Our Doctors
Dr. Virginia Duff
Grew up in Maryland and moved to Michigan shortly after becoming a veterinarian. She graduated from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002 after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland. Dr. Duff remains an enthusiastic Terrapin basketball fan.
She enjoys cooking and spends most of her time caring for her family. She is married, has 3 daughters and 2 dogs. She loves her work as a veterinarian and the break it gives her from the chaos of being a mom. She joined the staff at Strong Veterinary Hospital in 2014.
Dr. Alana Mehay
Dr. Alana Mehay was born and raised in the Commerce Michigan area, in her early childhood she was surrounded by rescue animals and helped to rehabilitate wildlife which spawned her passion for veterinary medicine. She continued to receive her Bachelors in Biology from Oakland University and obtained her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University.
Dr. Mehay is both a Fear Free Certified Professional and a Certified Cat Friendly Veterinarian. She enjoys making her appointments a positive experience for both the owners and their pets, and aims to make them as stress-free as possible. Dr. Mehay appreciates the importance of the human-animal bond and strives to protect that relationship in the medicine she practices. Her other interests include feline medicine, dentistry, and surgery.
While not at Strong, Dr. Mehay can be found camping with her fiancé, playing board games with friends and family, or enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee with her feline fur-children, Beauty and Nala.
Dr. Julie Foster
Dr. Julie Foster graduated from Michigan State University in 2005. She has enjoyed general practice since then, with areas of interest in soft tissue surgery, anesthesia and pain management, feline medicine, dentistry and senior pet care. She looks forward to helping her patients and their families in wellness and preventative care, so that the human animal bond can continue to grow for many years.
Outside of work, Dr. Foster likes to spend time with loved ones, cook, listen to music, organize anything and everything, travel, and be outside as much as possible. She shares her home with her two wonderful children, Colton and Ellie, a Bernese Mountain Dog, Phoenix, two cats named Christoper and Jeffrey, and a crayfish called Mac n Cheese.
Dr. Tom Kavanagh
Growing up in metro Detroit as one of 11 siblings, Tom raised rabbits, tended to sick and wounded wildlife, and even had a pet crow that followed him around for years! Now he’s the Owner and Chief of Staff at Village Animal Clinic.
Dr. Kavanagh enjoyed chemistry and biology in high school. He attended Wayne State University before transferring to Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture. After graduation, he worked in Alaska for a bit before coming home and working in Michigan. After five years, he purchased Village Animal Clinic and has been here ever since. He’s a specialist in veterinary dentistry, oral surgery, and oral medicine, and is even an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine!
At home, Dr. Kavanagh has three dogs, Apache, Maya, and Eli, as well as a cat named Phoebe. He lives with his wife, Sandy. They have two adult children.
Some of Dr. Kavanagh’s greatest memories include migratory waterfowl bird-watching, where he saw a bald eagle swoop down to catch her dinner. He also enjoyed watching ospreys dive into the water to catch fish.
Dr. Maureen Hoane
Dr. Maureen Hoane received her undergraduate degree in Zoology from Michigan State University where she was a member of the Honors College. While she was an undergraduate, Dr. Hoane was given the opportunity to study abroad in Kenya studying African wildlife.
Dr. Hoane continued her studies at MSU College of Veterinary Medicine and received her DVM in 2007. Dr. Hoane has a special interest in dentistry and is currently a Resident of the American Veterinary Dental College.
Dr. Lawrence Leonardi
Dr. Leonardi grew up in the suburbs of metro Detroit. While growing up, his love for nature and animals was always evident as he was constantly bringing animals home to play with and nurture. At one point their small home contained 2 cats, 2 dogs, 5 rabbits, 7 fish, 3 turtles, 5 frogs, and a snake.
Boasting dual bachelor’s degrees from Western Michigan University in geology and biomedical sciences, Dr. Leonardi spend over 10 years in the environmental industry before returning to school. He received his doctorate of veterinary medicine from Michigan State University in 2024.
Outside of the veterinary profession, Dr. Leonardi does all things disc golf. He is registered as a Sr. Disc Golf Course Designer and has worked on hundreds of projects. He also does coaching and runs events regularly. He loves spending time with his wife, 4 kids, and 3 dogs. You can often find him donating his time to benefit children, animals, and others in need.
