Providing you the best veterinary care
Meet the staff at Carlton Veterinary Hospital
The staff at Carlton Veterinary Hospital aims to inform you of your pet's health needs in a comprehensive way. So you can make informed decisions about your pet's well-being.
It is important to us to provide the best veterinary care. Our goal is to continually stay abreast of and provide the most current medical and surgical treatments in veterinary medicine.
Our doctors
Leanne Mellbye, DVM
Dr. Leanne Mellbye graduated from Oregon State University in 1991. She has been a lead veterinarian and mentor at Carlton Veterinary Hospital since 1992.
She is an active member of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association and American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Mellbye's primary interest is small animal medicine and surgery.
She is owned by one dog named Riley (pictured) and two cats. You will often find her hiking, camping, kayaking, rafting, traveling or spending time with family and friends.
Nichole Pilakowski, DVM
Dr. Nichole Pilakowski was born and raised in Montana and has been a small animal veterinarian at CVH since 2007. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2006 and is a current member of the OVMA and AVMA.
She is happily married and owned by two rescue dogs named Burgess and Annie and she has 5 cats: Moppy, Tommy, Sweepy, Azeala, and Maggie.
During her free time, Dr. Nichole loves to be up in the woods hiking and camping, usually with a good book in her hand.
Amelia Caruso-Picker, DVM
Dr. Amy grew up in Dundee, Oregon and attended Newberg High School. She graduated from Oregon State University as a veterinarian in 2000.
She enjoys working with her CVH team to improve her patients' lives, especially when oral health is involved.
Outside of Carlton Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Amy keeps extremely busy with her two children, Carson and Emily, and the many pets they bring home.
The Picker menagerie currently includes a horse and a pony, a Guinea pig, four pheasants, five chickens, three cats and two dogs.
Dr. Amy also assists her husband, Scott, with his newest venture of raising Longhorn cattle and his local business, Aspen Creek Landscaping.
Sonja Lapinski, DVM
Dr. Sonja Lapinski was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She studied biology at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and veterinary medicine at Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She picked up commercial salmon fishing in Alaska as a summer job along the way and continued it through veterinary school.
After an internship in Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Sonja returned to the Willamette Valley and has worked in Emergency Medicine and General Practice around the Portland metro area for the past 5 years.
Dr. Sonja and her husband, Alex (also an Oregon native, from Corvallis), moved to Newberg in 2015 with their two small black mutts. They spend their free time adventuring around Oregon, or just enjoying the many perks of living in one of the world’s most beautiful and productive valleys. Dr. Sonja says she is very grateful to be joining such a highly-regarded, team-oriented and smart group at Carlton Veterinary Hospital.
Rachel Collins, DVM
Dr. Rachel is a 2013 graduate from Oregon State University's College of Veterinary Medicine with an interest in all of small animal medicine and surgery, but particularly soft tissue surgery, senior patient care and dermatology. She recently comes to us after practicing in the Columbia River Gorge. Dr. Rachel practices part time to keep up with her busy home life.
Her family raises a flock of Club Lamb ewes on a small farm consisting of cats, sheep and a Great Pyrenees dog named Glacier. Rachel and her husband are being raised by two boys: Oliver born 2014 and Emmett born 2016. Dr. Rachel is from Central Oregon and therefore loves being outdoors hiking, rafting and riding dirt bikes with her boys. Rachel's husband was born and raised in Yamhill and they are happy to be back home with their extended family.
Heather Baumholtz, DVM
Dr. Heather graduated from Oregon State University with her Masters in Equine Reproduction and her veterinary degree in 2001.
She joined the Carlton Veterinary Hospital team as a part-time equine veterinarian in 2009 and also jumps in to assist as a small animal veterinarian doing the routine dog or cat house calls or in the clinic as needed.
Dr. Heather has been a local horse 4H leader for years. Her three young girls, husband, and a large variety of farm animals keep her on her toes.
Lucy, CFO (Chief Feline Officer)
Lucy came to work for CVH in the fall of 2008 as our Assistant Chief Feline Officer. She was a WILD woman who has tamed her ways. Lucy specializing in acupuncture but delivers it with a very tender loving touch.
Although she certainly enjoys working here, she would love to find a more permanent position elsewhere with compassionate companionship. In 2014 she graduated from
CFO to ACFO.
