About Us
Drs. Gregory Schmidt and Ashley Guidry LeMaire have been providing medical and dental care to hundreds of pets in our local community. They are dedicated to helping families manage their pet’s health in a personable, fun practice environment where every single patient (and their human) feels welcomed, loved and is well taken care of. They love being a part of the Lafayette community and it is a place they call home.
Our Doctors

Dr. Gregory Schmidt
Dr. Gregory Schmidt is a graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine and a Lafayette High School and University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumnus.
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He has practiced in both the small animal and emergency medicine settings and has special interests in exotic animals and wildlife. He has two fantastic children whom he deeply adores. In his very limited free time, his hobbies include vacillating between playing electric guitar, woodworking, metalworking/welding, and SCUBA diving.

Dr. Ashley Guidry LeMaire
As a young girl growing up in South Louisiana, with an avid duck hunter for a father and an operating room nurse for a mother, Dr. Ashley Guidry LeMaire was taught not only to the love for her pets but also a love of practicing medicine.
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She recalls a particular memory of a family-owned labrador puppy named “Buddy” that inspired her path towards veterinary medicine. Their poor puppy was diagnosed with parvovirus which has a very low survival rate. At that time, they called their veterinarian and he recommended home treatment. She and her mom and set up a treatment room in their dining area and went to work. Amazingly, after several days of intense home care, Buddy survived! She was overjoyed to see him return to his happy puppy self!
Animals have always been a part of Dr. Ashley’s life. Growing up there were two elderly women who lived in the neighborhood that were very fond of cats. They would feed all of the neighborhood stray cats and Dr. Ashley would often spend time with them feeding the small kittens. Those ladies had such kind hearts…she often look back with fondness of the time that she spent with them.
On days off, Dr. Ashley enjoys spending time with her family. Two little children can certainly keep a mother busy! Her family also enjoys fishing, gardening and most of all, watching LSU football! Geaux Tigers! Time spent at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine will live with her always. She loves South Louisiana – the food, the music, the culture. Dr. Ashley is happy to continue to serve this awesome community and their fur babies!
Our Team

Casey
Casey has loved animals all of her life and she constantly strives to learn more about them.
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Working in the veterinary field is very exciting and Casey is passionate about growing in the field every day! When she is not at the clinic, she cares for a barn of 15 horses, her wolfdog, her two dogs, and her five cats. Casey’s animals teach her something new every day. In her spare time, she also enjoys riding her horse and training her dogs. She is very close with her friends and family who are also in the animal field, and they all help each other to learn and grow. Casey has completed one semester at Penn Foster to become a Certified Veterinary Technician, and hopes to complete her studies one day in the future. She looks forward to learning more and growing in this career because it’s her life’s passion!

Carrie
Carrie is a Southern transplant. She was born and raised in the Northeast and moved to South LA in 2017.
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Carrie has been involved in veterinary medicine since she graduated (24 years!) long ago. She has worked in all capacities from kennel work to speciality practice, including surgery and anesthesia for the last 15 years. Carrie looks forward to meeting all of your pet babies and being a part of their lives at VAA.

Toni
Raised in Erath, Louisiana, Toni has been in the veterinary world for over 11 years!
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Raised in Erath, Louisiana, Toni has been in the veterinary world for over 11 years! She is most proud of being a mom above all else. Toni loves to hunt, fish, and listen to music with her son. Currently, Toni has one dog and one cat whose name are Koda and Zuma! Toni loves forming relationships with clients and getting to know their pets and family members. Her favorite quote is “be positive and love your life”, by Nick Hexum

Catherine
Born and raised in Lafayette, LA, Catherine has been with and around animals, both large and small, her entire life.
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She started riding horses at the age of 7 and eventually started competing in competition jumping 2 years later, continuing this for 6 more years. As a kid, she would watch every veterinary show she could on Animal Planet and even dissect a few dead snakes from her grandpa’s garden. Catherine has 2 sidekicks, Tank and Chica, and always has one or both of them with her wherever she goes. She works at Lafayette Animal Emergency Clinic on the weekends. In her spare time, she spends her time in the gym weight lifting and competing in Judo.

Kan
What she loves the most about working at Veterinary Associates of Acadiana is being a part of a wonderful and supportive team as well as playing a great role in caring for owners and their “fur-babies”.
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I was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana and have lived here all my life. I am married to my wonderful husband of 8 years and I am the proud servant of two mischievous Siamese cats, Lily and Stoney. Passionate about life and all living things, the center of my universe revolves around my family and my friends. I believe that kindness and compassion are the keys to making the world a better place. What I love the most about working at Veterinary Associates of Acadiana is being a part of a wonderful and supportive team as well as playing a great role in caring for owners and their “fur-babies”. It takes very special people to work in veterinary medicine and our clinic is no different and we are always up for the job.
When I’m not working, I spend my time dancing, swimming, skating, and spending time with family and friends. I am always up for adventure and I really love new and exciting experiences. My goal is to travel to as many countries as possible and get a taste of all the world’s different cultures. The thing that I am passionate about the most though, is helping people in need. Being there when someone needs me is the best feeling in the world and working here allows me to do just that everyday. Being the bearer of light is my true purpose in life.

Mel
Melissa (aka Mel) is a Lafayette native and has been in the veterinary field since 2011.
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Melissa (aka Mel) is a Lafayette native and has been in the veterinary field since 2011. She is first and foremost a mommy to her daughter Cheyenne. She is currently enrolled in the Penn Foster Vet Tech program to become a registered Veterinary Technician, and has a degree in Psychology from UL. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends – hiking and riding horses. Melissa has 2 horses, 4 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 guinea pigs! She is really enjoying learning all about exotic veterinary medicine with Dr. Schmidt. She looks forward to meeting and loving on all of your fur babies!