Where did you grow up? I was born just outside of Manchester, England. My family moved to New Jersey when I was 7 years old, then relocated to Arizona after my high school graduation. I also spent four years in Colorado, to attend veterinary school at CSU in Ft. Collins.

Best way to spend a Saturday: If the weather is nice, there is no place I would rather be than hiking outside with my husband and daughter. We all love being outdoors and exploring as much of Arizona as we can.

Year you started working in the veterinary field: In 2003, when I took on a volunteer position at the Emergency Animal Clinic. I realized how much I loved veterinary medicine during that time!

Dream vacation: I would love to visit New Zealand, as it has spectacular scenery and lots of stunning hiking trails. Also on my travel bucket list: climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and visiting the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya.

Most memorable case here at Hillside: I remember many years ago, before I went to veterinary school and was working as a veterinary technician here at Hillside, we saw a llama here for radiographs (x-rays). Heidi, Gayle and I had to figure out a way to maneuver the llama into our x-ray suite to take radiographs of her front legs. It was quite a unique experience!

Which superhuman power would you choose? Talking to animals – it would make our jobs a little easier if they could tell us exactly how they are feeling or what piece of the laundry they ate 🙂