Meet Our Veterinarians
Dr Rex Riggs grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio, near Akron. He graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. Dr Riggs joined founder Dr Tom Ritchie at Best Friends in 1988.
One of Dr Riggs’s favorite quotes is “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.
He has been a board member of the North Central Region of Canine Companions for over 20 years, and was awarded the John Warnock award recognizing their national volunteer of the year. He has served on the board of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Society and was a founding member Small Animal Advancement Board at the college.
Pelotonia has become a passion of Dr Riggs’ riding each year since 2010, mostly 100 miles in one day. Pelotonia, is a grassroots bike tour with ONE GOAL: end cancer with100% of the funds go to The James Cancer Hospital at OSU.
Dr Riggs lives in Lewis Center with his wife Nancy, their two Canine Companion release dogs, Bubba and Cami, and a rescue poodle mix CC. They also have two orange rescue cats, Festus and Chester.
Outside of work Dr Riggs is an avid golfer, cyclist and enjoys fly fishing. He also loves to travel and enjoys photography.
Dr. Heidrich has been at Best Friends since 2013. She is passionate about animals and has a special interest in behavior. With an active border collie at home, she has learned how exercise and enrichment is so important to keeping our furry family members happy. Along with her border collie, she also has a toy poodle and three young (very fun) cats. She and her husband live in Lewis Center. Her son recently moved to Utah and is pursuing a career in the culinary arts. In fact, he and his best friend just started up their own street food business! Outside of work, Dr. Heidrich is a fitness nut and loves everything Peloton!!
Dr. Todd Kyle joined Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in August 2018, after practicing as a veterinarian in Reynoldsburg and at a vet office in Dublin, Ohio for several years. He grew up on a farm in Marion County. Dr. Kyle earned his undergraduate degrees in Zoology and Chemistry at Ohio University. He graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995.
After graduation, Dr. Kyle practiced in Maryland for four years before moving back to the Buckeye State and joining a practice in Fairborn, OH. He has practiced in the Columbus area since 2001.
Dr. Kyle lives in Worthington with his wife, high school-aged son, and college-aged daughter. The Kyles have two sweet dogs, a Labrador mix named Ella and a Golden Retriever named Reed. In his spare time, Dr. Kyle enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and gardening. In addition to his love for animals, Dr. Kyle is an avid soccer fan.
Dr. Ann Baltzell grew up in the small town of Celina, Ohio, near Grand Lake St. Marys. She moved to Columbus to attend college and veterinary school at The Ohio State University. She has practiced in Central Ohio since graduation in 2007, and joined the BFVH team in 2018.
Dr Baltzell has a passion for preventive care and enjoys working with clients to improve the wellbeing of their pets.
She lives in Dublin with her husband, also a veterinarian, and their 5 children. The Baltzells share their home with Diesel, the Nylabone swallowing Boston terrier. In her spare time, Dr. Baltzell enjoys walking, reading, and spending time with her family.
Dr. Eliza Welch grew up in northeastern Ohio, where she was always getting into trouble with her mom for rescuing animals. She attended Kent State University as an undergrad and received her master’s degree from Miami University. She chose Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine after years of working in various roles in veterinary clinics, wildlife rehabilitation, and a pathology lab.
Within veterinary medicine, she enjoys behavior, dermatology, preventative medicine, and supporting shelter and rescue work. Outside of vet med, Dr. Welch loves a good binge-watch, trying new coffee shops, and collecting macabre and spooky things.
As expected, She shares her home with lots of rescue animals. This includes four pitbull mixes, a Cane Corso, two cats, a silver dollar fish, and one human stray (her partner, Clay). One day, Her desire is an old farmhouse on a little property to have a few retired dairy cows roaming around.
