Our Why: It's because of you we can.
We started our hospital in 2004 to make a difference in the lives of those we serve... this commitment is to those who walk in both the front and back doors of our organization. Our team is essential to our success in saving lives. Together, we make a conscious choice to practice safety, compassion, and excellence in medicine for our patients, our pet families, our team, and our community. We take pride in that you trust us to care for your pet like our own. We do this because it's the right thing to do. We do this for you and your pet because we can.
Our Standards of Excellence: We are AAHA accredited because your pet deserves only the best.
We chose to become an AAHA accredited hospital because we believe your pet deserves our best efforts to provide excellence in veterinary care. AAHA accreditation is reserved for animal hospitals that demonstrate a very high standard of care in 900 different categories including anesthesia, surgery, patient care, and management. Fewer than 15% of hospitals are qualified to become AAHA accredited. These standards ensure we are doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and how it needs to be done. We provide this care with intention, purpose, and excellence. We are AAHA accredited... because your pet deserves only the best.
Our Promise: We honor the bond you have with your pet.
Our pet parents tell us it’s obvious we love animals and our compassion is palpable. We take pride in being your choice as your pet’s veterinary health care team. Our care extends outside the walls of our hospital. We must know how your pet is doing after your pet’s appointment with us. Follow-up telephone calls are made by all members of our team. We build connections by listening with intention and finding common ground to create positive outcomes. These connections provide reassurance your beloved pet is on the right path. You are your pet’s advocate and we honor the special bond you have with your pet.
Our Doctors
Dr. Parva Bezrutczyk
Dr. Parva is passionate about leading our organization and positively impacting the lives of others. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona and Colorado State University and has practiced in the valley since 1997. Her superpower is upholding the standards and principles of AAHA to ensure we are providing the exceptional care all of our patients deserve. She is an avid book “collector” and has three worn copies of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe, all of which are only partially read. Dr. Parva is also known as “Queen B” and ensures our Rockstar team has lots of snacks in our breakroom to keep us all fed. On the weekends, you can find her cheering on her daughter in a myriad of sports endeavors and supporting her love of Pokemon battles. Dr. Parva is currently in the progress to become a fear-free certified team member.
Dr. Pamela Ford
Dr. Ford is certified in Companion Animal Rehabilitation and one of the owners of Arizona Animal Wellness Center. She is a rare breed in that she is a true Arizona native, which means she needs very little water to survive. She received her DVM degree from Colorado State University in 1997 and could not wait to return to the warmth of the desert to be a Veterinarian. Dr. Ford’s superpower is that she integrates both traditional western medicine as well as an alternative medicine to achieve the best outcome for her patients. She can often be found practicing yoga in the warmest areas of her home, as well as digging in her garden with her daughter and hiking mountains of the San Tans.
Dr. Randy Tedrow
Dr. Tedrow is originally from the Pacific Northwest. He attended Washington State University and graduated in 1972 with a degree in Biological Sciences and then a degree in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1975 (not a misprint - he is the oldest and baldest veterinarian at AAWC). After owning and operating a large and small animal practice for more than 25 years in Washington and Idaho, he has focused on staying current, competent, and compassionate in small animal medicine, which is no easy task with the advancements being made every day in veterinary medicine. Dr. Tedrow, his wife Suzanne, and their dog Olive have thoroughly embraced all of the sunshine and outdoor activities that Arizona can provide. In the summer months, they escape as much as possible to their second home in Pinetop to reconnect with the lakes and pine trees in the White Mountains.
Dr. Kevin Winters
Dr. Winters was born in Tampa, Florida, and moved to Kansas when he was two years old. He attended Kansas State University and graduated in 1993 with a degree in veterinary medicine. Dr. Winters owned an emergency practice in Kansas for over 20 years. He decided to sell the practice and move to Arizona. He started working at AAWC about three years ago. His areas of interest in verterinary medicine are surgery and wound care. In his spare time he enjoys mountain biking, fishing and playing golf.
Dr. Andrea Savarese
Dr. Savarese is originally from Long Island, New York, she graduated from Ross University and completed a fellowship in shelter medicine at Louisiana State University. She has enjoyed practicing veterinary medicine in Arizona for the past several years working with companion animals such as dogs and cats as well as many exotic species. Her passion for exotic animal medicine has been fueled through various externships, general practice as well as work with the zoo. When not at work, she enjoys horseback riding, traveling and video games. Spending time with family, including my cats, leopard tortoise and ball python (all of whom get along quite well), is a must on my days off. She is looking forward to providing compassionate veterinary care for your family very soon!
Dr. Diane Paster
Dr. Paster attended veterinary school at the Ohio State University. She has worked in both emergency and general practice. Dr. Paster is a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and is also a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner, and Certified Veterinary Medical Acupuncturist. Dr. Paster is an elite fear-free certified team member.
Dr. David Colton
Dr. Colton is a native Californian and earned a B.S. in Animal Science in 1983 from UC Davis. After graduation, he worked for three years in the dairy industry in upstate New York as a field nutritionist for the Pillsbury Company. He received his DVM in 1990 from Oklahoma State University and has practiced at Central Oregon Animal Hospital as both an employee and owner since graduation. Dr.Colton has dedicated his career to gaining expertise in the treatment of orthopedic diseases. His practice emphasizes advanced surgical care and he has received the following training and certificates:
Ohio State/ AO-North America Basic and Masters Orthopedic Training
Cruciate Ligament Repair
Advanced training in multiple techniques of cruciate ligament repair including; TPLO, TTA, CBLO, Tightrope and Isolock
Fracture Repair
Advanced training in both external fixation and locking plate systems for complex fractures in large breeds, toy breeds, and cats.
