Hi there! Like most animal lovers, I have had a strong passion for animals from the beginning. Friends and family asked me my entire childhood if I was going to be a veterinarian and oddly enough my answer was always “no way.” I struggled seeing sick or painful animals, let alone to be involved in euthanasia day after day –it would be too heart breaking.
Everything changed however, when I read a story one night in “Chicken Noodle Soup for the Ocean Lover’s Soul.” Being so inspired by a dolphin-assisted therapy story, I wrote the author and found myself on a plane to the Florida Keys a few months later for an internship at the Dolphin Research Center. Through this experience, I got to help with medical catches of dolphins, witness sea turtle surgery and I was forever hooked on veterinary medicine.
I then worked as a dog groomer in Vancouver, WA, volunteered as a kennel assistant at a small animal practice, volunteered at Oregon Primate Rescue, and joined World Vets spay and neuter campaign trip to Nicaragua until I got into Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (now Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine) and graduated with honors in 2016.
Since graduation I have been working as a small animal veterinarian in Vancouver, WA, the veterinarian of Oregon Primate Rescue and have had great opportunities to help local wildlife including squirrels, otters and porcupines with The Squirrel Refuge. And while I love soft tissue surgery, I have found a true passion for working closely with families, practicing fear-free medicine, pain management and hospice care. In fact, I attended the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society’s course and received my Certificate of Veterinary Acupuncture in 2019-2020, so that I may add acupuncture to my tool box of pain management for my patients.
When not immersed in veterinary medicine, I LOVE spending time with friends and family including my German Shorthair Pointer mix and two cats. On sunny days, you can find me outside hiking, kayaking, or playing softball with my husband Jay and our young son Conlan. On rainy days I love drawing, doing yoga, or nerding out watching Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and baseball movies. On any day of the year you’ll find me covered in animal hair and drinking coffee.
