Dr. Arthur Serwitz - aserwitz@riverviewanimalclinic.net
Dr. Arthur Serwitz is the founder of Riverview Animal clinic. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Virginia tech in 1966, and was accepted into the University of Georgia’s School of Veterinary Medicine, completing his Doctorate in 1970. After graduation, Doc lived, in Israel for a year – traveling, studying, working on farms: raising crops, turkeys, orchards, milking cows, beekeeping, and practicing some veterinary medicine on some of the local pets.
In 1971 he worked in a small animal practice in Atlanta (Sandy Springs) for a year until he married Joyce Barnett Royal of Birmingham, Alabama. After taking a 3 month “honeymoon” trip around the country, they ventured to Raleigh, NC where Dr. Serwitz completed a dairy internship program with Dr. Ben Harrington. His next business association was with a classmate, Dr. John Shockley, in Cairo, GA, where they worked together in his already established mixed animal practice from 1973 to 1975– large animal calls ranged all over South Georgia and North Florida (Tallahassee and Big Bend areas), and included dairy and beef cattle, horses, hogs, goats, dogs, and cats.
In 1975 Dr. Serwitz and Joyce moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and again settled into another mixed animal practice at Shaver Animal Clinic. Two years later, they relocated to Birmingham. He began working in a small animal facility, Standifer’s Animal Clinic in Homewood, where he stayed for seven years. It was in 1984, that Dr. Serwitz procured the Motel for Pets and began Riverview Animal Clinic.
Dr. Serwitz has two children: Shelley Serwitz Seinberg, a practicing attorney in Atlanta, and David Serwitz, also a practicing attorney in Atlanta. They have a very fast Havanese named Sophie. Dr. Serwitz remains active with the local Jefferson County Veterinary Medical Association, and has professional affiliations with the AVMA, Alabama VMA, AAHA, and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal rights (AVAR). He has been an active Rotarian since 1985 (Rotary Club of Inverness). Presently he is an honorary board member of Alabama Wildlife Rescue.
When he is not at Riverview, “Doc” enjoys golfing, traveling, spending time with friends and family, cooking, and playing poker.
Dr Robert Wood - rwooddvm@hotmail.com
Dr. Wood is one of the owners of Riverview Animal Clinic and has been practicing Veterinary Medicine since 1981. His talent in ultrasound diagnostics and oncology is sought after by many of his peers in Alabama. He sees a wide variety of patients and has many cases to manage, all the while keeping pace with the constant challenge of staying current with Veterinary medical practices due to the rapid pace of medical and surgical advancements.
Dr. Wood attended both UAB and Auburn University for his undergraduate work, and graduated with a DVM from Auburn. He is affiliated with The Veterinary Cancer Society, the AVMA, and the Alabama VMA.
When he is not at the clinic, Dr. Wood and his wife, Janet, are very active outdoor—either puttering with the landscaping in their yard or taking part in his son Jordan's scout troop. On fall weekends, you can probably find them at the Auburn Tiger's home games. He also loves water and snow skiing, personal fitness, and hiking and camping outdoors.
Dr. Wood and Janet have a Labrador Retriever named Dakota, and a German Shepherd named Kenyan.
Dr. Alvin Atlas - dratlas@riverviewanimalclinic.net
Dr. Atlas combines a dedication to excellence in veterinary medicine with an energetic commitment to people, and has done so for over twenty years. This means not only keeping up with the latest techniques, but also spending more time with his patients and their owners by taking an active role in their health education.
In addition to dogs and cats, Dr. Atlas has a special interest in avian, exotic, and wildlife species. His caseload, from rabbits to iguanas, turtles, and ferrets, also includes a large and diverse number of avian patients, as well as consultations and referrals from breeders, area veterinarians, and the Birmingham Zoo. He worked with the Southeastern Raptor Center while in veterinary school at Auburn University before graduating in 1988, and has continued working with raptors and native species as a volunteer veterinarian and board member with the Alabama Wildlife Center and Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. Dr. Atlas is a member of the American, Alabama, and Jefferson County Veterinary Medical Associations, the Association of Avian Veterinarians, the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, and serves on the board of the Alabama EARS chapter of the House Rabbit Society and the advisory board of Hand in Paw, the Birmingham based pet-assisted therapy organization.
