I moved here from Oklahoma in '01 to attend the Bel-Rea Institute where I graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in March '04. I got my first technician job in January '04 and worked for the same company until I joined the Animal Care Center in October '06. I met my husband, Matt, at the Home Depot where I worked while I attended school. We were married September '05 on his uncle's dairy farm. We have four "kids": Kahlua (the angry teenager), Cricket (daddy's little girl), Wyatt (momma's little man) & Eddie (the genetic disaster). Our kids have had their fair share of financially crippling events and we will continue to nurse their every wound & broken bone & fix their genetic defects without hesitation. Matt and I welcomed our first baby, Olivia Rae, in March of 2009. We are enjoying every moment with her and are thrilled to be new parents. I thoroughly enjoy each and every aspect of my work and I look forward to meeting you and yours.

My name is Jessica Urban and I am a certified veterinary technician. I started in the field when I was 17 as a kennel worker and moved up from there. During college I worked for the Equine Treatment Team at Michigan State University and was lucky enough to volunteer/intern with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Lexington, KY. I graduated from MSUs veterinary technology program in '07 and finished a bachelor's degree in Zoology in '08. In February '09 I decided it was enough of the long distance & followed my other half to CO and found the people at the Animal Care Center. I have a passion for working with owners and their pets. I love to answer people's questions and to help them take the best possible care of their ‘babies.' My day is not done until I know that the owners and their pets are ‘ok.' My two cats, Marlin and Goldfish, know that I will come home with lots of great smells on me every day. Someday, I hope to get another Doberman (I lost one of the best last November) and maybe one day I will get to own a horse!

Hi! My name is Sam Caswell and I have been a CVT for six years. I was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and lived there for six years. My family then moved to Colorado when I was six and we have been here ever since. I have always had a love for animals and use to raise and show Holland Lop rabbits. I graduated from Bel-Rea in 2003. I immediately started working at a large practice as an ICU nurse. I worked there for five years before joining Animal Care Centers. I have six furry children. The first is a rescued greyhound named Callie Rose who I'm convinced is a lab trapped in a greyhound's body! I also have four cats: Cody, Austin, Sassy, and Blue. And last but not least I have a leopard gecko named Dudley. Luckily they all get along very well. Cody has an obsession with Callie and will jump up on his hind legs and give her hugs! In my spare time I'm usually biking, taking Callie for hikes, or reading.

Hello my name is Stephanie Gignac. Like a lot of people I have met in Colorado, I am not a native. I was born and raised in Michigan. In 2004 I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors of Science in Veterinary Technology. I also earned my license in that same year. After graduation I had the privilege of working at the Teaching Hospital where I expanded my skill set.

I enjoy spending my spare time with my husband, Andre, dirt biking, hiking, road biking, playing with our two dogs Newton & Edison, hiking, and watching movies.

My name is Amy Rathbun. I was born outside of Chicago and moved here to Colorado when I was still very young. I have always had a passion for animals and knew from a very young age that working with them was the right career for me. I attended the Bel-Rea Institute where I completed my schooling in March 2007 with an Associates of Applied Science in Animal Technology and from there went on to get my state Certification in June of 2007. My true passion is large animal medicine, but I find small animal medicine equally rewarding and satisfying. In my spare time I love to be outdoors; hiking, horseback riding, white water rafting, camping, etc. I have one beautiful dog a Bichon named Ava, who is still a work in progress, but she does get to spend a few days here and there wandering around the clinic. I look forward to meeting you and your family of pets.

I am a native of Colorado, but have moved around the country bunches with my husband of 26 years. We moved back to Colorado in 2004 and I attended Bel-Rea Veterinary Technical institute where I completed my AAS in March 2007. I have worked in the shelter field, research, and small and large animal practices before joining the team at ACCP in March 2009. I have a large family which includes three grown children and 9 furry ones who come and go depending on the day. I love my work and the clinic at which I chose to work. Our staff is the most caring and professional with which I have ever worked. I look forward to meeting all of our clients and their wonderful four legged "kids."

Hello, my name is Linda Ringstad and I have been here at Animal Care Center since the end of March 2008. I come with 4 years experience in a veterinary office and I am LOVING this new opportunity. I have been married to Kirk, now for 26 years and have 3 grown sons, Jacob, Seth and Adam, all in college. After meeting my husband at Iowa State University where I studied elementary education, I taught preschool until my oldest was born here in Colorado. We homeschooled the boys during their elementary years which was loads of fun. In 1997, I helped my husband start his business in stone restoration and volunteered in various roles at the boys' schools. We currently have two dogs, one rabbit and the newest member, an 8 year old feline that has won all our hearts.

Hi! I'm Leslie Barstad and I'm a part-time client care specialist. I've worked at the Animal Care Center for almost two years, and before that, I worked at Douglas County Animal Hospital for three years.

My husband, Joel, and I are both Colorado natives. We met at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, and have been married for 26 years. We have seven children; our oldest is 23, our youngest is eight. The Barstad zoo, at this moment!, includes two newfoundlands, two corgis, two chinchillas, a rabbit, a gecko, and a tadpole who is reluctant to turn into a frog.

My past work experience has included working as a detail painter for Simpich Character Dolls in Colorado Springs, an administrative assistant for a micrographics company, a free-lance calligrapher, and a co-ordinator for seminars to the antiquarian book trade, but my main job title (and my favorite) has been home school mom for the last 17 years--nine more to go til our youngest graduates! It's been great being able to match my work hours with my home school hours.

Working at the Animal Care Center has been delightful for several reasons: first, I have such great co-workers! Not only does everyone truly care about doing their job well, but they're enjoyable, interesting people in their own right. Second, I've always loved animals, but I never thought I'd be able to talk to dogs and get paid for it! I just never get enough of fur friends. Third, I've really enjoyed meeting our clients. People have shared such amazing stories about what makes their animals special to them, what patience they have, even when suffering, and what funny, endearing things they do. My life is made richer by being here.

My name is Amy Merz. I have been a Client Care Manager at Animal Care Center since 2008. I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I worked at a local garden center for over 10 years. While working within the garden center business, I met and married my wonderful husband, Patrick.

Minnesota is also where we started our family of four-legged friends. First came "Rupert", our frisky, Maine Coon cat, now 18 years old. He's still as frisky as the first day we adopted him. Next came "Milo", our 14-year-old Turkish Angora. The third addition, Bogart, came to the family as a gift from a friend. Bogart is our 7-year-old-stubborn-as-can-be-but-loveable Shih Tzu. And finally, our fourth family member came to us while I was working for a different vet hospital. Sam was brought in after being hit by a car with multiple bone breaks. It was love at first sight! He is a mixedbreed who is 7 years old. My husband and I love them all dearly.

I have very much enjoyed working for the Animal Care Centers. I work with a great staff and get to meet some wonderful clients and their pets. I look forward to meeting you and your four-legged family soon.