Morehead Animal Hospital is committed to providing exceptional, compassionate care and uncompromising service to clients and their pets.
Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Morehead Animal Hospital in Morehead City! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Please call us at 252-726-0181 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!
Dr. David R. Bird earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree from the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974. He began Morehead Animal Hospital in 1975. He was a single practitioner until January 2012. Dr. Bird has a special interest in Acti-Stem Cell therapy from Ardent Animal Health technology as an innovative very effective procedure to treat orthopedic conditions. He enjoys all areas of practice but has a particular enthusiasm for soft tissue, orthopedic surgeries and performing stem cell procedures.
He is married to Kelly, who works along side him in the practice. He is the proud father of three children and has four grandchildren; Cecelia Anne, Caroline Grace, Wooten Grey and Corbett David (who was born on his birthday!). His daughter Kristen is also a Dr. Bird with her PhD in Clinical Psychology. His twin sons are John ,who is our practice manager at Morehead Animal Hospital and Ryan, who is Selling Insurance and Providing Customer Service at Morris Insurance Agency. He is also blessed with 2 beautiful daughters in-law Sarah and Spencer. Dr. Bird enjoys fishing, hunting, cooking, taxidermy and a variety of other outdoor hobbies.
Dr. Kathy Ferguson graduated in 1994 from North Carolina State University with B.S. in Zoology and a concentration in Genetics and the University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. She began her career in Raleigh, NC working at Bayleaf Veterinary Hospital for 19 years as a companion animal veterinarian.
Dr. Ferguson has a particular interest in internal medicine, feline care, pain medicine, and the human-animal bond.
She and her family have moved back to Carteret County to be closer to family (she is a Garner!). Her family includes husband Kenton and sons Brannon and Bennett.
Dr. Savannah Sherrill, formerly known as Dr. Royal, earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from NC State University in 2022. After interning with Morehead Animal Hospital on summer and winter breaks during veterinary school, she became a full time addition in the summer of 2022. Dr. Sherrill earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from NC State University in 2018. Her veterinary interests include soft tissue surgery, pain management, dermatology, and low stress handling.
Outside of work, Savannah enjoys spending time outdoors with her three horses, dog, and husband, Grayer. She is excited to be back in her home community practicing veterinary medicine.
ohn became Practice Manager at Morehead Animal Hospital in January 2011 after graduating from UNC-W with a Business degree in Operations Management. He is a licensed real estate agent in North Carolina which has served to make him more well rounded in our community. John is an integral part at Morehead Animal overseeing each and every aspect of day to day operations. John is currently pursuing a program to further advance his education in Veterinary Practice Management. It is his goal to provide our clients with top of the line service to set Morehead Animal apart from other facilities.
John enjoys hunting, fishing and prefers his free time to be spent outdoors. He is married to Sarah, a North Carolina real estate broker, and has two beautiful daughters, Cecelia Anne and Caroline Grace. He owns Coleman (a yorkie) and Faith (a Golden Retriever) along with 25 chickens.
Jill is a 1979 graduate of Central Carolina Technical College in Sanford, North Carolina. She has an Applied Associates degree in Veterinary Medical Technology and has worked at Morehead Animal Hospital since 1988. In the past she has also worked at an animal shelter in Alexandria, Virginia and worked as an educational volunteer in the Craven County Humane Society. She has specialized interest in laboratory testing, animal behavior and in canine reproduction. She attends veterinary seminars for continuing education annually.
Jill and her husband Earl used to have Weimaraners. Their kennel name Celebrith (pronounced kaw-LEE-brith) has a number of field titles, obedience including Utility Dog Tracking titles and to date has produced 7 AKC champions. One of their dogs, Ch. Celebrith Grand Illusion, CD earned the title BROM (Bench Register of Merit) from the Weimaraner Club of America for the achievements of her puppies. Jill now has 2 smaller dogs; a Parson Russell Terrier Bea and Russell Terrier Sookie along with a retired obedience/rally Golden Retriever named Truvy and Geordie, another Golden Retriever that is competing in AKC obedience and rally trials. Jill also enjoys gardening, visiting famous gardens and adores anything related to Disney. ºOº
Kelly is married to Dr. Bird and has been with Morehead Animal Hospital since 1992. As a licensed Veterinary Medical Technician she enjoys all aspects of the practice but has a special interest in cytology, dentistry, and surgical assisting. Her job descriptions have changed dramatically over the years and she is now enjoying more hands on with animals and less time book keeping. She has fallen head over heels in love with her grandchildren and being a “Lala” to Cecelia Anne, Caroline Grace, Wooten Grey and Corbett David.
Kelly enjoys gardening, boating and all things Apple but especially loves sharing Hawaii with Dr. Bird! If they go missing thats where you will find them! She also travels with a medical mission team as often as she can through out Asia. Kelly also graduated Cum Laude from Liberty University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Christian Counseling.
Dawn is our front desk manager and resident Swiftie. She maintains everything coming and going and is responsible for a great deal of client education and information. Dawn recently graduated with an Associate in Art degree and will continue her education to obtain a Bachelors of Sociology this fall. It is her belief that viewing veterinary healthcare through a sociological lens helps due to the strong bond humans share with their pets. She is married to Michael and together they have Madison and Garrison. Her four legged family members are felines Marshall, Nancy Beth, Fern, and one granimal Stephen.
Linda, a longtime and dear friend, answered the call to help out temporarily while we were short staffed….. that was 7 years ago. We all were so happy we could not let her go. We are privileged to have Linda’s many years of office experience answering phones and keeping our front desk in tip top shape. She is responsible for making sure we can accommodate all your pet’s needs while you are in our care. Linda has been a client and a friend of the Birds for more than 35 years. She and her husband Lee enjoy traveling, gardening and home improvement projects including an amazing outdoor Christmas display that is worthy of a drive-by. They own Owen and Omie, 2 of the 6 in our staff Jack Russell family!
Sashell joined our practice in spring 2024. She has called Eastern North Carolina home almost her whole life – fun fact, she was adopted from Russia at the age of 2! Sashell studied at Carteret Community College and holds an Associates in Science and Veterinary Assistant degree, she hopes to further her education. It has been her lifelong dream to work in the veterinarian healthcare field.
In her spare time, Sashell can be found enjoying our beautiful beaches, hanging with friends, or going on adventures with her boyfriend and 6 year old golden retriever Sadie. Sashell lives by the words of her favorite music artist, Harry Styles, “Treat People with Kindness” that includes our animal friends too!
Molly also joined our team this spring, adding another new but welcoming face! Molly spent a great deal of her childhood in Oklahoma but moved back to the Crystal Coast to be with family. After obtaining her Veterinary Assistant Certificate from Carteret Community College in 2020, she has been working in this field since. Molly plans to become a licensed Veterinary Technician. Her interests in veterinary healthcare include working in the laboratory where discovering things under the microscope are exciting and ensuring your pet is comfortable while she is obtaining their blood samples. When she’s away from work she can be found spending time with her 3 dogs Amina, King, and Oakley. She can also be found on the dance floor with friends. Molly’s love of animals is too strong to not make a living helping them every day, that’s her motto that keeps her going.