Patellar Luxation
Advanced training in both diagnosis and corrective treatment of various causes of patellar luxation
Growth Deformities
Advanced training in Osteotomies for corrective limb alignment
Elbow Dysplasia
Trained in the P.A.U.L technique for treatment of Elbow Dysplasia
PennHip- Hip evaluation certification
VetStem- Stem Cell Therapy Certification
Assistant Instructor for Intrauma Veterinary Orthopedics
Attending Veterinarian at the High Desert Museum from 2014-2016
Dr.Colton continues making advanced surgical treatments his priority in providing personalized care in a friendly, compassionate, and comfortable environment.
David's interests include fly fishing, backpacking, woodworking, and traveling with his wife Sylvia and their three dogs.
Dr. Shannon Hansen
Dr. Hansen is an Arizona native of the west valley. She received her bachelor of science degree in biology at Northern Arizona University, where she quickly learned the cold was not for her. She went to experience warmer weather at Louisiana State University, where she attended vet school. Dr. Hansen returned to her roots in Arizona to practice before joining the team. Dr. Hansen has an interest in feline medicine and is an avid cat owner with three special kitties of her own. Dr. Hansen is a fear-free certified team member. In her spare time out of the office, she enjoys playing video games and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Gabriel Franca
Dr. Franca hails from San Paulo, Brazil and graduated from the University of San Paulo with his Veterinary Degree. Dr. Franca started his career working in wildlife and zoo medicine to include a myriad of species such as birds of prey, monkeys, large cats, reptiles, and anteaters, in addition to his love for dogs and cats. Dr. Franca is passionate about leadership and ensuring the safety of patient care in both critically ill patients as well as those undergoing anesthesia and hospitalization. His areas of interest in veterinary medicine include clinical medical cases, and utilizes Fear-Free and Cat-Friendly methods of care. Dr. Franca is a Fear-Free Certified team member. In his spare time, he enjoys wildlife photography, hiking and has an interest in bladesmithing - suffice it to say, there is never a "dull" moment around Dr. Franca!
Dr. Kailey Chema
Dr. Chema is originally from Metro Detroit. She earned her undergraduate degree from Purdue University (boiler up!), then she returned home to attend Michigan State University for veterinary school. Dr. Chema has a strong background in preventive care, and she has a special interest in feline medicine. She has certifications in veterinary medical acupuncture as well as Fear Free practice. When she’s not at work, Dr. Chema likes to read fantasy novels, watch PBS Masterpiece shows, and plan her next travel excursion. She and her fiancé have two kitties (Parsley and Kiwi) and a chihuahua (Mochi). Dr. Chema is a Fear-Free Certified team member.
Dr. Tracy Kormos
Dr. Kormos is a wonder woman and a true hero to our patients, our clients and our team. At the end of the day, when she is done providing exceptional care to patients and their families, she prepares for battle with the outside world as an unconquerable warrior. Dr. Kormos lives a distance away in Cave Creek (not as far as the Amazons) but travels at the speed of light to provide relief veterinary care here when we need it most. She has discovered her true destiny as a veterinarian and her superpowers shine brightest when she is stopping the threat of a sore throat of a vocal kitten or an itchy skin infection on a furry pup. In addition to her invisible plane, she has some great gear too – her indestructible bracelets and lasso of truth make any day exciting and fun… unless you are a bad guy.
Dr. Teva Stone
Dr Stone grew up in Tucson, AZ. As far back as she can remember she wanted to be a veterinarian. In an effort to make that dream come true, she moved to Ft Collins, Colorado right after high school graduation to attend Colorado State University. She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Animal Science, Masters in Biomedical Science and with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2009.
Dr Stone originally planned on practicing large animal medicine but life had other plans. She found herself in a small animal practice and couldn’t be happier. Dr Stone loves the relationships she builds with clients and their pets! She has a special love for surgery and says “There is no greater feeling than to bring a pet to their owner, who didn’t know if they would see them again!"
She currently lives in Ft Collins, CO with her husband Will and their two daughters, Ayslee and Ahmee.
Dr Stone loves AAWC and comes to help out whenever her schedule allows. You can also find her helping out with telemedicine!
Our Team
Adam - Chief of Operations
Adam has been part of the team at Arizona Animal Wellness Center since 2006. He is a native of Arizona, and while he did spend some of his childhood in Colorado, he spent most of his later childhood years in Parker, AZ. Adam started his career in veterinary medicine at the age of fourteen working with his grandfather who was a veterinarian going on farm calls. At the age of seventeen he worked as a veterinary technician at his uncle’s veterinary practice. Adam has had the opportunity to mentor and work alongside numerous great veterinarians but has ultimately decided to call Arizona Animal Wellness Center his home. Adam is an avid outdoors-man and enjoys mountain biking, camping, hiking, and spending time with his family. He and his wife have a four-year-old son along with two Sphynx cats and two dogs. Adam aspires to continue his career in veterinary medicine by assisting in the growth and development of his peers and teammates to create not only an exceptional place to work but an extraordinary place to bring your pets and family members.
Jennifer - Director of Inventory and Communications
Jennifer decided to join the veterinary field back in 2001 because she wanted to be a wildlife vet, but decided after working in the industry that vet school was not for her. She does enjoy working with the animals and helping them out from being babies to senior pets. She has a Bachelors of Science from ASU with an emphasis in Wildlife Habitat Management. She also an MBA from the University of Phoenix with an emphasis in Human Resources Management. Jennifer is a fear-free certified team member. She married her high school sweetheart and they have been together for 22 years, married for 13 years. They have a son and three dogs. Beauty is her old lady whippet, she is almost 15 years old. Sparkle is a rowdy 4-year-old lab/boxer/pit mix who is the life of the party and enjoys playing with her younger sister Rosie. She loves to watch movies with her family and have a movie line competition with her husband. She chooses to be an AAWC rockstar to help build the team and provide great customer service.
