2007 S. Palestine St.
Athens, TX 75751
Welcome To Syler Veterinary Clinic
Syler Veterinary Clinic is proud to serve Palestine, Cedar Creek Lake area, Murchison and surrounding areas. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of veterinary medicine along with friendly, compassionate service.
We believe in treating every patient as if they were our own pet, and giving them the same loving attention and care. We are a group of highly trained, experienced animal lovers who are devoted to giving our patients the best care possible.
If you have any questions about how we can care for your pet, please don’t hesitate to call us at (903) 675-5401. Thank you!
Our Team
Dr. Suellen Syler
Owner/D.V.M.
Dr. Syler was born & raised in Athens, TX. Her father, Dr. Jim Syler, founded the clinic in 1967 and to this day Dr. Syler continues to improve the clinic as needs arise. Dr. Syler is happy to be carrying on her father’s legacy by continuing to provide quality veterinary care in the building he built in 1967. She recently finished a major remodel in order to better serve her clients & patients in the best possible way.
Dr. Syler graduated from Athens High School in 1983. She earned a bachelor’s of science from Texas A&M in 1988 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1990.
She started practicing veterinary medicine at Syler Veterinary Clinic on June 1, 1990. She has 3 sons, Alex, Ben & Luke. They have 3 cats, and 2 ball pythons. Her husband is Garrett Smith and between the two of them they have 5 grown children. Dr. Syler is a member of: Henderson County A&M club, Athens Bicycle Club, ETVMA, AVMA, and TVMA, she is also a board member of 21 club.
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking with her family, biking, traveling, learning more about fitness, health, wine, and golf.
Dr. Fisher
D.V.M.
It’s been said, “You may not have been born in Texas, but you got here as soon as you can.” And that pretty much sums up Dr Fisher’s journey.
Born in Southern California, his family moved to Kansas as he was entering High School. He and his wife, Kristi were married in 1998 and he graduated from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. Dr Fisher then spent 28 years in Las Vegas (almost 20 of them as the owner of Oasis Animal Hospital).
Finally, in 2021, Kristi and Dr Fisher bought a few acres near Montalba. There they spend most of their time catering to their 2 cats, Solomon and Jasmine (Ms Jazz); when they are not exploring the Piney Woods.
Dr Fisher wanted to be a Veterinarian since he was 5 years old and even though he is “semi-retired” he still loves the challenges of helping animals. His favorite part of Veterinary Medicine is Surgery, and even after logging more than 200,000 procedures he enjoys the uniqueness of every one.
In their spare time the Fishers enjoy traveling the summer in their RV, spending time in the Caribbean, hiking, visiting museums and making crafts together. Dr Fisher also loves to SCUBA dive and take photographs (especially when done at the same time). The last two summers they RVed in South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming, visiting friends old and new, and getting stuck in several “Buffalo Jams.”
Natalie Huckabee
Office Manager
Robin Tople
Kennel Manager
Robin came to be with us at Syler Veterinary Clinic in May 2022 as Kennel Manager. She brings eleven years of vet med experience as both a Veterinary Assistant and a Veterinary Receptionist working in Dallas. Robin is originally from Stockbridge Georgia. Two and a half years ago she moved to Athens to settle down and enjoy the small town country life. At an early age, Robin knew she wanted to help animals and rehabilitated squirrels, opossums, chickens, and birds. Robin earned the name “Elle Mae” because every hurt, lost, or abandoned animal seemed to find their way to her. Robin shares her home with her husband Brad, five dogs, three cats, four parrots, two love birds, and seven parakeets. Together she and her husband have five children and five grandchildren. When asked what one of her favorite parts of her job working in kennels is, she replied “I love knowing that when a pet comes in for boarding I can help that pet feel comfortable and gain the pet’s trust so that their time away home is not so stressful.” In her spare time, Robin enjoys spending time with her husband, and family and tending to her own fur/feather babies. Her hobbies include collecting Trail of the Painted Ponies and working in the yard. Her favorite breed of dog is the Australian Cattle Dog. We are so glad Robin made her way to us and she is a wonderful addition to our staff here at Syler.
Jessica Dickerson
Veterinary Assistant
Jessica started out as an Animal control officer learning the law of animal health and Texas state laws regarding animals. Her background includes a multitude of things such as Animal Cruelty investigations, Parasitology, Rabies, Responsible pet ownership, and much more. After experiencing this she wanted to further her animal medical knowledge and began her career in veterinary medicine. Jessica has the support of her wonderful Fiance Hayden Dickerson, as well as her two boys Hunter Martin and Jeremy Martin. Jessica has three animals Sookie, Odin, and her spicy cat Trix. A fun fact about Jessica is that she is a self-proclaimed nerd that watches anime and plays video games, but also has a joy for fishing, playing basketball with her sons, and reading.
Kathleen Tellez
Receptionist
Kathleen Tellez is originally from Wisconsin and moved to Athens, Texas at a young age. She graduated from Athens High School and Trinity Valley Community College in 2018. She then earned a bachelor’s of science from Texas A&M in 2021.
Kathleen started her journey with Syler Veterinary Clinic by volunteering after school in 2017. She continued to volunteer throughout the years while home from college. Kathleen officially joined the staff in April 2022. Kathleen’s favorite part of working at Syler Veterinary Clinic is seeing all the puppies and kittens. Her absolute favorite patients are puppies. Kathleen has one spoiled fur baby at the moment, a miniature schnauzer named Balto. Kathleen enjoys spending time with her friends and family during her free time. She also enjoys arts & crafts, photography, and watching movies.
