Dr. Kimmel grew up in the Seattle area with many pets including guinea pigs, gerbils, fish, cats, and dogs. She graduated from the University of Washington with a BS in biology and chemistry minor then moved back East to live and work in New York City for a few years before returning to Washington to attend Washington State University for vet school.

She now resides in West Seattle with her husband, two children, and adventurous French bulldog mixes, Hambone and Pickles. She loves boating, snowshoeing, long walks with dogs, and travel. 

Dr. Grossman volunteers with Pasado’s Safe Haven, Doney Coe Memorial Clinic, and Seattle Veterinary Outreach. She lives in Seattle with her husband, dogs Arlette and Pierre, cats Mookie and Zubaida, and a Russian tortoise named Major Tom. When she isn’t working, she loves international travel (especially to see wild animals in their natural habitats), appreciating the natural splendor of the Pacific Northwest, playing with her nieces and nephew, and supporting Seattle’s local drag scene.

Professionally Dr. Scire has a strong interest in multi-modal pain management, soft tissue surgery, fear free handling, and preventative care medicine. She loves building strong relationships with clients and patients and helping them live happier, healthier lives.

Outside of work, Dr. Scire enjoys fly fishing, backcountry snowboarding, backpacking, mountain biking, and rock climbing. She lives with an incredibly cuddly and sociable cat named Artie who came from the streets of West Seattle.

Marie Clemetson is a Licensed Veterinary Technician who has been a proud member of the Elliott Bay family since 2004 when she started her animal care career in the kennel. She went on to graduate from the Veterinary Technology Program at Pierce College, and she obtained her license to practice as an LVT in 2007. Marie’s hard work, dedication and leadership qualities led her to become the Technician Team Manager in 2016, where she gets to guide and coach the Technician Team to be the best group of pet nurses in Seattle. Marie is most certainly a dog person, and her own pets have created a special place in her heart for fluffy Pomeranians and long-necked Rat Terriers. Marie wants you to know that she will always treat your pet as if they were her own, and she finds incredible satisfaction and happiness by being a part of the team that keeps your pet healthy and happy.

Leah has been with EBAH since 2016 after working many years in multiple roles at a retirement home on Mercer Island. She’s had great compassion for helping people live healthy and happy lives and has decided to focus that compassion towards animals and their owners. Born and raised in the PNW, Leah has always had animals in her life, she currently has a 14-year-old big tabby named Billy and a leopard gecko named Lemmy. During her time away from EBAH Leah also works at a retirement home in north Seattle. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, walking dogs, cross-stitching and watching all the movies.

Coming Soon!

Kiara joined the Elliott Bay Animal Hospital in 2022 following her move to Seattle, Washington from Trujilio Alto, Puerto Rico. While in Puerto Rico, Kiara pursued her studies and applied her skills as a veterinary assistant at a local veterinary hospital and at the regional horse rescue Hacienda Siesta.

“I have loved animals since a very young age,” shared Kiara. “At 13, I was able to volunteer at Hospital Para Mascotas to see if this is where I should set my sights on my future. Well, I knew in just one day that working with animals is what I was brought here to do. I don’t see myself doing anything else. It is my true passion.”

Additionally, Kiara is looking forward to using her bilingual skills to better support our Spanish- speaking community.

Education

• Bachelor in General Biology, University of Puerto Rico-Humacao, Huacao, Puerto Rico, United States
• Colegio Adianez, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
• Veterinary Technology, Universidad Ana G. Mendez, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Bonneville School, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Volunteer Work
Kiara previously volunteered for Hacienda Siesta Allegre in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico where she had the opportunity to care for horses rescued from the streets or off the racetrack. She also participated in “spayathons” at the Hospital Para Mascotas in Puerto Rico.

Home Life
Kiara knows how to make the most of her personal time by getting as much exercise as she can inside or outside hiking, running, etc. She also enjoys a good Netflix marathon. Sharing her home is her beloved tabby cat Miau. This tiny, affectionate wonder loves to hurl herself at the feet of anyone she meets in order to demand pets and love.

Kiara is also quite passionate about volleyball and played in the Borinquen Coqui Volleyball League from 2008 to 2013.

Dylan arrived in Seattle, WA in 2018, hailing from Iowa in search of new adventures. His travels lead him to the doors of a guild renowned for its trustworthiness and compassion for animals. Elliott Bay Animal Hospital. He quickly moved to join the guild in their quest to ensure the health and well-being of all Seattle’s canine and feline companions. He brings along with him an animal companion of his own, a feline known as Ophelia the Kind. When not working for the guild, Dylan enjoys worldbuilding fantasy settings, hand-drawing large-scale maps, playing board games, and genuinely enjoying living.

STR: 14 DEX: 10 CON: 12 INT: 12 WIS: 18 CHA: 10
Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Arcana, Insight, Nature, & Perception

Heather joined the Elliott Bay Animal Hospital team in 2022 following her move from Florida to Seattle, Washington, While in Florida, Heather worked her way through college in the retail sector where she excelled in client care. Now at Elliott Bay Animal Hospital, Heather is putting that client experience to work while pursuing her dream of working with animals.

“I have always known that my ultimate career goal was to work with animals,” shared Heather. “Now in my new job, I not only get to make a connection with the pets but the people who love them. In turn, I also get to play a role in providing care and support.”

Heather’s college years were marked with excellence has earned her spot on the dean’s list in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In addition, she conducted hands-on research with Southwest Florida burrow commensals and tracked Southwest Florida small animal commensals, rodents, and rattlesnakes.

Education
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Meyers, Florida (Dean’s list 2019, 2020, and 2021)

Volunteer Work
Heather was quite active in the Florida nonprofit and social activist community having spent time working with Equality Florida, Paws Crossed, the Gulf Coast Humane Society, and the Midwest Food Bank.