Jackie - Director of Human Resources and Client Services
Jackie has been a part of the veterinary industry for over Ten years and joined Arizona Animal Wellness Center in 2022. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Animal Science and Biotechnology. She is originally from the Midwest and moved to Arizona at the end of 2019 for the warm weather and sunshine. Jackie loves spending time outside and traveling. Her current travel goal is to visit all 50 states. She has two cats named Layla and Castiel and a dog named Eva. She chooses to be a member of the AAWC to help build the team and ensure all clients and patients are receiving the best quality of care.
Rob - Chief Financial Officer
Rob grew up in the Cincinnati area, home to the Big Red Machine, and comes to us in semi-retirement from 40 years of corporate finance. He earned his MBA in Finance from Tulane University and has spent his diverse career in Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, and Manufacturing. Rob is a true blue cat person having raised kitties all his life, including the two current ragdolls - Bandit & Minka. As a hobby, Rob writes a blog about growing up in the Cincinnati area in the 60s and 70s and has over 250 real-life stories. Rob has been married to his high school sweetheart for 43 years and has raised 3 boys. He moved around the country for work and decided to settle in Arizona where he and his wife enjoy many hours of golf, hiking, and biking.
Stacey - Administrative Assistant
Stacey moved to Arizona from Southern California with her husband and 4 fur babies in 2018. She loved how AAWC cared for her fur babies, so she had to join the team. Stacey is a fear-free certified team member. She is passionate about educating clients and helping their pets with high levels of fear and anxiety. In her spare time, you'll find her shopping, kayaking on the lake, binging Netflix, or reading an intense thriller!
Linda- Client Patient Advocate
Linda has over 20 years of Client Relationship and has embraced learning the veterinary industry. She has always had a passion for animals and loves getting to know her clients and their pets. She grew up in Orange County, California, and moved to Arizona five years ago. Her family consists of her husband of 25 years, a teenage son, and an 11-year-old Golden Retriever. Some of Linda’s interests include cooking, wine tasting, reading crime fiction, and collecting old cookbooks.
Nikki - Client Service Representative
After working in the NASCAR industry for over 8 years Nikki wanted a change and her love for animals brought her into the veterinary field. She started her veterinary career in 2010 in a small family-owned veterinary clinic in Charlotte, NC. She relocated to Arizona in January 2012 to be closer to her family and started her career at AAWC in May of 2012. She is a mom of 2 crazy two legged boys and one four legged fur daughter, Cooper. She strives to make a difference each day for AAWC's clients and their pets. She's called AAWC home since 2012 and cannot imagine working anywhere else.
Lacey - Client Service Representative
Lacey has worked in the veterinary field since 2007 and has been at AAWC since 2012. She loves building bonds with every pet that comes through the door and the families that love them. Lacey is a fear-free certified team member. Lacey has a husband and son along with 2 dogs, Cricket an English Springer Spaniel, and Stoli a Doberman mix.
Georgeanne - Client Service Representative
Born and raised in California, Georgeanne moved to Arizona with her husband and two children in 1997. Her career in the veterinary field did not become a reality until, in her Senior year at USC, she followed her strong interest in working with dogs. She took dog training courses, became certified, all a product of doing research for a Career Development course. Since then she has never looked back.
In 1979 she began her career in the field by starting as a Veterinary Assistant. Over the years, she widened her scope by serving as a receptionist (now known as a CSR), which led to her being actively involved in training and management.
She began her life with AAWC 6 months into its opening its doors. With a bit of hiatus, she came back to her passion for serving the pets and families that AAWC continues to care for.
Her home life is an extension of her work life, in that her husband is a Veterinary Technician. Her daughter was also in the field for many years. She and her husband will never be ‘empty nesters’. They have Arlo, a Pitbull mix, and three cats (Gray Boy, Stitch, and Mindy). But they have had many 4-legged kids that they have been blessed to have in their lives. Their 2-legged kids are now grown and have kids of their own, so Georgeanne and her husband keep busy with having 4 of their grandkids close by. She is proud to be part of AAWC’s family all these years.
Gina - Client Service Representative Lead
Gina is an AAWC Rockstar CSR through and through. Gina has been in the veterinary profession for almost 2 decades and is honored to be a part of the AAWC team. Gina is a fear-free certified team member. Gina can handle stress while staying cool as a cucumber as evidenced by the fact that she has raised/is raising seven kids... with her sanity still intact. Gina gets her passion for taking care of others from her Dad, whom she credits for being the mom she is today. Her favorite meal is margaritas... with, or without, tacos. You can find her on her time off hanging by the pool watching her fur babies synchronize swim, cheering on her "Ride or Die" team, the Kansas City Chiefs, and just smiling at life in general.
Briana T. - Client Service Representative Lead
Briana was born and raised in Hawaii. She moved to San Diego for a few years before making her home in Arizona. She started volunteering at the age of 12 and fell in love with the veterinary field and decided to make this her career. She is well-rounded in all areas of veterinary medicine and had mainly worked in general practice or emergency medicine. She attended San Juan College to get her CVA. She is currently taking a break to focus on her family but hopes to return to become a CVT one day. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is surgery, especially dentistry. In her spare time, she likes to hike, go fishing on the beach, and spending time with her friends and family.
Brittany W - Client Services Representative
Brittany is from Mesa, AZ. She has worked as a general practice CSR since 2018. Her favorite part of her job in veterinary medicine is connecting pets to the resources they need in an emergency, and feeling like she has made a difference in that pet’s life. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and reading fiction novels. Brittany is currently in progress to become a fear-free certified team member.
Allie - Client Service Representative Lead
Allie is from Buffalo, NY, and moved to Arizona almost 7 years ago. She is a proud pet mom to 2 pitbull boys, a cat, 2 turtles, and her bearded dragon. She is new to the veterinary field as a CSR at AAWC and couldn't be happier to be a part of the AAWC family. Allie is a fear-free certified team member. Her favorite part of the veterinary field is being able to help decrease stress for pets in our clinic. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, and hanging out with her variety of animals.
