Dr. Sharon E. Dirmeyer was born in El Paso, Texas, and resided throughout the United States before moving to Tidewater in 1974. Her bachelors degree was obtained at Virginia Tech as an Animal Science Major, with a special interest in physiology of reproduction. As an avid equestrian, she spent 5 years post graduation professionally training and showing horses and instructing riders. She then returned to the Virginia-Maryland Regional college of Veterinary Medicine to obtain her degree. During this period of time she also did a clerkship at the Royal College of Veterinary Medicine in England to broaden the perspective of her education. Dr. Dirmeyer has worked in the area since 1989 with small and large animals, and currently, through Salty Paws, is proud to continue offering high quality compassionate care to companion animals.

Dr. Susan Fannin joined the Salty Paws staff as an associate veterinarian in July of 2008.  She received her BS from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, PA in Small Animal Science and received her DVM from Virginia Tech  in 2000.  Dr Fannin and her family relocated from Indianapolis,  where she had spent the previous 8 years working at two, small high quality practices, concentrating on companion animals. She is currently a member of the AVMA, VVMA and the local professional organization, GPVMA. Two of her strong interests are in medicine and behavior. Dr. Fannin lives in Yorktown with her husband,and three children. Her family also includes five cats (Flora, Julio, Kelvin, Vesta, and Zippy) and one dog (Brie, Golden Doodle). She also enjoys the connections she makes with our clients and their children (the four and two legged kind!).

Dr. Susan Blessing is originally from Louisiana. She attended McNeese State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology, then attended LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 1987. She moved to Virginia in 2007 to enjoy our wonderful weather and the abundance of outdoor activities available. Dr. Blessing came to Salty Paws in 2009, and has been loving our clients, their pet families, and the total atmosphere since she arrived! She has two pups  (her furry children!) , Rainey and Violet, who love spending time outside chasing balls. In her spare time Dr. B . enjoys biking, hiking, and trying new outdoor adventures.

Dr. Jessica Norman joined the Salty Paws team in 2024. She grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She traveled to Virginia initially to earn her B.S. in Biology at Virginia Tech in 2014 (Go Hokies!) and then to Iowa to earn her D.V.M. at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Following vet school, Dr. Norman married her high school sweetheart and followed his Air Force career from California to Texas and then back to Virginia.

Dr. Norman currently lives in Newport News with her 2 human babies and 4 fur babies (a dog and 3 cats). In her spare time, Dr. Norman enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying new restaurants and breweries, and enjoying the outdoors.

Dr. Elizabeth Johnson is a 1994 graduate from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.She and her veterinarian husband live in Smithfield with their two teenage children, two dogs Bentley and Rink and two cats Lattimore and Cracker.

She loves working at Salty Paws because “The clients and staff are the best!”

By the age of six, Dr. Voglewede found her life’s purpose – provide a healing hand for any animal in need. By the age of 27, Dr. Voglewede made her dream a reality when she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from RUSVM with clinicals at Colorado State University. Dr. Voglewede constantly seeks higher education, currently enrolled in a MBA degree and the College of William and Mary, Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Extensively trained through internships and working alongside specialists, Dr. Voglewede practices gold standard, most up-to-date medicine, ensuring each patient has a specific tailored plan for the best prognosis and life ahead possible. 

Dr. Voglewede has many kids, including four dogs, six cats, and exotics. She is a novice space enthusiast and would love to be the first vet in space (despite her fear of flying!). She grew up in Hampton Roads and has practiced in multiple states within the US. Her veterinary passions include connecting with animals and their parents, emergency medicine, surgical oncology, and chronic disease management. She encourages preventative care blood work, radiographs and ultrasounds to catch many diseases early before they cause a life-threatening problem. 

Dr. Voglewede is unbelievably excited to practice medicine at Salty Paws. She has never been at a facility that expressed so much love, commitment, and phenomenal care to every fur baby!

Personal Mission Statement: I treat every patient as if they were my own beloved child, providing the best care possible. When one plan does not work as expected, another plan is always available to keep your baby happy and healthy, by your side, for as long as possible. It’s a beautiful day to save lives!