team to provide the best care possible for our patients and their pet parents. She enjoys mentoring and encouraging all team members to advance their skills and pursue their interests.
When not practicing medicine, you can find Dr. McKenzie spending time with her husband Martin and their two teenage daughters. The McKenzie family has a passion for solving escape rooms together and has played almost 20 rooms in the past three years. In her free time, Dr. McKenzie enjoys crocheting, sewing, gardening, and traveling with her family from the beach to the mountains. She is also been a supportive “dance mom” to her daughters.
Dr. McKenzie and her family share a love of animals, especially boxers. They currently have two dogs-Leia, a 12-year-old boxer mix, and Rowan, a 4-year-old boxer. They have an 11/2-year-old cat named Stella who was an orphan that her oldest daughter bottle raised.
“The thing I like the most about my job is working with a dedicated team to help people and their pets. It’s very rewarding to help educate them on how to keep their pets healthy and make reasonable and humane decisions about their care.”
Jonathan Adcock, DVM
Dr. Jonathan Adcock was born in east Tennessee and raised in western North Carolina. He enjoyed Summer helping out on his grandparents farm in rural Tennessee during summer breaks putting up hay for the winter, learning to drive the tractor, and moving cattle. He started volunteering at the young age of eight at the local veterinary clinic. His veterinary career started on a day when a dog came in with a large piece of wood stuck in its chest and has been enjoying it ever since.
Dr. Adcock played collegiate soccer at Montreat College from 2000 to 2002 then studied at the University of Tennessee in animal sciences from 2002 to 2004. He went on to earn his DVM degree from University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. After graduation, Dr. Adcock moved to southwest Virginia and joined a mixed animal practice as an associate veterinarian. In the fall of 2012, he had the pleasure of joining Carroll Veterinary Clinic and Foothills Pet Healthcare Clinic. Dr. Adcock is a member of AVMA, NCVMA, VVMA and AASRP.
Dr. Adcock has many interests in veterinary medicine including but not limited to dermatology, gastrointestinal issues, ophthalmology, and orthopedic surgery. He also enjoys treating small ruminants. He never wants become stagnant in his practice of veterinary medicine.
When not at the clinic you will usually find Dr. Adcock running on the road or trail as he is an avid runner who has completed numerous ultra-marathons (races over 26.2 miles), many marathons, and other various running races. He enjoys hiking and spending time with his wife Rebecca. They also have a hillside garden of raised beds which produces an abundance of produce which they utilize in cooking and canning.
The Adcock’s own a farm in Stuart, VA on the Mayo River with a small herd of goats, one very large sheep, a flock of chickens, and a guinea. They also have three beagles, three cats, and an old great pyrenees that roam the peninsula.
“I will always strive to be the best veterinarian I can be; never settling for doing things the easy way, but the best way for patient and client. When I say that any monkey can do my job, it will be time to hang it up.”
Patti Perry, DVM
Doctor Patti Perry was born in New York but moved to southern California at a young age which is where she grew up. She knew very early in life that caring for animals was her calling, and she pursued it at every opportunity. Growing up, her first jobs were in veterinary clinics, working in every position from kennel assistant to technician.
Dr. Perry attended UC Davis for her undergraduate degree, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science in 2005. Post-graduation, she continued with her higher education to receive an Associate’s in Veterinary Technology and became a registered veterinary technician in 2008. After practicing as a technician for 3 years, she returned to school to complete her dream to get her DVM. Dr. Perry graduated in 2014 from Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary medicine with her Doctor of Veterinary medicine degree. Post-graduation, Dr. Perry completed an internship with West Coast Equine Hospital in Somis, California where she gained extensive knowledge and experience in equine medicine before transitioning to small animal practice. She moved back to Virginia in 2016 with her husband Jason to be closer to family.
Dr. Perry joined Carroll Veterinary Clinic and Foothills Pet Healthcare Clinics in 2019, where she enjoys working with clients and patients to provide the best quality care possible. She has diverse interests including dentistry, ophthalmology, nutrition, pain-control and surgery. She enjoys getting to know clients and working with their pets to provide for their individualized health needs.
Doctor Perry lives with her husband and son in Woodlawn, where they share a farm with their many horses, dogs and cats. In her time off, you can find Dr. Perry riding and competing with her horses, gardening at home, or playing with her son at the local parks and playgrounds. She enjoys hiking with her family and traveling whenever possible.