Erin- Client Service Representative
Erin grew up in Maryland in a house full of cats and discovered her love for all animals at an early age. She graduated from The University of Maryland with a BS degree in Natural Resource Management Plant and Wildlife, where she spent two years as a Wildlife Biologist doing clinical research. Erin quickly realized her true passion was veterinary medicine. She has worked in general practice for over 28 years as a Certified Veterinary Technician, Client Relations Specialist, and Hospital Manager. Erin currently resides in Chandler with her husband of 20 years, 2 Labrador Retrievers, Moose and River, and a very spoiled cat Maggie. She spends her free time hiking, camping, and fishing.
Hollye - Client Service Representative
Hollye is originally from California but came to Arizona about seven years ago. She has been in the veterinary industry off and on for about ten years. She has always been a lover of animals and currently has two rescue kitties and a bearded dragon with high hopes of finally getting a puppy soon! In her free time, she enjoys traveling, going to music festivals, and painting. She plans on getting her fear-free certification this year and is so happy to have joined the AAWC family!
Ashley K- Client Service Representative
Born and raised in Illinois, Ashley has just recently moved to Arizona. She was previously going to school to become a fire fighter/paramadic and ending up falling in love with animal medicine. That was one of the best decsions made, and she has been in the field for 10 plus years. She currently has 2 dogs, Peaches a terrior mix, Odie an anatolion mix and Boo her chincilla. In her free time she like to spend time with her husband, enjoying the outdoors and hiking.
Samantha - Director of Team Development, CVT
Samantha has been in the veterinary field for over 25 years. She was going to school to be a veterinarian but once she got into the field she realized being a technician was much more fulfilling. She got her CVT and is so blessed to have a career that she is passionate about. She has 2 dogs a rotti-hound cross and a chihuahua who runs the show. She has been with her husband Mike for 30 years and have 2 grown daughters, 1 grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Outside of work she is very active in her church and community.
Jessica - Pharmacy Manager, CVT
Jessica has worked in the industry since 2004, doing everything from kennel, assistant, CSR, technician, technician supervisor, pharmacy technician to pharmacy manager. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2009 with her Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Technology. She never would have thought back then that she would ultimately be doing anything but hands-on patient care, but the very first day she worked in the pharmacy department she knew she would stay! It was definitely unexpected that she would end up loving it as much as she does. She has a passion for anything pharmacology or laboratory-related, especially microscope work, and learning more every day about different lab values, cells, microbes, etc., how they work, and what they mean to our patients to help us be able to ultimately better treat them. Outside of work, her husband and she enjoy spending every second they can with their three son, Truett, and watching him grow and learn every day. They love traveling, especially abroad & also love going to a cycle class at the gym and going to concerts. They have 2 super loveable cats at home – Bandit, and Jigsy – Truett loves them to pieces, but sometimes a little more than they would like.
Nykala - Pharmacy Assistant Manager
Nykala has been in the veterinary field for 4 years now, working her way up from animal care assistant to now being a pharmacy assistant. She has always loved animals and wanted to find ways that she could best help them and be there for them, so she started off volunteering at shelters and then came to AAWC in 2015. She is currently in the process of obtaining her veterinary technician license and hopes to have that completed within the year. Nykala is a fear-free certified team member. Her family consists of her parents, 4 brothers, and seriously an entire zoo (cats, dogs, birds, hedgehog, etc.) in her house, but she wouldn’t have it any other way! She enjoys taking care of the stray animals that come in, attempting to find their homes and/or adopt them out if need be! Her specialty is tiny orphaned kittens and she absolutely loves raising them and being their momma!
Tricia - Pharmacy Assistant Manager
Tricia has lived in Arizona allher life making her a true Arizonan through and through. She grew up in Gilbert andcurrently reside in queen creek with her husband, who is also her high school sweet heart (20 years and counting!), and her 2 children. She had always harbored a strong desire to work with animals from a very young age. Those ambitions led to the start of her work in the veterinary field in 2004. She has worn many hats in the last 17 years from a vet tech, then a customer service/patient advocate, to what she is now which is a pharmacy and lab Assistant Manager. She feels very fortunate to have found her passion and area of expertise working in the pharmacy/lab here at AAWC. Outside of work she relish in the great outdoors, and one of her favorite past times is camping and traveling with her family. She also enjoy making memories with her kids, working out and engaging in a healthy lifestyle for both herself and her family.
Theresa - Pharmacy Technician
Theresa was born and raised in Arizona and growing up, she always wanted to be a vet! She started riding horses at 3 years old which started her love for animals. Her grandma bred Australian Shepherds for a short time when she was little, so she was constantly surrounded by puppies, which is everyone’s dream! After a short detour into the world of cosmetology, she decided to go to Pima Medical Institute to become a Veterinary Technician, and once in the field, she decided she did not want to be a Veterinarian. She has been a Veterinary Technician going on for 8 years. She started at AAWC in 2018 because she was impressed with the high level of medicine we practice. AAWC has a fun staff and feels like they are family! We all truly love every pet we see daily.
She loves spending time with my boyfriend, Nick, and their two children Graham and Olivia. They have Kaine, our 9-year-old pittie, Sebastian our 11-year-old cat, and Slinky our ferret. She enjoys spending time with my family and going on vacations.
Bianca - Pharmacy Technician
Bianca got into the veterinary field because she felt it would be the most challenging and rewarding job she ever had, and she was right. She's always loved animals and felt the most fulfillment in her life caring for them. Aside from working in veterinary clinics she's spent many years fostering kittens when able and worked in a pharmacy specializing in veterinary medicine. She currently has 3 cats (pixie, Wednesday, and pippy) and 2 dogs (Salem- a German Shepard, and Billy- a chihuahua) Outside of work she loves going to the movies, reading, and spending time up north (Sedona & Flagstaff).
Sarah - Pharmacy Technician
Sarah is origianally from Nebraska and moved to Arizona in 2005. Sarah has workied most of her veterinary career in emergency medicine and has been an ICU technician since 2018. Sarah joined the AAWC team in 2022 . You can see her working hard down in our pharmacy department. Sarah's favorite part of veterinary medicine are disease processes, pharmacology and parasitology. In her spare time, Sarah likes crafting, crystals, kayaking, hiking and spending time at the beach! She loves being outside and especially by the water.
