Our Veterinarian
Team in Cary, NC
Providing quality care with a Southern flair requires a special kind
of team. We hope you’ll scroll down and get to know your veterinary care
providers a little more.
Get to Know Our Team!
We look forward to getting to know you, sharing a cup of coffee, and showing you what Southern hospitality really means! Please scroll down to get to know a little more about us.
Our Veterinarians
Michael Adams, DVM
DVM
I am a 2005 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Since graduating, I have managed multiple corporate clinic locations before serving two years as an emergency clinician. I am very grateful for these opportunities, but I also wanted to provide a different experience for my clients. Our vision at Homestead Animal Hospital is to provide quality care with a Southern flair, meaning you and your pets feel like you’re visiting my Memaw’s house.
I grew up in Tennessee on a Century Farm established in 1914, and family was very important growing up. You’ll see pictures of my granddaddy Horace, Memaw (Verble), and my great-grandfather (Daddy Lee) in the hospital. The pictures are all taken on the farm I grew up on, outside some of the same structures that are still there today. I spent a lot of time at Memaw’s house, as she lived in the hollow between us and the cattle farm, a few minutes walk from our back door. She was always inviting and was always prepared to bring out a slice of pie and a hot cup of coffee for her guests. I want you and your pet to feel her presence in the clinic, so we’ve designed our experience a bit differently. Be prepared to sit on the couch with our team and have a cup of coffee.
In my free time, I enjoy refinishing furniture; all the furniture in the hospital was purchased second-hand (some antique) and completely refinished by me. Most of the materials were sourced from the Scrap Exchange in Durham, whose mission is to keep materials out of landfills and place them in the hands of makers and artists. I value sustainability and love that all the pieces have a history behind them but are still being used.
I currently share my life with Spirt, an elderly, half-blind Irish Wolfhound. In her younger days, she ran me around the conformation ring. Now, she enjoys napping in my craft room, which she has claimed as her own. Clara lives with us, a 5-year-old Golden Retriever. Clara enjoys everything life has to offer, especially performance events. She’s got titles in everything from obedience, fast-cat, scent-work, and dock diving. She’s yet to find a sport she doesn’t enjoy.
I invite you to come and visit us at Homestead. Take a while and get to know us, to enjoy the pictures and art Tamara and I have collected over our years of friendship. You may come for all the services we offer, but I guarantee you’ll stay after you get to know our Homestead family.
Dr. Shaina Stewart
DVM
I received my bachelor’s degree at Clemson with a concentration in veterinary science, graduating summa cum laude, and then received my doctorate at North Carolina State University in 2017. Some of my first jobs were waiting tables at fine dining establishments like the Greystone Inn, Oconee Country Club, and Biltmore Forest Country Club. I then went on to work as an unregistered veterinary technician from 2010-2013 in clinics in western North Carolina.
My first love was German Shepherds, and I still have one named Jackie. She loves coming to work with me and usually hangs out in my office or begs treats from the staff. On the weekends, we enjoy hiking together with my husband. My husband introduced me to English Setters and field trials, and we have a small kennel of field trial dogs. We love watching the dogs work; there’s nothing quite like a dog doing what it was bred to do. I also love spending time at the beach. My husband and I own a small boat, and we frequently take it out fishing. Being on the water helps my stress melt away.
I am currently working on becoming a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, with a specialty in Internal Medicine. I love the challenges that medicine brings. Veterinary medicine as a field is always changing as we learn new things and new medicines, products, and technologies become available. I love that we, as a community, can continue to share our experiences to serve our patients better. My second love in the field is surgery, also for the specific challenges it brings. I love working with my patients and their owners to help improve the lives of pets and keep families together longer.
I look forward to meeting you and your furry companions at the hospital!
Our Staff
Tamara Dunn
Hospital Director
Hello, Y’all! My hope is you will take the time to get to know us and learn why providing “Quality Care with a Southern Flair” is our motto. My love of animals began in Alaska. My parents, both from Tennessee, left home in the 50s and moved West. Their journey took them to California, and with three boys growing like weeds, my Daddy’s eyes turned North to Alaska (yep, just like the song).
The Korean War and military spending guaranteed high-paying jobs and a reasonable cost of living. A few years later, I was born. One of my earliest memories included a Moose who often wintered in our front yard. I remember begging my Momma to let me go outside and feed him. She had a heck of a time keeping me indoors whenever he showed up. Growing up in Alaska consisted of the Northern Lights, dog sleds, and head bolt heaters on cars. Our summers were spent camping in the state parks where my Daddy painted bridges, and I fed my breakfast to the squirrels. My husband jokes that I took a dog sled uphill both ways to get to school. Being from Tennessee, my Momma’s meals consisted of cornbread, biscuits, fried chicken, and sweet tea, even in Alaska. In the winter, when the nights stretched on endlessly, my parents turned my Daddy’s shop into a dance hall with a pickup bluegrass band made up of Southern transplants. My first dance lesson was standing on my Daddy’s feet. My parents taught me that Southern charm and hospitality were more about how you were raised than where you were born.
The summer I turned 10, we moved back to Tennessee. We stayed with Grandma in Lawrenceburg before eventually moving to Nashville. Grandma was a fundamental part of our lives, shooing us out of the house if we got too rowdy, teaching us to plant and weed the garden, helping us churn ice cream, providing jars to catch fireflies, an endless supply of chocolate oatmeal drop cookies, and sweet tea brewed in the sun. She was constantly quilting, cutting up old dresses, pants, and shirts to make the patterns. And occasionally, and disturbingly, underwear! She taught me the value of tolerance, honesty, accountability, AND the importance of naps during the heat of the day.
