Equine Field Services
Large Animal
Hospitals
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Equine Field Service Veterinarians & Staff
The mission of the EFS team is to:
- provide our patients with state of the art equine veterinary care, both on the farm and in the clinic
- utilize advanced training and technologies to provide care and expertise ranging from preventive health to specialty services
- consider our equine patients foremost in our treatment plans
- continue our commitment to training the next generation of dedicated and compassionate professionals and providing excellent education to our students
Scott Pleasant, DVM, MS, DACVS
Dr. Scott Pleasant, associate professor
of equine field service and equine extension and director of the equine podiatry unit, is a 1980 graduate of
Virginia Tech and a member of the Virginia-Maryland
Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s charter class of 1984. Pleasant spent the first four years of his career
in private practice in eastern Virginia. He then went to the University of Illinois where he completed a three-year
large animal surgery residency. He returned to the college in 1991 as an assistant professor and equine field
service clinician. Pleasant was appointed the college’s equine Extension specialist in 2005. In this position he
participates as a member of the college’s equine field service section, provides equine outreach throughout
the state, teaches undergraduate and professional students, and performs clinical research.
Pleasant is board certified in veterinary surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. His clinical and research interests include equine lameness, nutrition and podiatry. In 2005, he received the National Teaching Excellence Award – Clinical Sciences, from the American Veterinary Medical Association. He has authored or co authored over 75 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters. He has given more than 100 presentations to professional and lay groups in Virginia as well as other states and internationally. Pleasant resides in Blacksburg, Va. with his wife Kelly. They have two sons, Nash and Troy.
Visit Dr. Pleasant's bio page for more information.
Dana Reeder Cook, DVM
Dr. Dana Reeder Cook, clinical assistant
professor, graduated from Virginia Tech in 1994 with a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering. She received her DVM
from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. After graduation, she worked for Valley
Equine Associates PLLC in Charles Town, WV, until joining the college in 2009.
Cook has also prepared show horses for competition at the highest level and has participated in fox hunting and trail riding. She is an avid endurance rider who trains, shoes, and competes on her own horses. In addition, she and her horses have thousands of miles of competitive endurance riding experience.
Visit Dr. Cook's bio page for more information.
Sharon Witonsky, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Dr. Sharon Witonsky, associate professor,
graduated from University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She completed her internship in
large animal medicine and surgery and her residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of
Tennessee. While there, she simultaneously completed her Ph.D. and post-doctorate in immunology. She came to
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in July 2000 as an assistant professor in the equine field
services group. In 2003, she became board certified in large animal internal medicine by the American College of
Veterinary Internal Medicine. Her interests include Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) neurology, neonatology,
recurrent airway obstruction (heaves), immunology, and infectious diseases. Her research interests include
host-pathogen interactions and she has active research projects on EPM as well as Brucella.
Witonsky is a member of American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and the EPM Society. She enjoys playing soccer and running in her spare time.
Visit Dr. Witonsky's bio page for more information.
Rebecca Funk, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Dr. Rebecca Funk, clinical assistant professor
of equine field service, received her DVM from Oklahoma State University in 2006. She then completed a theriogenology
internship at Oklahoma State University. She completed her internal medicine residency and her Master’s degree at
Auburn University in 2010. She is board certified in large animal internal medicine by the American College of
Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Visit Dr. Funk's bio page for more information.
Amanda Ratcliffe
Amanda Radcliffe joined the college
in 2006 as the equine field services’ administrative assistant. Her primary duties include scheduling appointments,
handling telephone inquiries, and completing billing. She is currently completing her associate degree in
veterinary technology from Penn Foster Career College.
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