Meet Our Team

“Stop chewing that!” It’s a common phrase at my house, and when you meet my pack of loveable but unruly rescues, you’ll understand why. Living with these troublemakers, I’m no stranger to torn up sofas and backyard holes. I know first hand that vet visits and surgery can be expensive, and believe no one should have to make health and treatment decisions based on cost. That’s why I have spent the last 12 years working to provide affordable, compassionate care for Colorado’s cats and dogs.

Since graduating from CSU’s vet program, I have found my calling as a high volume spay/neuter surgeon. I know getting animals fixed leads to a healthier pet, better bonds with their owners, fewer fights between other animals, and calmer pets in general. At Animal Works, I will proudly continue to bring a little peace and hopefully fewer ER visits to the people of Fort Collins and the surrounding areas! In addition to routine surgeries, I have helped bring comfort to pets and their families through thousands of mass removals, bladder and intestine surgeries, wound repairs, and many other soft tissue surgeries.

When I’m not out being walked by my pack of high energy dogs, you can find me enjoying good food, good music, and the outdoors with family and friends.

Favorite Quote: “Dogs got personality. Personality goes a long way.” – Quentin Tarantino

I’m a big veterinary science nerd! After thousands of hours of surgery, I’m still excited about new cases and new challenges. More important than new techniques and fun tools though, is the animal underneath the drape and the bond they share with their people. During my time at the Royal Veterinary College in London, I realized cost is a huge barrier to receiving care.

My first six years in practice were with a high-volume, low-cost clinic where I became acquainted with high-volume techniques for spay and neuter surgeries. These techniques help keep time and expense down, but are transferable to other types of surgeries as well. Having done over 10,000 spay/neuter surgeries, I started to learn orthopedic procedures. With hundreds of knee and hip surgeries under my belt, I am now continuing the mission by starting a new practice to help even more pet parents and their fur babies.

In addition to all things science and surgery, I love the outdoors.

I enjoy taking my family including our black lab mix hiking and snowshoeing.

Favorite Quote: “An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language” – Martin Buber

Controlled chaos. That’s how most practice managers would describe what they do, from barking dogs and ringing phones to maintaining inventory and greeting clients. I should know about chaos, having run the reception desk and office duties of Denver’s busiest clinic for the last five years. Apparently, that wasn’t enough, because I decided to take on a new level of chaos and open Animal Works.

I love the constant buzz of activity running the clinic provides; the client connection, hearing the cat’s meows, seeing the wagging tails (especially on the little dogs), and sharing our story on social media. I hope when you walk into our lobby that you feel like a part of the Animal Works family and can sense the compassion for and connection with animals that my staff and I share. Just like my four chihuahuas, this might be crazy, but I’d never change it!

Favorite Quote: “Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” – Colette

Animals have always been a part of my life. Born and raised in Colorado, I started working in a veterinary office at age 13. During my teenage years, I continued working there and began volunteering at an animal emergency hospital. I went to CSU and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Shortly after graduating, I felt the pull of animals again and found my way back into the vet field.

Now I use my knowledge of human behavior to help build a comfortable space for clients and organize workflows. Aside from passionate staff and skilled doctors, Animal Works offers a good balance between client face time, organizational opportunities, and flexible hours. This allows me to work on my master’s degree in I/O Psychology at Harvard, with which I hope to help improve the veterinary field. When I’m not working or attending classes, I enjoy spending time with my chihuahua mix, Gimli, and playing D&D with my friends.

Favorite Quote: “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France

Compassionate, persistent, and Colorado to the core, that’s how I’d describe myself. I was born and raised in Fort Collins, but shortly after graduating from high school, I followed in my family’s footsteps and became the first woman in my family to join the United States Air Force. I settled into the routine at the Wyoming Air National Guard quickly, but soon thereafter began pursuing my passion for helping animals. I went on to attend and graduate from Penn Foster College’s veterinary technician program.

The last eight years in the veterinary field have only stoked my passion for rescuing and fostering kittens. I work closely with a local rescue and can pretty much always be found with a furry friend. Knowing I will be helping lots of animals receive affordable vet care is one of the big reasons that brought me to Animal Works. The human-animal bond is central to my fur family, but also central to how I approach work as a vet tech. I treat every animal that walks through the door as if it were one of my own. In my spare time, you can find me at every Colorado Eagles home game, enjoying local breweries, live music, and spending time with my friends on their motorcycles.

Favorite Quote: “Animals are such agreeable friends―they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” ― George Eliot

Busy, busy, busy. That’s how many people would describe my days currently. In addition to my position at Animal Works, I’m a full-time veterinary student at CSU as part of the DVM class of 2025. While growing up in northern New Mexico on my family’s small farm, I fell in love with animals, being around them, working with them, and taking care of them. My passion for veterinary medicine evolved as I got my bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of New Mexico while working as a vet tech simultaneously (I mentioned being busy already, right?). Nothing else has captured my attention like vet med has – and thankfully my hard work has helped me achieve my dreams of attending vet school. So far, my passion for biomedical science and my love of animals has continued to grow the more I learn!

Professionally, I hope to use my experience at Animal Works to pursue mixed animal general practice and emergency medicine, with plenty of surgery. I enjoy working with almost all animals, but am most passionate about dogs, cats, horses, goats, sheep, and llamas/alpacas! In my off time (if I have any!) I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, camping, paddle boarding, and tubing the Poudre River, as well as tinkering with/driving RC cars, growing veggies in our garden, and tending to a small jungle of houseplants.

My lifelong journey of loving and caring for animals started when I was four years old when I adopted my first rescue dog from a Denver animal shelter. My adopted animal companions always played a prominent role in my life, being with me during my move from Denver to Fort Collins and while I attended CSU, where I earned my BA in foreign languages, literature, and cultures with a concentration in French.

A lifelong fascination with all things animal-related has led to many adventures AND pets over the years! It also eventually led me to a career in the veterinary field, starting in 2014. I came to feel that working with cats and dogs on a daily basis was an honor, and joining the compassionate team at Animal Works has been so rewarding.
Outside of veterinary work, I’m also a published children’s author. My favorite characters to create are animals! My son and I stay quite busy with our fur babies at home: Shelby, an energetic Border-Collie mix, and Snowy, a rascally grey tabby kitten.

Favorite Quote: “If we could read the minds of animals, we would find only truths.” – Anthony Douglas Williams