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About
Us

Capital Blvd Animal Hospital and Pet Inn

We are proud to provide a wide range of high-quality services for dogs and cats of all ages, breeds, and sizes.
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Mission Statement

At Capital Blvd Animal Hospital, we strive to offer services that are stress-free for pets at prices that are stress-free for owners. We believe in providing an open, honest, and welcoming environment in which we can help pet parents take control of their companions’ health so they can spend many happy years together.

Experts Veterinarians

Our Team

Our veterinarians provide all of the services your pets need.
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Dr. Sunil Kakarla

DVM, PH.D, Owner
Dr. Sunil Kakarla, an experienced and compassionate veterinarian in Cary, NC, grew up in India. After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced as a companion animal veterinarian for five years in a metropolitan city in India. He moved to the United States in 2005 with a passion for practicing high-quality veterinary medicine in an advanced setting. During that process, he pursued his MS and Ph.D. in a renowned lab at Marshall University in West Virginia.

As a graduate student, Dr. Kakarla performed cutting-edge research and had several high impact publications to his credit. While pursuing graduate studies, he simultaneously completed the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) in 2010. Soon after this accomplishment, he began volunteering at several local animal hospitals. He completed his clinical experience program and obtained his license to practice in the US the same year.

In 2011, after graduating with a doctoral degree, he joined a small animal practice in Durham/RTP where he established a huge clientele and treated about 6000 to 7000 pets per year.

With his continued passion to provide the best quality veterinary care, he joined the state-of-the-art Walnut Street Animal Hospital in June 2016. As a veterinarian in the RTP area of NC, he strongly believes in quality care for pets and in being available to his patients when needed.

Sunil Kakarla is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and has special interests in dermatology and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, as well as emergency medicine. Dr. Kakarla is married and has a son and a daughter. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, including his 1-year-old Golden-Doodle, Brownie, and a 4-year-old Poodle, Milky. He enjoys serving his community by actively helping rescue groups and shelter pets, and in his free time, he plays volleyball.
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Dr. Babu Gonipeta

DVM, Chief Veterinarian
Dr. Gonipeta has been a veterinarian since 2012 and part of our group since 2020 (Pandemic period!!). His professional interests include small animal medicine with an emphasis on preventive care, client education, dermatology, geriatric medicine, and surgery.

After obtaining his DVM degree from India, Dr. Gonipeta went to graduate school at Michigan State University (MSU) and obtained a master’s degree in Immunology. After finishing graduate school, he worked at Michigan State University as a postdoctoral fellow and continued his research work. His focus of research was in the areas of “development of mouse models for studying food allergies and polymicrobial sepsis.” He spent 5 years in active research at MSU and published his research findings in many international journals.

In 2012 he returned to small animal practice to continue his passion for providing the best quality veterinary care for companion animals. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and The American Association of Immunologists (AAI). When not in the clinic, Dr. Gonipeta enjoys reading a book or spending quality time with his family, which also includes a very opinionated 4-year-old long hair chihuahua named Peanut!
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Dr. Raam Krishna Karanam

Veterinary Director & Chief of Operations
After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced and managed a companion animal hospital for twenty years. He moved to the United States with a passion to work as an associate in advanced-setting animal hospitals. His main aim is to cultivate a positive, happy, and inclusive working environment for the staff, providing a friendly and welcoming environment for all the clients. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his better half, Jyotsna, and their two children, Bhuvan and Rutvi.
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Dr. John Sampson Shahady

Veterinarian
Dr. Sampson Shahady just moved here from South Florida. He attended Ross University and completed his clinical year at the University of Florida. He has two dogs, one cat, and three horses. He enjoys golfing and spending time with his newborn son and animals.
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Sarah Van Staalduinen

Administrative Director
Sarah is an NC State graduate with double majors in Animal Science and Applied Nutrition. She has lived with animals her entire life and has always had a special place in her heart for them. She has been with the company since 2019, and she loves her job. Not only does she have the opportunity to meet new people and pets on a daily basis, but she also gets to help those fur babies stay happy and healthy with their families. Her favorite things to do outside of work include spending time with her furry kiddos; two dogs named Ochi and Denali, and two cats named Juniper and George. When she’s not at work, you can find her hiking with her dog, or taking part in any other activities in which she can include them.
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Kaydee Lyons-ONeal

Payroll Specialist
Kaydee is a graduate of N.C. State with both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Animal Science. She recently joined the company in 2022 and is excited to be part of the team. She has worked in the veterinary field for over 15 years as a veterinary assistant, from small animal practices to emergency medicine, most recently at NC State CVM. She has recently taken a step back from her hands-on role to work on the administrative side of the practice. When she isn't working, she is spending time with her husband and two beautiful daughters, as well as their four crazy cats.
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Tabatha Smith

Shift Lead
Tabatha’s family and friends call her Tab. She has been with the practice for a little over a year. She has worked in this field off and on since 2008. She loves working with animals as she learns something new every day. She has one fur baby (Nala, a cat). In her free time, she loves spending time with her two daughters and boyfriend. They love going to the lake, traveling, and trying new foods.
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Estefania Sandoval

Veterinary Assistant
Estefania has been working as a veterinary assistant for eight years, three of those years at this location. She is fluent in Spanish and English. She loves working with animals as it has been her passion since she was a little kid. She has three dogs, two lizards, one bearded dragon, and four parakeets. She has one son that loves animals as well. She loves learning new things and when not working at the clinic she loves spending time with her family.
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Robin Cooke

Veterinary Assistant
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Victoria Lyons

Veterinary Assistant
Victoria really loves animals of all species because she can learn and observe so much about them. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science with a minor in Biochemistry. Her favorite color is purple and she wants to see every animal flourish and blossom.
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Brianna Scott

Veterinary Assistant
Scotty studied animal/lab animal science and theater at NC A&T. She has been in the vet field for 3 years now and hopes to expand to wildlife in the future. While she is not working, she is a part-time elementary school dance Teacher.
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Mariangel Barrios

Veterinary Assistant
Mariangel is trilingual and can speak English, Spanish, and intermittent French. She is currently trying to learn German. She is a junior at NC State, pursuing a degree in Animal Science to become a veterinarian in either small animals or exotics. She is the proud owner of Milo, her chihuahua, and Simba her cat.
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Amanda Hoyet

Veterinary Assistant
Amanda moved to North Carolina in 2019 with her husband and three kids. She started working with a mobile vet clinic part-time and fell in love with the vet field. She is currently in school to become an RVT. During her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and her fur babies. She also loves to travel around the world.
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Zoey Crane

Receptionist
Zoey has been working in veterinary medicine for three years. She has two sassy cats and a very energetic dog but her favorite animals are sloths and mini cows.
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Loving Care to Pets &
Family in Raleigh

Capital Blvd Animal Hospital & Pet Inn provides wellness exams, senior pet care, dentistry, surgeries, spay & neuter, dermatology & more for pets in Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale, and Wake Forest.
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We're Here For You

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We're Here For You

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Our Hours
Monday & Tuesday 8:00am - 6:00pm
Wednesday Closed
Thursday - Saturday 8:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Quick Links