Our History

Dr. Jimmy Jordan graduated from Auburn University’s School (now college) of veterinary medicine in 1987 and went to work here in Birmingham for Vestavia Animal Clinic under Dr. Bob Crowe and Dr. Shane West.

Dr. Jordan and Dr. Crowe soon began discussing plans to open a new practice in the then sparsely populated Inverness area. They located Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic in an area that would become a prime spot on the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road. A small house was there and Dr. Crowe and Dr. Jordan purchased the property and renovated the house into a start-up veterinary practice.

As this process moved forward, Dr. Jordan and Christenberry, who were friends and fraternity brothers from college days, stayed in close contact about their future together. Dr. Christenberry graduated from Auburn University’s veterinary school in 1986 and practiced in Fayetteville, Tennessee for one and a half years before coming to Birmingham to work at Green Springs Animal Clinic and Hoke Animal Clinic for Dr. Ross Cryar and Dr. Mike Hoke. In December of 1988, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Crowe opened Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic. Dr. Jordan was the workhorse who provided the blood, sweat, and tears to breathe life into a fledgling practice. Dr. Crowe provided financial support, encouragement, and business advice from years of experience. Through all this, all three of the doctors, Dr. Jordan, Dr. Crowe, and Dr. Christenberry, knew the potential of Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic and the community in which it stood. And so, dreams were dreamed and deals were struck after months of negotiation.

So in June of 1990, one and a half years after its opening, the three doctors realized the need for a second partner. Dr. Christenberry then purchased Dr. Crowe’s half interest in the practice and property of Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic making Dr. Jordan and Dr. Christenberry full 50-50 partners. And so began a partnership of two men with completely opposite personalities (they both had personality profile tests done early in their relationship) but seem to have complemented one another by God’s grace. They have a unity of spirit yet a variety of ideas… A good blend.

Through the years, we have had a few associates who have contributed to our mission, but Dr. Andy Sokol came in May of 1998 and has become an integral part of the heartbeat of Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic. Soon after, the practice realized a need to expand its physical borders. Through many hours of planning, wrangling, and negotiations, it found its way across the street to its present location in November of 1999. Dr. Nicole Martin joined the practice in 2010, Dr. Jennifer Ham in 2015, Dr. Sarah Wentworth in 2018, Dr. Sloan Blaylock in December 2022, Dr. Lauren Murer in June 2023, and Dr. Kaitlyn Kreider in July of 2023, and Dr. Jen Wallach in March of 2024. These additions are valuable assets to Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic's practice of veterinary medicine. Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic has also been richly blessed by a loyal and effective core support staff. Those who have had the deepest impact and have stood the test of time and been here for ten years or more are Cindy Holtzclaw, Lisa Foote, Ann Trupp, Rick Clark, Leanne Lewis, Leigh Ann Bice, Kimberly Gurubel, Melinda Daniels, Kelli Jones, Abbey Heiman, and Amy Jeffries.