Refugee Canyon
VETERINARY SERVICES, INC.
Our Team Members
Carrots, CEO
Carrots just happens to be the coolest cat in the tri-state area, and we are lucky to have his expertise.
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Carrots came to us in 2014 as a rescue from Licking County Humane Society. He needed to have his left eye surgically removed due to an unknown accident, making it painful and useless. When he came back for a check-up on his eye, we also performed x-rays and realized his hip had been broken, but had already healed, leaving him with rear legs that are set a little closer together than normal. We kept him a few more days for observation, but his mellow personality awarded him run of the Clinic for exercise, and he decided that he didn't want to leave us.
He effortlessly runs our Clinic greeting everyone from fellow felines, to giant dogs and their owners with grace and wisdom. He is also a Fair & Just Boss and never plays favorites with his team members; anyone can give him cuddles and pets without prejudice. He has also proven himself a very good therapeutic cat and seems to know when one of his people need extra snuggles.
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This little orange guy can win over anyone with his purrfect purrsonality, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
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Scottie, Assistant to the CEO
She may be the smallest employee, but Scottie is earning her keep by helping Carrots with the day-to-day tasks of running a Veterinary Clinic.
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In the summer of 2024, Scottie began her internship as a severely injured stray kitten that was covered in ticks, and had been hit by a car when she was only 8 weeks old. Once she made it through her 1st surgery to repair an abdominal hernia, she had time to heal before our doctors had to amputate her left front leg due to nerve damage that didn't heal. She quickly learned how to run and maneuver around with 3 legs and began to feel at home within the clinic. so our staff decided to give her a chance at working alongside Carrots.
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This little firecracker has a lot of spunk and sass, but she's also just as sweet with her humans. She isn't quite as friendly with people and animals that she doesn't know, but this may change over time since she is such a brave little girl. She normally hangs out in the office doing her daily chores of napping and playing with toys when Carrots doesn't need her assistance.
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Brittany, RVT and Practice Manager for R.C.V.S.
Brittany received her Associate's Degree for Veterinary Technology at Kent State University Tuscarawas in 2011. She highly enjoys working with animals and does her best to make them feel as loved inside the clinic atmosphere as they do inside their homes.
Brittany is our Practice Manager and helps the Doctors and our staff to stay organized and works closely with everyone to keep the Clinic running as smoothly as possible.
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Brittany and her husband, Ross, have two young daughters, but also share their home with 4 cats named Patches, Schmegal, Minerva & Winifred.
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When Brittany is not at work and not wrangling her kiddos, she enjoys any precious down time by reading or crocheting.
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Annette, Accounting Manager & Lead Customer Service Representative
Annette is in charge of Refugee Canyon's finances and bookkeeping, and mainly works behind the scenes now, but she enjoys working at the front desk at least one day each week. She has been a Receptionist in Hebron for over 20 years, and she knows most of our clients on a first-name basis, and has formed many friendships throughout the years.
She and her husband, Pat, have been happily married for over 25 years. Together, they have 4 adult children, Casey, Justin, Leslie and Shane. They also have 7 beautiful grandchildren that they love spending time with as much as possible.
Annette and Pat share their lives with 2 spoiled cats named Quinn, the Bengal, and Clancy, the Persian; and 2 happy dogs named Blair & Flo inside their home. Outside the house, they have 2 rescued horses named Nickie & Rocco living out their lives in luxury.
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Jodi, Kennel Manager for Pataskala & Professional Groomer
Jodi is our Kennel Manager and Groomer, but is also able to double as a Veterinary Assistant during medical exams if needed. She worked for 10 years at a Veterinary kennel in Zanesville before changing her career path and began grooming for a living. She enjoys making dogs feel better with a good groom and bath.
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Jodi is a Zanesville native, born with a passion for horses and grew up competing in Barrel Racing and 4-H. Jodi then moved on to Team Roping until she retired her roping horse. She is now riding and training a mare named Moonshine that she enjoys showing in Ranch Riding competitions. When she is not working, or on the back of a horse, you’ll find her cheering for The Ohio State Buckeyes, regardless of the sport.
Working with people that are also good friends is a wonderful privilege, but her home life is where she relaxes with her young son, Grayson. Jodi also has a "daughter" named Callie that just happens to be an Australian Cattle Dog, and her 2 horses, Moonshine & Josie, who share their barn with 3 rescued cats named Tressel, Skittles & Nada.
