Meet The Team
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Dr. Valentino Grant
OWNER & SENIOR VETERINARIAN
Dr. Valentino Grant has been practicing Veterinary Medicine for the past 31 years. He graduated from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1992 and moved to the Island of Grand Bahama in the Bahamas where he practiced for 13 years.
He then moved to the Island of New Providence and has been practicing here ever since.
He loves both medicine and surgery and also the development of Veterinary Technology. Working at the Caves Practice brings him great satisfaction as he and his amazing Team care for their precious patients.
He also loves to interact with the Parents of the many pets who are presented to him every day.
He practices with the Mantra that one should give 100% at all times and that his work should be "autographed with excellence!"
He is also very passionate about Animal Welfare and is a board member of the Bahamas Humane Society ( BHS ) and an advisor to the Bahamas Alliance for Animal Rights & Kindness ( BAARK ). He is also an active member of the Veterinary Medical Assn. of the Bahamas ( VMAB )
In terms of the Veterinary Industry, he is the co-inventor of Intesto-Guard, a new class of Prebiotic-Probiotic-Antibody Technology used to help resolve Gastrointestinal challenges in dogs, cats, and horses.
In his spare time, he loves to go biking and exploring the outdoors.
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Linzi Knowles-Belton
PRACTICE MANAGER
Linzi was raised in Nassau but is an Island girl at heart! She spent most of her childhood summers in Long Island ( The Bahamas ) where she was constantly on the water and exploring the beautiful marine environment.
Her father was a boat captain and the time spent on his boat observing and admiring Dolphins, Turtles and other marine creatures engendered in her a deep love for this field and the care and conservation of the marine environment.
Her mother also had a great love for animals and Linzi spent countless hours collecting dogs, cats, puppies and kittens as they traversed the roads of Nassau.
Linzi started volunteering on weekends at the Bahamas Humane Society at a very young age of 11. She also volunteered at Palmdale Veterinary Clinic where she learnt a lot from Dr. Peter Bizzell about responsible animal ownership.
She also had a summer/winter job in the Animal Care Department at Dolphin Encounters from Grade 11 in High School and continued to have this position throughout her studies in Marine Science at Jacksonville University where she attained a Bachelor of Science (Hons. ) degree.
While at Jacksonville University Linzi was very active on campus. She founded the Caribbean Students Association ( CSA ), was a member of Tri Beta Biological Honor Society and graduated in 2006 as the MOST OUTSTANDING STUDENT in Marine Science!!
She then returned to The Bahamas and worked in the Animal Care & Training Dept. at Dolphin Cay, Atlantis where she cared for Dolphins, Sea Lions and Birds!
Linzi aso gained much experience in Managing a business from her families Service Station in Palmdale. She also was an Account Executive for an event planning Company.
Having made her great contribution to the Marine Field for over 15 years where she also mentored and became an inspiration to many students, she moved on to managing Veterinary Practices.
She is currently the Practice Manager for Caves Village Veterinary Hospital and is enjoying making her amazing contribution to Veterinary Practice!
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Alexia Knowles
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT & SENIOR VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Alexia was born in Nassau, and raised in Governors Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas. As a child, she had a passion for animals and wanted to become a veterinarian. She has lived in Eleuthera, Nassau, and Connecticut, and her favorite hobbies are adventurous outdoor activities. Whenever possible, she likes to visit Eleuthera or any other family island in her free time.
Alexia has a Shih Tzu named Roman, who has become one of our favorite employees here at Caves Village Veterinary Hospital. Alexia also has two black cats named Gemini and Aries. She used to volunteer at the horse farm in Governors Harbour, Eleuthera, and at the Bridgeport animal shelter in Connecticut. As a child, she also volunteered at spay/neuter clinics in Eleuthera.
An interesting fact about Alexia is that she is very empathetic. She completed her BSc from the University of New Haven in Connecticut in 2016 and has since pursued a veterinary assistant certification. Currently, she is pursuing a veterinary technician associate degree.
During her university years, Alexia was an active member of CSA and BSU (College Student Association and Black Student Union).
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Samantha Russell
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Samantha, also known as Sam around the hospital has a passion for animal care and for the last 10 years had the opportunity to work with many different types of animals, both domestic and wild.
Samantha has worked with cats, dogs, sea turtles and seals. In her own words: “I love it all. I was very excited when I got the opportunity to work at Caves Village Vet as a vet assistant, to hone my tech skills and really get into the medical side of things.”
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Alphonique Farquharson
VETERINARY RECEPTIONIST
Alphonique had the incredible experience of being raised on the beautiful Bahamian Island of Cat Island, before deciding to reside in Nassau with her husband and son.
The Family-island lifestyle gave her the childhood many would dream of—a storybook beginning with a loving grandfather who took the time to share his love for animals with her.
Alphoniques Grandfather taught her how to cherish an animal’s life. To her advantage, their surroundings were filled with animals needing love and care. During her childhood, she notes that she cared for goats, cows, dogs, cats, rabbits, and sheep - if it was domestic.
With this gifted knowledge, she hopes to pass her Grandfather’s legacy to her son. With seven dogs and three cats of her own, it shouldn’t be a surprise if he’s a quick learner.
Outside of working for Caves Village Vet, she loves to relax with her husband and son.
Alphonique loves to sit down and enjoy a good Netflix series, and she takes time to appreciate the simple joys in life; as her Grandfather used to say, "Death is inevitable, so enjoy life the way it makes you happy."
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Serena Tynes
VETERINARY TECHNICIAN STUDENT
COMING SOON!
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Brittni McKenzie
VETERINARY MEDICINE SCHOOL STUDENT
My name is Brittni McKenzie and I am currently a 3rd year Veterinary Student at St. Georges University but I will be completing my clinical rotations at Louisiana State University. I was born in the Bahamas but my mom is from Canada so I am Canadian and Bahamian. My interests include Cardiology and Neurology but I love all aspects of medicine and surgery. Whenever I am not studying, I love working out and staying active. I can’t wait to start practicing and taking care of your pets!
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Clive Ferguson
VETERINARY MEDICINE SCHOOL STUDENT
Hello everyone, my name is Clive Ferguson, I am a current student of veterinary medicine at St. George’s University. My career interests include orthopedic and abdominal surgeries along with diagnostic medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine my hobbies include hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities. I look forward to seeing you all as the Caves team continues to provide the best care for your furry family members.