Community Pet Hospital Staff

Dr. Gary J. Root, D.V.M.

Dr. Root graduated summa cum laude from the Washington State University of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. His Bachelor of Science in Biology was obtained from Stanford University in 1981. He was raised in Bellevue, Washington.

Dr. Root joined the staff of Community Pet Hospital as an associate veterinarian in 1991. He worked for the previous practice owner, H. Craig Kiner D.V.M. until July of 2004 at which time he purchased the practice with his wife Robyn who is clinic administrator.

Dr. Root and Robyn have three children Clinton, Carson and Caitlyn (Peetie).The family's interests include fly-fishing, fly-tying, backpacking, kayaking and snowboarding.

Dr. Lynn H. Hilten, D.V.M.

I graduated from the veterinary school at University of California, Davis in 1985. Most of my college studies were done at UC, Davis where I was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and graduated with highest honors. Since then, I have practiced as a veterinarian in various states including California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana and Montana. I moved to Columbus, MT in 1997 when I married my husband, Bob, and have been practicing veterinary medicine in the Billings area since that time. I became frustrated with the lack of veterinary specialists that perform ultrasound for my clients in this area, so I have gone to continuing education courses to learn ultrasound on my own over the past I '/2 years. Thus, we now have the ability to offer ultrasound services for our patients at Community Pet Hospital.

I also work as a professional pilot for Northwest Airlines, flying the Airbus A320 (150 passengers) and A330 (325 passengers) aircraft. I practice veterinary medicine at Community Pet Hospital on my days off from flying. My husband, whom I met at Northwest Airlines, is also a pilot and we are fortunate in that we can fly our trips together as captain and first officer.

I have fallen in love with Montana and plan to spend the rest of my life here. My husband and I take advantage of much that Montana has to offer. One of our favorite activities is taking pack trips on our horses for 1-3 days in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness areas. We have had the chance to explore numerous trails and some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. We also enjoy photography and have a website displaying some of our photos. Other activities include skiing, kayaking, canoeing and motorcycle riding. Bob and I both enjoy playing piano when we have a few minutes of quiet time, but that is only when our dog, Fang, isn't demanding attention.