Jasper native Dr. Katherine Odle begins her veterinary career in the community that raised her.

Words by Karen McCain | Images by Al Blanton

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, women make up about 67 percent of practicing veterinarians in the United States. In Walker County, however, women remain less common in the field. Dr. Katherine Odle is one of the people helping change that.

Since graduating from Auburn University in May 2026, Katherine has been seeing patients at Jasper Veterinary Clinic, owned by Dr. Martin Roberts.

While she may be new to veterinary medicine, she is no stranger to Jasper. She grew up in the community and graduated from Walker High School in 2015. Her love of animals goes back as far as she can remember.

“I always went with my mom when she took our dog to the vet, and I thought it looked like a fun job,” she says.

After graduating from Birmingham-Southern College in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, however, Katherine did not go directly to veterinary school. Instead, an opportunity took her hundreds of miles from home to the Florida Keys, where she worked as a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educator for the Boy Scouts of America.

In that role, she taught students about coral reefs and the larger marine ecosystem while also assisting with research that included tagging dolphins, sharks, and other fish.

“It was a good time, and it satisfied the research background I had,” she says.

Eventually, she returned to the path she had envisioned years earlier and enrolled in Auburn University’s veterinary program. Her time there included opportunities to learn beyond the classroom, including additional training in animal nutrition as a representative for pet food company, Purina.

“That experience allows me to talk with clients about supplements and diets that can help make our patients healthier,” she says.

Now, as she begins putting years of education into practice, Katherine says one of the most rewarding parts of the job is being able to answer the questions pet owners bring into the exam room.

“I enjoy seeing patients, and when people ask me questions about their pets, I realize I have the answers and can share the information I have learned with them,” she says. “I can guide them in making the best decisions they can for their animals.”

Of course, caring for her kind of patients comes with its own challenges. One of the more frustrating parts, Katherine jokes, is convincing them to follow their care instructions.

“Four-legged patients do not understand laying around and taking it easy!” she laughs.

Katherine says the hardest moments, however, come when an animal’s suffering can no longer be eased and families have to say goodbye.

That ability to care for animals throughout every stage of life was part of what drew her back home after veterinary school.

Her parents, Dr. John and Cheryl Odle, still live in the community, and she has remained close with friends in the area. Returning to Jasper also allowed her to build the kind of career she envisioned.

For clients who remember Katherine growing up in Jasper, seeing her now caring for their animals can bring the story full circle. That local connection is especially meaningful in an exam room, where pet owners may arrive worried about a sick or injured animal. Whether she is explaining a treatment plan, discussing nutrition, or helping a family through a difficult appointment, she wants clients to have the information they need to feel confident in the decisions they make for their pets.

As she settles into the profession, Katherine also continues to look ahead. She is giving herself time before deciding whether she may someday specialize in a particular area of veterinary medicine.

“There are so many areas to specialize in, just as there are with two-legged patients,” she says. “Dermatology, cardiology, radiology, and so much more. I am really interested in ophthalmology, so I have not discounted specializing down the road.”

For now, though, her work is centered on the familiar faces — and pets — of Walker County.

When she is not at the clinic, she stays busy with several interests and community activities. She enjoys swimming, book clubs, traveling, and supporting the Walker Area Community Foundation. She also has two dogs of her own: Penny, a 12-year-old Labrador retriever, and Weagle, a rescue beagle.

Years ago, Katherine was the child tagging along with her mother to veterinary appointments, fascinated by the work happening around her. Today, after a path that carried her from Jasper to Birmingham-Southern, the Florida Keys, and Auburn, she is back home on the other side of the exam table, helping Walker County families care for the animals they love. 78