Read to learn more about The Team that started Wild Things Freedom Center and keeps our residents looking and feeling good.
Dr. Amanda Hughes
Dr. Hughes was introduced to Jeanette Ouelette in 2018 by some colleagues when she was raising a baby raccoon. She brought the baby to Wild Things Freedom Center where she was added to a group her age in a training enclosure for a couple of months before her eventual release. Since then, Dr. Hughes has seen a few of our animals for various illnesses, or consulted with Jeanette over the phone for several cases. Dr. Hughes is also a member of the Board of Directors for Wild Things Freedom Center.
Dr. Hughes is the Owner of her house call practice, Hughes Veterinary Home Care & Hospice. She is a native of Murrells Inlet, SC and is thrilled to be starting her own practice near family, friends, and the beloved beach! She earned a BA in counseling psychology with a minor in vocal performance from Coker College in 2004, then worked in social services for several years, before finally coming to her senses and pursuing the BEST career. Dr. Hughes obtained her DVM from the University of Tennessee in 2015. She has strong interests in exotic pets, behavioral, and geriatric medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys singing (vocal talents ranging from karaoke to opera), Tennessee football, good wine, and travelling. She lives in Murrells Inlet with her dog, Zoey; cats, Vixen, Terra, and Scallop; ferret, Sprite; ball python, Azrael; and Steven Tyler and Jimmy Buffett.
Dr. Nadia Saklou
Dr. Nadia Saklou is a large animal veterinarian with a passion for helping animals and those who love them.
Dr. Saklou has worked with a vast array of animal species all over the US and abroad. Her education started at Colorado State University where she earned both her Bachelor’s of Science degree and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. She then completed an internship at Steinbeck Country Equine Clinic in Salinas, California before moving to Virginia where she completed a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. She is currently still at Virginia Tech working toward the completion of her PhD with a focus on novel diagnostic testing for Equine Herpesvirus type 1, a disease that affects horses and donkeys. Dr. Saklou provides relief services to Myrtle Beach Equine Clinic as needed and has been with the practice since 2019.
In addition to helping her clients and performing labwork, Dr. Saklou enjoys tending to her collection of animals on her small farm with her family in Fincastle, Virginia. Her favorite past-times are riding horses, driving her miniature horse, hiking with her dogs, traveling around the world, kayaking with friends, swimming with her 2 kids and enjoying amazing food with amazing people.