Meet our Veterinary Doctors

Dr. Mike Smith founded Clairmont Animal hospital in August of 1990. He is a graduate of Tulane University and University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Smith has spent 41 years practicing veterinary medicine in Florida and Georgia. His special areas of interest include soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and laparoscopic surgery.

Dr. Smith is credentialed in TTA surgery, TPLO surgery, ALPS minimally invasive bone plating and numerous other procedures.

Dr. Smith is married to Denise Smith, a classically trained violinist and has a daughter Lexi who practices environmental law.

In his leisure time he enjoys woodworking, reading, fly fishing, watersports and spending time with his wife, golden retriever, Lake, two rescue cats, Chairman Meow and Woody, and four snakes.  

Dr. George Parlavantzas was born in the United States and raised in Cyprus. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Parlavantzas practiced in an exclusive feline practice prior to joining our hospital. His areas of special interest are general medicine and surgery, feline practice, radiology, and dentistry. Dr. Parlavantzas has three cats: Charybdis, Scylla and Shira.

Dr. Crystal Drakes was born and raised in the Caribbean twin-island country of Trinidad and Tobago. She received her undergraduate degree at Tuskegee University and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. She later followed with a Masters degree in Public Health. She originally worked in Indiana for 7 years before she decided to move to Georgia for the warm weather and even warmer communities.

Dr. Drakes has an interest in public health, infectious disease and dental care. She also has an interest in introducing more young people to the benefits of a career in veterinary medicine.

In her spare time, Dr. Drakes enjoys arts and crafts (she can even make her own soap), travel, visiting farmer's markets, and doing yoga. She still enjoys spending quality time at home with her cats Santana and Pirate, and her puppy Churro.

Dr. Golsen was born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia. He graduated Emory University in 2017 with a BS in biology, and he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at University of Georgia in 2021. After graduating, Dr. Golsen completed a rigorous rotating internship program at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, where he was exposed to a wide array of cases. Dr. Golsen’s interests are soft tissue surgery, oral surgery, and diagnostic imaging.

In his free time, Dr. Golsen enjoys traveling, wildlife photography, and spending time with his friends and family.

Dr. Natalie Santos was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She began her path into veterinary medicine at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology in May 2020. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at the University of Florida in May 2024. Her special areas of interest in veterinary medicine include diagnostic imaging, surgery and preventive medicine. She also finds joy in building strong relationships with her clients in order to provide the best care for her patients. Dr. Santos is also bilingual in English and Spanish, allowing her to better connect with people from different backgrounds. On her free time, Dr. Santos enjoys doing yoga, visiting new coffee shops, spending time with family, travelling and visiting national parks. She also has a mixed breed Pitbull called Olive that she adopted before going to veterinary school and has been her loyal companion since then.

Dr. Brigid Burns was born and raised in the Atlanta/Decatur area and greatly enjoys serving the pets and clients of her community. A proud “double Dawg,” she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in 2014, followed by her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in 2018. Since then, she has been practicing emergency medicine but is excited to transition into general practice, where she can focus more on preventative care and building lasting client relationships. Her professional interests include feline medicine, anesthesia, diagnostic imaging, and, of course, emergency medicine.

Outside of work, Dr. Burns enjoys staying active with spin, barre, yoga, kickboxing, and other workouts. She also loves reading, cooking, and watching Georgia football. She lives in Kirkwood with her husband and their spoiled cat, Nova.

Dr. Pogue attended the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and received his DVM in 2008. He then went to Purdue University for a one year rotating small animal internship, followed by a three year cardiology residency at the University of Florida. In 2012, he became board-certified in cardiology through the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. His clinical interest is echocardiography, particularly of congenital disease and canine cardiomyopathies. Dr. Pogue has worked in the Atlanta area since 2012, and currently performs mobile cardiology consulting with primary veterinary clinics - helping veterinarians diagnose and manage heart disease in their patients. He lives in Alpharetta, GA with his wife (also a veterinarian) and 2 children.

Tasha is CEO of Axam Imaging, Inc and a board-certified radiologist who has practiced in the private sector of Decatur, Georgia for more than 13 years. In collaboration with veterinarians and practices across Metro Atlanta, Axam Imaging provides mobile ultrasound services. We also provide teleradiology services across the nation.

Dr. Axam graduated Duke University with a BS in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and a BS in Psychology. She graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee College of Veterinary Medicine. She's completed a rotating Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. She's also completed residency training in Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.