Dr. Atlas and his wife Jill live with their three golden retrievers: Maddie, Gracie, and Dylan, their Senegal parrot “The Little Bird,” several freshwater aquaria, and an endless procession of turtles. He and Jill enjoy wildlife photography, canoeing, and scuba diving.
Dr. Amy Tate - drtate@riverviewanimalclinic.net
Dr. Amy Tate joined our veterinary team in the summer of 2000, but her dedication to veterinary medicine began in our kennel after school and during summer breaks while still in high school. She also worked as a receptionist and a veterinary technician before going to Auburn University for her undergraduate work. She gained early admission to the veterinary program after only 3 years of undergraduate classes. Dr. Tate completed her preceptorship in Atlanta Georgia, and was offered a position as an associate veterinarian here at Riverview soon thereafter. She became a partner in 2008.
She is affiliated with the Jefferson County Veterinary Medical association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association. She has special interests the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in small animals.
Amy is married and has two cats and two dogs: Winnie, Mr. Twain, Josh, and Cyrus. Her daughter, Emily, joined the family in 2007 and her son, Walker, in 2010. In her spare time, Amy enjoys running in her neighborhood and competing in triathlons (without the stroller).
Dr Chris Campbell - drcampbell@riverviewanimalclinic.net
Dr. Christopher Campbell was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. Legend has it Dr. Campbell has wanted to be a veterinarian since the age of five—since his father was an Auburn fan, there was only one school he could attend. While at Auburn, Dr. Campbell worked with the Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center and showed a strong interest in general exotic medicine. Before graduating, Dr Campbell spent a three week externship under the “wing” of Dr. Atlas here at Riverview Animal Clinic, furthering his knowledge of exotic animal medicine. After graduating, he spent nearly a year practicing in Trussville, Alabama before returning like a prodigal son to the Riverview we all know and love. Since returning to Riverview, Dr. Campbell says he has “been blessed to work with the most experienced and competent staff and to be mentored by the most compassionate and selfless doctors [he has] ever met. Each day offers new challenges and something new to learn.”
However, Dr. Campbell has to confess that his passion for veterinary medicine is shared with his passion for music. He even once had lofty aspirations of being a rock star, but felt he was not accomplished enough to make a living of it. So if you are ever in an exam room and you hear someone singing and/or whistling or perhaps you witness the moonwalk, do not fret, it is just Dr. Campbell—perhaps someday he may even write some rockin’ muzak for vet clinics!
Dr. Allison M. Williams, DVM - drwilliams@riverviewanimalclinic.net
Dr. Williams attended the University of Central Florida where she received a bachelor of arts degree in Public Relations and a bachelor of science degree in Molecular and Microbiology. Following her undergraduate studies, she attended veterinary school at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine - Go Gators! Dr. Williams is an active member of the Jefferson County Veterinary Medical Association, Amercian Animal Hospital Association, Weimaraner Rescue of the South, and has served as CEO of Awearness clothing company which promotes spaying/neutering. Her interests outside of the veterinary field include drawing, painting, playing cards and volunteer work.
Dr. Williams lives with her wonderful husband Ben, her son Finley, and their two sweet weimaraners, Shark and Teddy.
Dr. Dominika Steakley - drsteakley@riverviewanimalclinic.net
Dr. Steakley joined Riverview Animal Clinic in 2009. Born in Lodz, Poland, Dr. Steakley moved to Austin, Texas with her family when she was a child. From an early age her love of animals was apparent to her parents, who tried with mixed results to get her to stop sleeping in the doghouse. Later when the family moved to Houston, she was able to buy her first horse and began competing in hunter-jumper and combined training events, winning numerous competitions. She attended Texas A&M for her undergraduate studies in Biomedical Science and was accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine after only two years of undergraduate work. She completed an externship at Research Pet and Bird Hospital in Austin and received her medical degree in 2003. After graduation, she took a position at a small animal clinic in Dallas, where she worked for the past six years.
Dr. Steakley is a member of the local Jefferson County Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association. She lives in Springville, Alabama with her husband Roger, who was born and raised in Gadsden, Alabama. In her free time she enjoys reading, horseback riding, running, yoga, and hiking in the Alabama countryside. She has two dogs and a cat and looks forward to a long future in serving the Birmingham community and all of her clients through veterinary medicine.