My love of animals drew me to veterinary medicine, and I became a technician in 1986. My life since then has been spent working in Shelters, Zoos, Equine Transport, and Veterinary Hospitals. I even played the role of “flea girl” in Houston, TX, after agreeing to do a spot on a local news program about summer parasites. Eventually, I began managing veterinary hospitals and training their staff, discovering a new passion for the owners of the pets and sharing that passion with veterinary teams.
I spend my spare time with my husband and sons and with our Irish Wolfhounds. I have loved Irish Wolfhounds since I discovered them in a book while still in grade school. I finally got one of my own in 1991 and have not been without them since. I have written articles for the Harp & Hound and Irish Wolfhound World magazines. The dogs on these pages are all friends of mine or of the rest of our team and clients. I train and compete with our dogs in Conformation, Scentwork, Rally and Obedience, Agility, Lure Coursing, Fast CAT, Barn Hunt, and Dock Diving. I am an AKC Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog, Farm Dog, and Temperament Test Evaluator. I am a firm believer that partnering with your dog through training builds strong bonds.
I am a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, President of the Irish Wolfhound Association of the Mid South, and the Irish Wolfhound Rescue of the Mid South. I am an active member and past board member of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America. Each new role in life provides new experiences, and I want to share ours with you. Opening Homestead Veterinary Hospital with Dr. Adams is a dream we have shared, which is finally taking shape. We want you to love our new hospital as much as we do. We hope you will enjoy our hospitality while we get to know you and your pet. I hope you will decide to join us on our new adventure.
Stephanie Parker, RVT
Veterinary Technician
As a child, I couldn’t remember a time I didn’t want to be a Veterinarian. As I got older, I realized the technicians got to spend more time with the clients and patients, and my dream of working in veterinary medicine shifted to technical school. When I graduated High School, I was restless and eager for new experiences. I was a Tomboy growing up, so I decided I wanted to be an Army Ranger. When I went to apply, they explained they didn’t allow women to be Rangers, which I thought was totally unfair! So, I went for what I thought was the next best thing and joined the Marines for four years. The time in the Marines was life-changing for someone who had never left their hometown of Durham, NC. I made the mistake of rolling my eyes at my drill instructor one time, and she made me do jumping jacks for 30 minutes. I didn’t know jumping jacks could hurt so much. I swear, to this day, she forgot about me.
After getting out of the Marines, I decided to follow through on my desire to work with animals and signed up for Technical School at Central Carolina Community College. My greatest passion has always been the different breeds of dogs, and I wanted to learn as much about each of them as I could. I love learning about the standards, and even before I got my first Borzoi, I really always wanted to be an AKC Conformation Judge. I haven’t had time to pursue that dream yet, but who knows what the future might hold.
I graduated from Central Carolina Community College in 1997 and have worked in emergency medicine and intensive care and have managed and trained staff in Veterinary Medicine. In 2013, I was feeling burned out and in need of a change. Stacey Hathaway has been my best friend since tech school and encouraged me to take a risk and join her in the inception of Infinity Canine. Stacey and I started Infinity Canine together and have built it into a vibrant business. It has been an amazing gift to be able to support preservation breeders in the Southeast. And since beginning this adventure, we have grown in species as well. We now no longer store just dogs but zoo animals and horses, too.
In my spare time, my personal passion is Borzoi. I show, lure course, compete in obedience, and breed my own line of Borzoi under the kennel name “Chase N’ Dreamz.” This beautiful and versatile breed has been pivotal in my life, and our many wonderful and patient hounds have helped raise my three daughters and have kept me sane when my husband, a Raleigh Police Officer, is on duty. Oh, and chickens, I breed chickens.
Not many people know this, but I’m the reason Homestead Veterinary Hospital even exists! Dr. Adams and Tamara would sit on the front porch and talk about opening a hospital and how they would do it differently, but they never actually did anything about it! I met a commercial real estate agent through friends and set up an appointment for them to meet. And that began the path that led to Homestead Veterinary Hospital and the merging of our dreams under one roof.
Diana DeOnofrio-Fisher
Team Lead
Diana is our Team Lead and came to Homestead in 2022, having already spent several years in the industry. Her first career was in human medical sales after graduating with a degree in mathematics from the University of Dayton. After meeting her husband, who owned a dog kennel and was a professional dog handler, she discovered her love of dogs. She transitioned to being a dog handler before beginning to work in veterinary hospitals, eventually becoming a manager before coming to Homestead. She is currently studying at Penn Foster to become a licensed veterinary technician with only one semester left to go!
Diana has been breeding dogs for 16 years, is an AKC breeder of merit, and competes with her dogs in AKC Conformation shows, Fast CAT events, and has completed Canine Good Citizen tests on many of her dogs. She currently has Great Danes, Boxers, and one American Foxhound. Working at Homestead, with our focus on canine reproductive medicine, has been a perfect fit for her, allowing her to explore her passions further.
When not at the hospital, Diana keeps busy with her pack and breeding program, dog shows, teaching conformation classes, and studying for her full-time technician school courses. She does love to keep busy! If she ever gets free time, she loves spending the day relaxing with her husband and four children.
