Dr. John Worman knew he was destined to be a “doggie doctor” by the first grade. He was raised on a farm in Gahanna, where his parents bred Beagles and Basset Hounds. They had 10 adult dogs and would raise about 20 puppies each year! The family farm also gave him the opportunity to grow up with horses, ponies, frogs, turtles, and a few baby raccoons. He learned at an early age that wild animals make terrible pets!

Dr. John attended The Ohio State University and graduated with a BS in Animal Science in 1976. Dr. John made his “doggie doctor” (and kitty doctor) dream a reality when he graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1981.

Dr. John has a passion for surgery, particularly orthopedics, and has over 30 years of experience. He has a notable interest in anterior cruciate repairs, tibial transpositions, and 2 to 3-piece bone fractures.

Dr. John, and his wife, Dr. Paula Marrie, have two children, Jason and Jenny, who both work at Gahanna Animal Hospital. Dr. Jason is a veterinarian and Jenny oversees marketing, advertising, and social media. Dr. John and Dr. Paula have 2 dogs, Keady and Jeorge, 2 cats, Bimby and Bud, a yellow-naped Amazon parrot, Patrick, a Mississippi map turtle, Speedy, and chickens.

Dr. John is a very big supporter of Ohio State football, and outside of work, you can often find him at the Shoe! If he’s not there, he will surely be found at Lake Erie. His favorite pastimes are boating and exploring the lake.

Her passion for animals further developed in her teenage years when she began working in the kennel at Gahanna Animal Hospital in 1992. As the years passed, she became proficient in other departments in the hospital, training as a receptionist and then a veterinary assistant. She continued working at GAH throughout her undergraduate years and veterinary school. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 1998 with a BS in Community Health Education and graduated from The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. Working in the various areas of the hospital helped her to better understand all aspects of veterinary medicine including client care, kenneling, grooming, and patient care.

Dr. Riebel and her husband, Doug, have two wonderful daughters. The family shares a house with their two dogs, Woodley and Heath, three cats, Tanner, Izzy, and Crazy, a fish, a lizard, and a hermit crab. Dr. Riebel adopted Woodley and Heath from a client who had rescued a pregnant dog, adopted Tanner from the GAH Adoption Program, took in Izzy after she was abandoned at GAH, and rescued Crazy from a park during her daughter’s soccer practice.

Tanner, the GAH adoptee, has a special place in Dr. Riebel and her daughters’ hearts. Tanner will let the girls pretend that she’s a baby and carry her around like one. Crazy truly lives up to his name by running around the house, pouncing on the other cats, and playing with anything and everything.

Outside of work, Dr. Riebel’s biggest passion is her family. Her daughters are involved with travel soccer, piano and voice lessons, and Chinese classes. When Dr. Riebel is not traveling to extracurricular activities or school events, she enjoys spending time with her family at the zoo, Zoombezi Bay, COSI, and the park.

Dr. Joy Harkins declared her plan to become a veterinarian during a kindergarten class project. Her earliest memories include diagnosing and treating her “sick” stuffed animals. Her passion for animals grew as she did. She graduated with a BS in Biology from Youngstown State University and went on to receive an MS in Physiology from North Carolina State University. She received her DVM from The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine and began working at Gahanna Animal Hospital shortly after in 2004.

She enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, especially internal medicine, surgery, senior wellness, and preventative care. She proudly works alongside several local rescue groups. She is a member of the International Veterinary Association of Pain Management (IVAPM) and is certified in Acupuncture. She is a strong proponent of utilizing low stress handling to make veterinary visits a positive experience for her patients.

Dr. Harkins and her husband, Todd, have been married for over 22 years. Together they have two wonderful sons, Chris and Drew. The boys are active in travel soccer, basketball, scouts, and piano. Dr. Harkins and her husband also have two fur sons Junior, a boxer pit mix, and Bogey, a golden retriever. Junior was found on the streets of Cleveland, severely emaciated, suffering from pneumonia, and cruelly abused at the hands of strangers. Instead of becoming aggressive, Junior remained a kind and gentle soul. After he was brought to GAH to be treated, Dr. Harkins quickly fell in love and adopted him into her family. Bogey, the newest addition to the crew, is a mischievous ball of energy. Dr. Harkins jokes that his full name is “Bogey, What’s In Your Mouth?”. Junior and Bogey absolutely love getting the kids up in the morning. They patiently wait at the boys’ bedroom doors until they are allowed to run in, jump on their beds, and unleash a wrath of kisses until they begin to wake up.

Outside of work, Dr. Harkins enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She particularly enjoys kickboxing and also has a passion for reading.

For better or worse, all of the cases that Dr. Harkins takes on, impact her life. She becomes emotionally invested and works hard to give every animal the same level of care and concern that she would give her own. Dr. Harkins finds that being a veterinarian is truly rewarding, and although it can become stressful at times, she wouldn’t have it any other way.