Dr. Alex Cole has owned The Urbana Veterinary Clinic since 2010 and previously had 15 years practice experience at Indiana’s Manchester Veterinary Clinic before moving to Ohio. He has an avid interest dogs and cats.   Over his career he has had a chance to care for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, small ruminants and young calves.  At his prior practice he also served as the back-up practitioner for the practice’s dairy veterinarian, and the ‘go to’ guy for the unusual. His more interesting cases included teaming up with a farrier to treat a lame zebra and providing medical supervision for an elephant, both owned by a retired circus trainer. He also worked with a certified wildlife rehabilitator in Indiana and a commercial kennel that specialized in training of military and police dogs.

As he transitioned to Urbana he was able to concentrate on his favorites, care of dogs and cats.

He attended Kansas State for his undergraduate degree and is a 1995 graduate from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. His veterinary training included extra coursework in exotics and diagnostic imaging. His externship was at an avian and exotic clinic in southern California.   Ongoing education includes several weekend courses in various orthopedic procedures.

His other interests include sailing and canoeing.   His preferred exercise involves martial arts.   He is a second degree blackbelt in Shotokan Karate and a third-degree blackbelt TaiKwonDo.   Dr. Cole is also a member of Acres Land Trust–a protector of natural habitats in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio and volunteers on the Urbana Dog Park member’s board. He has family ties to Cincinnati and Cleveland, as well as Indianapolis.

Dr. Cole and his girlfriend currently have a an older Jack Russell Terrier, but don’t tell Chloe she’s “older” or she will be forced to run circles around you to prove otherwise!   They also have Momo, a Coonhound ‘foster fail’ from BUP.   She’s not rude, she just suffers from PTSD and is afraid to make friends.

Dr. Kari McManus has been an associate veterinarian with The Urbana Veterinary Clinic since 2012. Dr. McManus grew up with a wide variety of animals, including horses and llamas, on her family’s 10-acre property just outside Sheridan, Wyoming (a city just slightly larger than Urbana). She discovered her calling at age 8, when she began shadowing her family’s veterinarian. While growing up she was involved in 4-H and FFA. Her projects included horses, llamas and poultry. In Colorado she has assisted the Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies and has conducted veterinary checks at livestock shows through the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners.

She attended The University of Wyoming for her undergraduate in Medical Microbiology and Animal and Veterinary Sciences and is a 2012 graduate from The Colorado State University College of Professional Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. McManus also gained certification as a veterinary acupuncturist through the International Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture in a program offered by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association and Colorado State.

Dr. McManus is the first veterinarian in the area to also offer veterinary medical acupuncture and spinal manipulation, or VSMT, as a complement or adjunct to traditional veterinary medicine. She offers acupuncture for small and large animals to alleviate chronic pain and treat a variety of common conditions, such as hip dysplasia, chronic degenerative joint disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and respiratory, neurological and urinary tract disorders. VSMT complements acupuncture by providing a healthy stimulus to the nervous system. This can help with illnesses and chronic conditions from arthritis to organ dysfunction.

“I like general veterinary practice, seeing my patients all the way through their lives and building a relationship with clients and patients.” –Dr. McManus

Her interests also include outdoor conservation, horseback riding, spending time with friends, walking trails with her dog, drawing and painting.

Dr. Jessica Higgins has been an associate veterinarian with the Urbana Veterinary Clinic since 2017, as well as three prior years working summers and holidays with us as a veterinary student.

Dr. Higgins received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University and also completed a Post-Doctorate Certification in Avian Health & Medicine through the University of Georgia. When she graduated veterinary school, she found herself torn between two passions: swine/poultry population medicine and caring for your beloved pets, so she did both for many years! Dr. Higgins worked part-time with us, as well as practiced commercial poultry and swine production medicine for 7 years. Since May 2024, she switched to working Wednesdays and some Saturdays with us seeing dogs, cats and backyard poultry. She loves developing relationships with your pets and families, as well has special interests in behavior modification techniques and managing pet allergies. Additionally, she has a strong passion for helping backyard flock owners succeed in their endeavors and providing resources to help them keep their flocks healthy. Dr. Higgins and the Urbana Veterinary Clinic have pioneered a comprehensive vaccine program for backyard layer flocks to receive protection against nine of the most common layer chicken diseases during specific clinic vaccine appointment dates once a month throughout the spring season. 

During her free time, Dr. Higgins enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids. She prides herself in having the opportunity to homeschool her kids during the week when she’s not at the clinic. She met her husband through 4-H when they were young and she now enjoys finding ways to give back to the program in various ways, including activities such as judging 4-H projects at the Ohio State Fair and judging the Ohio Fairs Queens Contest. She also enjoy spending time with their three “fur babies,” Scarlet (Lab/Boxer mix), Moses (Devon Rex cat) and Henry (domestic shorthair cat).