Kathleen Elstrott Achord, DVM
Photo Credit: Phillip Cowart
Dr. Kathleen Elstrott is a home-grown girl from Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Her parents are both from New Orleans and met at Southeastern University in Hammond. After marrying and moving back to New Orleans, Tangipahoa Parish was calling them home and they listened. Dr. Kat considers herself lucky to have been raised in Ponchatoula. She attended St. Joseph Catholic School and Ponchatoula High School. She graduated from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 2003. Dr. Kat continued her education earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University in 2007, and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She served in the US Army Veterinary Corps for 3 years, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in western Florida.
Dr. Kat returned home to Ponchatoula in 2014 after her time with the US Army Veterinary Corps. She was able to purchase the house next door to her parents’ home and served on the staff at a local veterinary hospital for several years. She married Jason P. Achord in 2017, and their life is filled with Jeeps, traveling, and too many cats and dogs to mention.
Currently, Dr. Kat is the Director of Kat Vet Spay Neuter & Rescue, she is the shelter veterinarian for Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter, and the program director for Northshore Technical Community College's Veterinary Technology Program. She has special interests in surgery, dental care, and heartworm treatment. Dr. Kat established Kat Vet, an animal rescue service that promotes spaying and neutering, adoption, and fostering, because of the overwhelming numbers of unwanted cats and dogs in Tangipahoa Parish. She hopes to eliminate the countless number of starving, abandoned strays by offering low cost spays and neuters, preventive medicine, and pet support resources to the surrounding area.
Dr. Kat is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA), the American Heartworm Society, the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, and the Florida Parishes Veterinary Medical Association. She also was part of the LVMA Power of 10 Class of 2017 and served as LVMA President in 2022. She currently serves as the President of the LVMA Walter J. Ernst Foundation.
Locally, Dr. Kat is a member of the Ponchatoula Rotary Club, the Ponchatoula American Legion, Tangipahoa Professional Women, and the Junior Auxiliary of Tangipahoa.
Click here to read the Tangi Lifestyles article about Dr. Kat!
Caitlin Romero
How did someone with zero training and experience with animals wind up here? Right place, right time. We’ll get there in a minute.
I’d start with the whole “since I was a child, I always loved animals” thing, while that’s true, it’s a bit cliche. My parents were always anti animals in the home. I loved going to my friends houses and just hanging out with their pets. Numerous fish paid the ultimate price to fill the void. I finally convinced them to get me a dog when I was 10. My parents are still semi anti animals, but I’m slowly breaking them down. I definitely consider this rescue thing as the ultimate act of rebellion.
So how did I end up here? It all started while taking part in Hammond Mardi Gras in 2020, I complimented a random girl on her cute jacket and super cool dog. We started talking about our dogs and I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a second dog since my first dog seemed a little lonely but wasn’t ready for the financial responsibility of a second dog (fun fact, fostering is definitely the answer to that issue & after three years, my first dog is the total opposite of lonely). Turns out that random girl fostered for Kat Vet and they had a litter of puppies that needed a place to crash. I had just moved into my own home a few months earlier so the timing was pretty perfect.
As soon as I got my first litter of puppies, I was hooked. It’s been nothing but poop, purrs, and tail wags ever since.
Fun facts: I have a degree in Paralegal Studies but that’s pretty useless now. There’s a cat that lives under my desk at Kat Vet, Clarice, affectionately called the desk troll that screams if her bowl is half empty. Dog mom of four - Cooper, Ollie, Sutter, & Whip. My dogs are medical disasters and genetic dumsterfires which makes them all the more special. Coming up with funny names for the animals and working on snappy bios is a pastime of mine. I spend way too much time researching marketing for adoptions and the algorithm for Petfinder. I somehow managed to turn a hobby into a paying job. One of my proudest achievements. Finally, I don’t actually own any cats, but I’m devising a plan to kidnap Peanut one day, don’t tell the others.
Peanut - Resident Cat
Hello! I’m Peanut! But my friends call me Mr. Nut. I’m the sassy orange fluffy chunk ball that lives at Kat Vet. I give a new definition to the term “working cat”. Don’t let those humans fool you, I’m the one that really runs this show. I’ve been named Employee of the Month every single month! So I must be doing something right! I’m also President of the Welcoming Committee, I love when new people come by to visit! They get so excited, tell me how handsome I am, and of course, give me scratches. Plus, I’m Captain of the Surveillance Squad! My favorite watch post is atop the lobby wall, I can see everything and everyone up there! This is my home so it’s my job to keep it safe. But my absolute favorite position is being there for my human friends. I can tell when they’ve had a rough day and could really use some snuggles or nose kisses. Something about my presence really makes them smile so I’m happy to offer my services. It might not be a conventional home, but I feel so loved, spoiled, and lucky every single day.