Leah - Lead Technician
Leah's love of animals brought her to this field in 2010. She is a certified veterinary assistant and has worked in many areas of the hospital throughout her career. She shares her life with her husband, son, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 horses. Her hobbies are everything to do with horses!
Ashley - Certified Veterinary Technician, CCRVN, BS
Ashley has always loved working with animals and started at a veterinary clinic while in high school. She has a BS is in Animal Science from U of A and earned her CCRVN through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. Some of her other passions include Pilates, traveling, hiking, and running.
Katie - Certified Veterinary Technician
Hi! My name is Katie. I am a certified veterinary technician. I started at AAWC as an animal care assistant in 2015 while I was still attending college at Pima Medical Institute in their veterinary program. Growing up I always knew I wanted to do something with animals. When I was little, I volunteered at the pound with my mom where I grew up in Stockton, CA. We helped to feed the cats and dogs (mostly the cats) and I learned a ton about bottle feeding baby kittens. Since then, I’ll never pass the opportunity to help with the bottle babies that come into the clinic as strays. I am also a fear-free certified team member. My son Ben is 9, and I’m pretty sure his favorite part of my job is when I am able to foster baby kittens since he LOVES to help. He calls himself “The Cat Man!” I have 3 dogs named Roxy, Chester, and Lucy, and 4 cats named Bolt, Belle, Sassy and Chance, as well as my 2 hairless guinea pigs (skinny pigs) named Max and Eleven. When I’m not working I love hiking, going to the gym, or just hanging out at home.
Chelsea - Certified Veterinary Technician
Chelsea has been in the veterinary industry for 12 years. She started as a receptionist and became a Certified Veterinary Technician 8 years ago. Chelsea has been with Arizona Animal Wellness Center since 2012. Her level of detail and compassion for excellence in veterinary care is unsurpassed. We are proud of her growth in the field of veterinary medicine and grateful for the difference she makes in the lives of others.
Joey - Certified Veterinary Technician
Joey is a native Arizonan and has always felt a special bond with animals, starting from a young age. After spending over 20 years as a manager in the commercial and retail paint industry, he returned to school to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Mesa Community College in 2017. Joey started his second career in emergency veterinary medicine before joining AAWC in 2019. Joey is a fear-free certified team member. He has a passion for helping people, advocating for animals, and leading by example. Joey is married to his best friend, Kristine, and lives in San Tan Valley with her and their two dogs (Baloo and Leilani) and two cats (Littles and Bond). He is happy to be serving the community of AAWC.
Jamie W - Certified Veterinary Technician
Jamie joined AAWC in April 2019. After a decade of working in higher education as an academic advisor, she realized her true calling was leading her down a different path. Inspired by her love of animals and her personal experiences with her pets, Jamie returned to school to complete her Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. Jamie graduated from Mesa Community College in May 2019 and received her certification later that summer. Jamie is a fear-free certified team member.
Jamie was a client of AAWC years before entering the field and knew that this was the only place she wanted to be. Jamie is grateful to be part of the AAWC team and promises to love and care for each pet that she sees as if they were her own. When not at the clinic, Jamie enjoys spending time with her husband and three rescue kids; two Boxers and a kitty. Jamie is passionate about pet nutrition and integrative medicine. Jamie and her husband have a deep love for the Boxer breed and have fostered over a dozen rescue boxers over the years, including three hospice pets.
David - Certified Veterinary Technician
David is originally from Aylesham, England which is near Canterbury. David has worked with the eye clinic for animals and general practice veterinarians. He has been in the veterinary industry for over 30 years. His favorite part of veterinary medicine is dealing with the pets and the people we serve. In David's spare time he likes to spend time with his grandkids, dogs, and cats. He also enjoys photography and cooking.
Izamary - Certified Veterinary Technician
Izzy was born and raised in Arizona. Izzy attended Pima Medical Institution and started as an extern with us at AAWC. Once she finished her schooling, she joined the team. Izzy worked hard to receive her CVT and is one of our certified technicians here at AAWC. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is helping and seeing the improvement in the animals we take care of. She enjoys cooking/baking, drawing and playing video games with her friends.
Arielle - Certified Veterinary Technician
Choosing the veterinary field was easy for Arielle. Since she was little she always had a love for animals both big and small. It only made sense to pursue her career and devote her life to helping save animals. Going to tech school was the best decision she ever made! Arielle is a fear-free certified team member. Arielle was born and raised in Arizona with her grandparents and sister. Most of her family is from New York and New Jersey so you could say she's a little ways from home. She has a wide variety of animals at home. She has 2 dogs, 5 cats, 3 leopard geckos, and a guinea pig. They definitely keep her very busy! Some of her hobbies include photography, horseback riding, and playing guitar.
Jesseca- Certified Veterinary Technician
Jesseca is a certified veterinary technician with a degree in veterinary technology. She has been in the vet field since 2018. She graduated in 2021 from Pima medical institute and has a passion for animal care. She started her journey in animal care as a dog groomer and her passion grew from there. At home, she has 3 cats, toby, mittens and skitters, and a rambunctious puggle named beans. If you count her human child, and her husband, she practically runs a zoo.
Lydia - Certified Veterinary Technician
Lydia is from Massachusetts. She graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and from Broadview University with an Associate of Applied Science. Her passion for dogs began at a very young age. She spends her spare time showing her Boston Terriers with her husband. Her other hobbies include crafts and reading. In addition to her dogs, she has a bearded dragon and three snakes.
Michelle - Veterinary Technician
Michelle has been a part of the AAWC family since 2015.