Home Life
Heather now enjoys spending her time exploring Seattle and all the treasures that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. She also enjoys painting, making desserts, and relaxing with her two feline companions, Gordo and Jolene.

Coming soon!

Robin joined the Elliott Bay Animal Hospital team in 2022 following her graduation from the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) and subsequent move to Seattle, Washington. While at UCSB, Robin worked in customer care at a local veterinary hospital, was a dog handler for a canine daycare and athletic club, provided event coordination support for the UCSB Alumni Association, and most recently, was a COVID compliance office and film production manager for the UCSB student film Waiting on Host.

“What led me to explore veterinary medicine as a career”? shared Robin. “I have always been obsessed with animals and caring for them. Assisting in veterinary medicine seemed like the perfect fit for me as I love to be challenged and learn something new every day. As an added bonus, I get to directly help people and their pets.”

Education
Bachelor of Arts, Film & Media and Feminist Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

Volunteer Work
Robin’s college years volunteer work focused on animal care and enrichment having volunteered as the summer camp/animal kitchen volunteer at the Santa Barbara Zoo and acted as the animal coordinator intern on the Community Action Board at UCSB; the latter involving work with Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter (BUNS) and volunteering with the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary.

Robin’s other passion is a film and the arts including her involvement as a member of the Delta Kappa Alpha Professional Cinematic Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Home Life
In Robin’s spare time, she enjoys losing to her roommates in Mario Kart, gardening, and accompanying her “dog-having” friends to dog parks.

While in college, she enjoyed the company of her three rats; Rizzo, Frenchie, and ChaCha.

Bio coming soon.

Helping people and caring for animals has been a passion of Karon’s since she was young enough to remember.  During the late summer of 1998, she moved herself and her dog from Alaska and joined the amazing Elliott Bay Animal Hospital team.  She never thought of staying in Seattle long-term, but working alongside such caring and hardworking people made it impossible to leave her work family.  In 2002, Karon and her husband started their own family welcoming their daughter (also part of the EBAH family!) and five years later welcomed their son.  Karon’s home, in addition to her two beautiful and amazing children, is shared with her adorable, rescued fur-babies (Diesel, Jack, Charlotte, and Moose) and always filled with friends, family, a lot of love and much-needed laughter.

Michael joined the Veterinary Roots management in 2022 as our recruitment and engagement manager, where he is taking the lead on ensuring all Veterinary Roots veterinary practices are fully staffed and our existing teams are well supported, all with the primary goal of ensuring our practices can continue to meet the needs of our growing community.

Michael has spent more than 20 years in the veterinary field, having begun his career as a kennel assistant before working his way up to hospital management, eventually taking on director responsibilities before launching his own consulting business. He is a published author, photographer, and all-around life enthusiast.

“After 20 years in the field, I can share that what I love most about each day is the ‘people part of my job’,” shared Michael. “It is the team and the ability to help people come together and grow in their field is where I find the greatest accomplishment. I love being able to help affect change in the overall hospital culture.”

Volunteer Work:
Michael has previously volunteered his time at local shelters, where he was able to share his many years of hands-on veterinary experience.

Home Life:
Michael shares his life with his larger family and beloved senior Labrador, Tinkerbell. Together they enjoy weekly barbecues, movies, hiking, sports, and all the rest the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Michael is also quite passionate about the arts and sharing experiences and stories. This is expressed through writing, photography, public speaking, and filmmaking. Michael truly knows no limits and makes the most of all that life has to offer.

Making a difference. That simple tenet drives Virginia with each step she takes in her career. Virginia is a marketing and public relations professional with more than 30 years of experience successfully building and implementing creative campaigns and special events. During her time at BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Virginia helped build the company’s regional profile and oversaw a brand transition that led to significant growth each quarter over four consecutive years. She has also successfully managed large-scale events and public involvement campaigns for such organizations as Pyramid Communications, Seattle Theatre Group, the Sundance Film Festival, Frankie’s Friends, and Pearl Jam including such notable projects as the Pine Ridge Building Summit, the Vote for a Change concert tour, the Groundwork concert series, Shared Strategy for Puget Sound and the fundraising gala “Mutt Ado About Nothing.” Now as the marketing director for Veterinary Roots and their sister nonprofit, the Rainier Animal Fund, Virginia is working to build the profile of each organization while working to positively impact the lives of pets and their owners.

Volunteer
Virginia is currently on the board of the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association’s Washington State Animal Health Foundation (WSAHF) where she helped launch their new program the Vets Helping Pets Fund. Previously Virginia has spent time volunteering for a host of regional nonprofits including Homeward Pet, ArtsCorps, Rock the Vote, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, the San Diego Humane Society, and the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.

Home Life
Virginia’s time outside of work is devoted to caring for her senior pets while enjoying all the Northwest has to offer including festivals, Sounders FC games, outdoor concerts, mountain trails and so much more.

Dr. Debra Nicholson spent her early career working in the field of exotic animal veterinary medicine and rehabilitation at such facilities as WildCare Foundation in Noble, Oklahoma, Homer Veterinary Clinic in Homer, Alaska, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in San Antonio, Texas and Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. Finally, in 2010, Dr. Nicholson moved to Seattle, Washington, where she worked a brief time with a local nonprofit before purchasing Rainier Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Nicholson would go on to purchase two more independent practices, Elliott Bay Animal Hospital and Bothell Pet Hospital, before setting sites on a large-scale rebuild of Rainier Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Nicholson works as a relief veterinarian at Elliott Bay Animal Hospital and is the leader of the parent organization of all three practices, Veterinary Roots.

Education:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University School of Veterinary Medicine

Bachelor of Science, Biology, Colorado State University

Home Life: