Dr. John Ammeraal
Owner/Medical Director

A native of New Jersey, Dr. Ammeraal grew up in Roxbury and currently resides in Morris County. Dr. Ammeraal received his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University with honors in 2003. He attended Ross University and completed clinical rotations at University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine where he received his DVM degree in 2007. After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Ammeraal began practicing small animal medicine in New York, then in New Jersey for a few small animal hospitals and has been in practice for over 13 years. In October 2020 his dream came true; he became the practice owner at Sova Animal Hospital in Butler, NJ. Dr. Ammeraal is a member of the NJVMA, AVMA and AAHA and he is USDA accredited for international health certificates.

Dr. Ammeraal has extensive medical interests including dentistry, internal medicine, surgery, dermatology and ultrasonography. He is dedicated to providing the highest quality veterinary medical care for his patients with the utmost compassion, attention and a comprehensive approach for healthy, long-term and happy human to pet relationships. He has always had a strong passion and interest in animals and science. Through the years, Dr. Ammeraal has assisted with the rescue of wildlife and given his time to care for animals in need. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, biking, traveling, learning about new technology and spending time with his wife Leigh, their dog Jake and 2 cats Abby and Penguin.

Dr. Robert Sova
Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Sova’s interest in veterinary medicine started at a young age. He spent much of his youth caring for animals at his father’s veterinary practice. He graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and then served as a captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. After his discharge, he was an associate veterinarian in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, and a part-time clinician at the ASPCA in New York City. In 1975, Dr. Sova established Sova Animal Hospital in Butler, New Jersey, and has been serving the community ever since. His special interests include surgery and diagnostic work-ups. When not at work, he enjoys photography, scuba diving, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Dr. Ilka Bott-Wentworth
Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Ilka Bott-Wentworth (Dr. B-W) grew up in Boonton Township, New Jersey and her passions for the outdoors and hard work run deep! She grew up with: chickens, sheep, donkeys, peafowl, and family English Springers, for whom she learned the joys and responsibilities of care-taking. As a youth she began to further her interest in animal behavior and animal husbandry by working on a local farm with over 100 alpacas, llamas, and a variety of dog breeds and cats. Here she was able to work alongside the visiting vets as they checked the animals, provided neonatal care, and treated the critically ill. From those experiences, she began an eleven-year veterinary assistantship focused on Companion Animal medicine.

Dr. Bott-Wentworth attended St. George’s University – School of Veterinary Medicine in Grenada, West Indies (S.G.U.) graduating in 2020. This program provided hands-on work with all species, from cats and dogs to sea turtles and farm animals. Dr. B-W attended her final clinical year of vet school at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, L.A. She excelled throughout rotations particularly in pain management and integrative medicine and continued to hone her ultrasound skills, assisting the Theriology department with cases and research following the awarding of her D.V.M. She is a member of NJVMA, AVMA, AAFP, and AAHA.

Outside of her love for working with animals and their caretakers, Dr. B-W enjoys spending time teaching her young godson to fish, horseback ride, and read. She also enjoys going for family hikes with her current field-trained English Springer Spaniels: Freddie, Belle, and Mia. Dr. Bott-Wentworth continues to travel, learn about other cultures, grow her knowledge in the field of veterinary medicine, and is always trying to find new ways to help give back to her local and global communities!