Veterinarian
Education: UGA / Royal Veterinary College
Dr. Jake Rutt was born in Dayton, OH, but raised in Augusta, Ga. In high school, he began working at Hammond Hills Animal Hospital as a veterinary assistant/technician during the summers and weekends. Since then, he has considered Dr. Norman a great mentor of his. During his time at UGA, Dr. Rutt also worked in the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital as a assistant for the Soft Tissue/Orthopedic Surgery, and Rehabilitation departments. Here he gained a lot of hands-on experience with the vet students and senior doctors/technicians. One summer during college, he journeyed to South Africa for one month as part of a pre-veterinary program. Here he spent weeks working with local cattle and sheep farmers, within townships providing medicine to stray dog populations, and with a wildlife veterinarian assisting with wild game captures. He will always remember the adrenaline-packed experiences of assisting with multiple giraffe captures, as well as darting species of antelope with ectoparasitic treatment from the bed of a safari truck. This international trip kickstarted a passion for Dr. Rutt, as he went on to attend the Royal Veterinary College in London, UK for his veterinary education. He spent four years abroad, studying hard, but also enjoying the travel opportunities throughout the UK and Europe. He traveled to nearly 20 new countries during those years, indulging in and learning about different cultures. He spent weeks living on poultry and cattle farms in different areas of England and a sheep farm on one of the coastal Isles of Scotland. Once graduated, Dr. Rutt returned to sunny North Augusta, SC to rejoin Dr. Norman and the Hammond Hills team. He is excited to be back in the South and has a newfound gratitude and appreciation for the lifestyle here. Dr. Rutt enjoys camping, hiking/backpacking, kayaking, golf, photography, and running as hobbies. He enjoys watching football, (Go Dawgs) and baseball (Go Braves). He currently has 3 cats at home with his longtime girlfriend, and they are looking forward to adding dogs to the family once they have the space. His interests within veterinary medicine include orthopedics, ophthalmology, cardiology, and neurology.