She always had a passion for animals and was naturally drawn to working in the veterinary field. After deciding in 2006 to attend school as Veterinary Assistant, she began working as a technician shortly after. Working full-time, she still graduated with her Associate's Degree in Medical Office Management in 2007. Michelle is a fear-free certified team member. Michelle has 4 adult children & her four-legged hoard includes Molly, a black golden mix, Levi Ryder, a golden retreiver; 5 cats, Baby, Domino, Sunny, Kisses, and the newest, Mizu; 1 Bearded Dragon, Ruby; 2 Rosy Bourke Parakeets, Romeo & Juliet. She & her family enjoy traveling, rock-hounding, chasing desert storms, and having fun conversations with people & each other.
Michelle is a fear-free certified team member.
Dee - Veterinary Technician
As a little girl in Oklahoma, Dee would frequently visit her grandfather's rabbitry (rabbit farm) where she fell in love with animals and veterinary medicine. Dee has been a veterinary technician since 2009. She has an interest in animal behavior and training. In 2017 she began her journey in Fear Free to help pets become less anxious in the clinic; in 2020 she obtained her Elite Fear Free certification. Dee is the founder of our Kitten Specialist Team- taking in neonatal kittens, bottle feeding, and raising them until adoption. In her free time Dee likes to read (she loves Harry Potter), travel, and spend time with her 3 dogs and 3 cats. She loves being outdoors, fishing, hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, and camping with her husband, step-daughter, and son.
Dani - Veterinary Technician
She has never worked in a veterinary hospital (or even the veterinary field for that matter) before going to school 3 years ago. She applied for a position as a technician here at AAWC after her externship as a Veterinary Assistant in May 2017. Since then, she has graduated from the Veterinary Technician program at Pima Medical Institute with an Associate's Degree in September of 2018. These past 2 years felt like they have flown by - She is so grateful for everything she has learned (and currently still learning) from working at AAWC. Before PMI back in 2010, She graduated from EVIT with a certification in dental assisting. She worked as a dental assistant/hygiene assistant for close to a year while she was working towards becoming a dental hygienist. As you can tell, that didn't happen due to circumstances in life, but she can honestly say that oral health and hygiene are still a passion of hers. At some point, she thinks it would be amazing to be able to incorporate oral health and veterinary medicine more into her life/work. When she's not at work, you can find her spending time with her family - Tim, Alyvia, Remi (her Black Lab/Greyhound mix), and Havoc (their Border Collie). Dani is a fear-free certified team member.
Jenna - Veterinary Technician
Jenna has been a part of the AAWC family since 2019. As a Lead Technician, Jenna helps the team with direction and providing an extra hand when needed. She has had a soft spot for animals all her life. She graduated Pima with her Associates in Veterinary Technology.
She has been with her husband since high school and welcomed a daughter in 2020. They also have two shih tzus named Pickles and Gambit. They have one cat named Kitty.
In her spare time her love for anything to do with water like swimming or going to the lake or river are her favorites. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and making the team laugh.
Natalie - Veterinary Technician
Natalie has been a part of the AAWC family since 2014.
She started working at AAWC because of the love she has for animals! She has a pit bull mix, Opie, a rescue pit, Uma, and a cat, Jojo. She and her husband have one amazing daughter who everyone at AAWC adores! Any chance she gets she is with her family! Her passion is integrative medicine and she is a Certified Cannabis Counselor. She hopes to one day be a canine massage therapist and rehabilitation technician.
Raquel - Veterinary Technician
Raquel was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, and had lived in Arizona for 2 years. She met my husband Brad during a trip to the USA in 2016 and they passed the next 2 years traveling sometimes between US and Brazil. In 2018, She finally moved to Arizona and was married in May of the same year. When she came to Arizona for the first time, she knew it would be her home one day. She is enchanted by the desert. She has always loved animals and working with them is a big part of her life. She graduated from a school of veterinary medicine in São Paulo in 2009 and worked as a veterinarian until she moved to the USA. Her dream is to validate her degree in the United States and be able to continue her profession here. Working as a Technician at AAWC has been extremely important to her and is very thankful for being able to continue in the veterinary field and learning with other amazing professionals. Raquel is a fear-free certified team member. She loves spending time with her husband, their dog Pita (a 6 yo Karelian Bear dog), and their cat Rado (a 1yo cat that her husband found under the house where he worked). One of her big passions is traveling. She loves visiting different spots & cultures as well as trying new foods and meeting new people.
Desirea - Veterinary Technician
Desirea was born in Arizona, but spent her childhood moving a lot and has lived in seven different states. She started her career in the veterinary field in 2008 in a small town in Kansas initially as a technician assistant. She has always had a soft spot for animals since a child, especially cats. Joining the AAWC team in 2020, she enjoys working with an amazing team with a passion for animals. Desirea is currently in progress to become a fear-free certified team member. She currently has an "only child" fur baby, Duey the cat, who insists on keeping it that way. Desirea is married and has three grown stepsons and three grandchildren. She is very active in her church and enjoys the outdoors. Any spare time is spent hiking and she loves camping and racing quads with her husband.
Kalin - Veterinary Technician
Kalin graduated from Pima in January 2021 as a veterinary technician and havs been in the veterinary field for about three years. She has five dogs of her own and loves spending time with them during her free time. She loves all animals, but dogs have a special place in her heart. She chose this profession to provide care to animals that are not able to speak for themselves and be the advocate they need.
Brianna G.- Veterinary Technician
Bri has been working in the Veterinary field for five years. Although she has a huge love for animals she is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Science in Nursing with an end goal of Forensic Nursing. Bri is a fear-free certified team member. Bri is originally from Washington state, Go Seahawks! She share her home with her pit mix Grayson and Chiweenie Buddy. She looks forward to interacting with you and your fur babies!
Noah - Veterinary Technician
Noah developed a fascination with veterinary medicine at the age of 14 when he had to take his pet python to the vet and was sent home with injections and fluids to give. By his late teens he was working full time in an animal hospital (or two) while attending the medical assistant program at community college and later attending Professional Veterinary Assistant School. Since then Noah has held technician positions in veterinary hospitals ranging from general practice to emergency/critical care, avian/exotic and specialty internal medicine. Noah has always had a hunger and passion for learning and serving the community through providing the highest quality of medical care their pets can be offered. When not at work, Noah enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and kids, BBQing, horticulture/gardening, caring for his collection of reptiles and doing DIY projects at home or tinkering in the garage. During the monsoon season Noah is in hot pursuit of finding and photographing native species of reptiles, amphibians and other wildlife in the mountains and deserts. Some of Noah’s clinical special interests include anesthesia, pain control and surgical assistance.
Lyndie - Veterinary Technician
Lyndie was born and raised in Arizona. She is attending school to become a veterinarian. She has been in this field for 4 years. Lyndie has been around all kinds of animals since she was a child. Her love for animals has only grown with time and ensuring happy and healthy pets is what drew her interest in veterinary medicine. Outside of work and school, she enjoy taking adventures, traveling, and being with the people she care most about.
Sabrina - Veterinary Technician
Sabrina has always had a huge heart for animals since she was really little. It sure shows since she has been in the veterinary field for 16 years and became certified in January of 2022. Her passion is being involved in the surgery department, which is something she is really good at! Always wanting to learn something new and helping others. A goal in the near future is to become an anesthesiologist. During her spare time, she enjoys anything that involves the outdoors, scrapbooking/arts and crafts with family, winter sports, water sports, reading, volunteering, and traveling.
Kayla - Veterinary Technician
Kayla is a magnet for learning new things and jumps at any opportunity to grow her skills as a veterinary technician. She embodies AAWC's core value of "Service" like a Rockstar with an attention to detail and love. She has a knack for training new team members. Her talent for cleaning pet's ears is unsurpassed and does it with the utmost gentleness and care for our furry patients. Kayla is a fear-free certified team member. On her off time, Kayla loves to recharge her batteries by playing video games and watching movies. She collects antique perfume bottles as a budding alchemist. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is her favorite movie and she dreams of traveling to Germany to visit the birthplace of the inspiration for one of the most famous monsters of all time.
Vanessa M. - Veterinary Technician
Vanessa is from California and she has been in the vet field (only GP) for 3 and a half years. She started as a kennel tech and has loved learning so much as a technician. Her favorite part of vet med is helping sick patients and seeing them improve their happy, healthy lives. In her spare time, she love to read books, spend time with family and friends and travel!!
Lindsey - Veterinary Technician
Lindsey is currently going to CGCC and has completed her Vet Assistant Certificate through EVIT. During this time she has also worked as an intern as a 'vet tech' for over 230 hours. She started her career in this field because animals don't get all the love that they deserve so working with them daily will help ensure that she can help take care of them. Her current goals are to graduate from CGCC with her associate's degree with a future goal to go to school and become a Veterinarian. One day she would like to own a practice as well as an animal sanctuary to rescue large and small animals from horrific conditions. In her spare time, she enjoys going on road trips and camping with her dogs or anything that involves her dogs. Lindsey is a fear-free certified team member.
Amber - Veterinary Technician
Amber has been a part of the AAWC Team since March of 2021. She graduated from ASU with a Bachelor of Science in biology focusing on pre-veterinarian medicine in the Spring of 2022. Amber is a fear-free certified team member. In her free time, she spends time with her cat Persephone and she loves to read. She also has a passion for music. She has been singing since a young child and plays the piano. At Arizona Animal Wellness Center she has enhanced her leadership skills, in training and being a team lead. Animals always brighten her days, and she is excited to learn more here at AAWC.
Emily - Veterinary Technician
Emily is originally from Huntington Beach, Ca. She has worked in the veterinary industry for seven years and enjoys the general practice side of the field. Her favorite part of working in veterinary medicine is coming to work everyday, knowing she will get to help our patients feel their best. In Emily's spare time, she enjoys spending it with her eight dogs and working towards her ASU prevet degree.
Steven - Veterinary Technician
Steven was born and raised in Arizona. He attended EVIT and graduated as a technician in 2019. He has been in love with the field ever since. He did his externship at the Phoenix Herpetological sanctuary for 6 months which helped find and grow his love for exotics. He since has adopted 5 cats, 2 rats, and 7 reptiles.
Meghan - Veterinary Technician
Meghan is from Mesa, Arizona. She has only worked in general practice for animals. Her favorite part about veterinary medicine is seeing pets come in sick and return for their recheck appointments back to their normal selves. In her spare time, she does woodworking and likes to go hiking.
Nour - Veterinary Technician
Nour was born and raised in Arizona. Nour started her veterinary journey with EVIT and got her first externship at an emergency clinic. Her career has taken her to work with a mobile vet and a small animal practice before coming to AAWC. Nour has a passion for veterinary medicine and wants to expand her knowledge in the field. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is treatments of patients, client education, and animal care/husbandry. In her spare time, Nour enjoys watching Netflix/Hulu, spending time with her family, and drawing/art.
Nicole - Veterinary Technician
Like most in the animal field, Nicole grew up with a fondness for all animals. As a teen that fascination focused in on horses and she started riding and competing, which then led to her degree in Equine Science from Colorado State. Most of her background is with horses and other large animals, but in 2020 she made the move to small animals and has never been happier. Nicole has a soft spot for the extra nervous kiddos that come and in making sure their visit is the best it can be. She loves that every day is new and always something new to be learned! In Nicole's spare time, you can find her hiking with her pup, reading at home with her cats, or just out exploring.
Ana- Veterinary Technician
Ana is from a small town in Germany and moved to the US in 2017. She was previously a preschool teacher and decided to change her field and join veterinary medicine. Her favorite part about working with animals is learning something new and seeing sick pets recover. In her spare time, Ana likes to hike with her dog Floki. She also volunteers for rescues and fosters newborn kittens/puppies. She likes to give the babies a fair chance at life.
Ashlyn- Animal Care Assistant
Ashlyn was born and raised in Arizona. AAWC is her first job in the veterinary field (very exciting!!) She loves being around animals and enjoys all of the affection they give her. In her free time, she is usually in Parker, Arizona on the river or snowboarding up North.
Caydence - Animal Care Assistant
Caydence started her journey at Arizona Animal Wellness Center on March 3rd of 2021. Before she even had a chance to work at AAWC, she had always followed her mom's footsteps and wanted to involve herself with animals. Her mom, Natalie Cline, has been working at AAWC for 7 years now so she has grown up with the hospital and has only seen it grow and flourish. A little more about Caydence is that she is going to EVIT for veterinary assistance to hopefully get a kickstart on her college career and learn more about programs in the veterinary field like rehab and prosthetics. In her downtime, she loves playing soccer and being a goalkeeper for her school's soccer team. She also loves paddle boarding with her family and friends on the beautiful lakes and rivers of Arizona.
Bailey - Animal Care Assistant
Bailey has been working at AAWC since December of 2021 and has loved every minute of it. She has always dreamed of working with animals since she was a little girl and hopes she can become a technician one day. She can’t wait to learn more and grow at AAWC. In her spare time, she loves to paint, hang out with my friends, family and my dogs and go on trips to the beach.
Rhyen - Animal Care Assistant
Rhyen was born and raised here in Arizona. He started at AAWC in December of 2021 while still in high school. He is currently attending CCGC and hopes to transfer to ASU and obtain a degree in geology. His mom has been a Veterinary Technician for most of his life, so he grew up volunteering in the veterinary field developing an appreciation for helping animals. He is fortunate enough to now be working with his amazing mom here at AAWC. Most of his free time is spent with his family as well as catching up on sleep. Rhyen has a dog named Molly who likes to sass talk 24/7, a golden retriever named Levi Ryder and two cats, one named Sunny who loves to bite his ankles and another named Mizu, who doesn't have an off button. He enjoys being outdoors, taking road trips, and doing various arts and crafts.
Rhyen is a fear-free certified team member.
Madisson - Animal Care Assistant
My name is Madisson and I was born and raised in Gilbert Arizona. I am currently going to ASU to receive my pre-vet degree and I have completed my vet assistant certification through EVIT. During this time I completed 138 externship hours at Arizona Equine Medical and surgical center. I am pursuing a career in the veterinary medicine field because I hope to one day in the future run my own veterinary clinic and help animals receive the medical care that they need to be happy and healthy. In my free time, I like to spend time with family, friends, and of course my dog Stanley. I enjoy going to the lake and river to paddle board along with hiking. I love spending time outdoors.
Dylan - Animal Care Assistant
Dylan Hannon is currently a senior in high school. He plan to pursue a career involving animals after graduation. He love his Goldendoodle George, and plans to get him therapy dog certified when it comes time. He has loved working at AAWC, the team members have helped him grow and continue to broaden his skills.
Maribel - Animal Care Assistant
Maribel was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She fell in love with animals when her dad gifted her a bunny for easter. After graduating from college and joining the Army, she moved to Arizona to be closer to her sister and started taking classes to apply for Veterinary school. Her future goals are to go back to Puerto Rico to help control the population of stray cats and dogs that is affecting her country.
Abby - Animal Care Assistant
Abby was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was raised here in Arizona. She is attending ASU for a degree in Pre-Veterinary Medicine, and is working to become a Veterinarian. Through ASU she became involved in Vida, an organization that is working to bring human and animal care to less fortunate parts of Central America and is currently the Vida Ambassador for ASU. She has completed a mission trip to Costa Rica where she assisted in Spays and neuters. She will venture to Guatemala, with Vida, in the spring of 2023 to help with similar needs. Abby, her two cats, Rusty and Toby, and a pup named Finn, all live at home with her sister’s cat, Howl, and her Mom’s 3 other kitties and another pup, Murphy. In her spare time she enjoys all things outdoors; hiking, camping, lake time, biking, etc., with her friends and family.
Simone- Animal Care Assistant
Simone is originally from Portland, Oregon. Before moving to Arizona, she lived in Brazil, Mexico, and Canada for many years. Before coming to work at AAWC, Simone worked on the family farm. She took care of goats, chickens, and dogs. She also did a service abroad trip to Costa Rica where she got her first clinical veterinary experiance while exploring the beautiful country. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is making a postive change in the lives of the animals and giving back the same amount of love and care that they give us. In her spare time she enjoys doing art such as clay and crochet. She also enjoys playing video games, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.
Jenna B- Animal Care Assisitant
Jenna was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, but grew up in Bonney Lake, Washington. Before coming to AAWC, she was a barn hand and a nanny. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is helping animals and in return helping their owners. In her spare time, she enjoys taking care of her reptiles and reading.
Jaidyn - Animal Care Assistant
Jaiydn was born and raised in Arizona. Before coming to AAWC she worked at one other animal hospital, and a mobile spay/neuter clinic as well. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is helping the animals get to normal and seeing them return back to their healthy selves. In her spare time she loves hanging out with her dogs Biggie and Kingsley. I also loves to have relaxing days with her family.
Chaise- Animal Care Assistant
Bio Coming Soon...
Nikolas- Animal Care Assistant
Bio Coming Soon...
Marty - Custodial Services
Marty is originally from Madera, California. Marty has been in the custodial services most of his career. His favorite part of working in the veterinary industry is working with the people, cats, and dogs. They are good to work with. In his spare time, he likes to ride his boat, camp, and be around family.
Taylor - Custodial Services
Bio Coming Soon....
Banksy- Chief Morale Ambassador
Hi, I am Banksy and I am the Chief Morale Ambassador here at AAWC. I enjoy belly rubs, hanging on my cat tree, and relaxing in my scratching cave. My purrs provide stress relief when needed and I don't mind a quick play session with my favorite toys. I have the best job here and love what I do.