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Troi, Office Manager for Hebron
began her career with RCVS as Receptionist and Veterinary Assistant, but has recently assumed the Office Manager role in Hebron, while still performing these positions when staffing is short. She ensures that the daily operations at the Hebron clinic run smoothly by keeping inventory of the many supplies necessary to perform our multiple daily emergencies and surgeries, ambulatory truck services, and office appointments to serve our patients efficiently. Troi is also very good at promoting and ensuring a positive workplace atmosphere.
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Troi and her husband, Allan, have one daughter named Ashley that might be more horse-crazy than Troi. Together, they enjoy supporting Ashley with her school activities, and helping her show various 4-H projects each year, but especially when she has opportunity to attend and show their Quarter Horses, Zippee and Jacob, in local shows. They have recently adopted a couple of stray kittens that were dumped at their barn for mouse control.
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Troi stays busy outside of work by volunteering as a 4-H Advisor, and she still loves to ride horses whenever she finds the time.
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Sarah, RVT
Sarah is a 2021 Graduate of Columbus State Community College with her Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. She began her internship with RCVS, and we are happy that she decided to stay with us to begin her career.
Sarah lives with 3 dogs and 2 cats. Mia & Emma are both Golden Retrievers, Bella is a Miniature Dachshund, and Simon & Scarlet are both rescue cats. Sarah and her Mom raised Simon on a bottle because she was found abandoned in their goat barn when she was only 2½ weeks old!
Along with showing her 4-H goats at the Hartford Fair, she is also an Advisor of 4 Paws 4-H Dog Club and has shown her dogs, Mia & Emma, since they were puppies. When Sarah has a moment of quiet, she spends it with family and friends, or by reading.
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Mickenzie, RVT
Mickenzie earned her Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from Columbus State Community College in 2023. She has been working with us at RCVS as a Veterinary Assistant since 2020. She works primarily in our Hebron clinic wearing many hats, including assistance in Surgery, Lab, and Pharmacy, and even helps write some of our informative Facebook articles.
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Mickenzie & her fiance', Chase, have been together since the 8th grade, and they spend all of their spare time and money renovating their new home. They share their home with Kenai, a young German Shepherd, a black cat named Salem, and their newest family member is a silly orange kitty named Jinx, that she brought home from work.
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Kate, RVT graduated in 2023 from C.S.C.C. with her Associates in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology, earning Summa Cum Laude, and wants to earn a Bachelors degree next. She is also a licensed technician Ham radio operator! She became interested in learning because her father has his expert's license.
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Kate has 1 orange kitty best friend named Cheddar that completely lives up to the orange cat stigma of being very playful, and also gets himself into trouble by eating things he shouldn't.
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Kate is unique because she actually loves math! She can also play the flute, likes to golf and go boating, and enjoys reading. She loves learning new skills, and is hoping to learn how to make pottery, and maybe even join a community band someday. Interestingly, her family tree has a branch with Alan Jackson's name attached, but she can't confirm how she's related to him. LOL
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Dani, RVT has been in the Veterinary profession since 2009, but graduated from Columbus State in 2014 with her Veterinary Technology degree. She worked in an Emergency Veterinary facility for 5 years, but also has experience working in a General Practice.
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Dani and her husband, Joe, reside in Lancaster with their 3 dogs named Finn, Laila & Pippin, and 4 cats named Goose, Marty, Izzie & Aria; and she even had pet rats for awhile.
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When time allows, Dani loves to go hiking with her 2 miniature Aussies, Finn & Laila. She also loves yoga and traveling ... especially to Walt Disney World!
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Kole, RVT has worked in retail and home health, but also worked her way up from cleaning kennels to becoming a licensed Veterinary Technician during her past 5 years in veterinary medicine. In addition to her work experience, Kole was stationed in California while serving in the United States Army for 4 years. Kole also volunteers at the Columbus Zoo to gain additional experience in animal science.
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At home, Kole lives with Josh, her husband of 13 years, along with 7 cats, 3 dogs and 7 fish that reside in a small pond in their backyard.
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Kole loves to read, play video games, and watch movies, but also works out, remodels her home every chance she gets, and loves to garden and pull weeds to maintain her yard.
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Matthew, RVT brings over 9 years of Veterinary Technician experience, and was a radio DJ in his previous life. You may meet Matt at either our Hebron or Pataskala clinics assisting the Drs. with their appointments.
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Matt lives in Newark with his 2 best friends, long-haired Chihuahuas named Hannah & Coco.
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Besides working with animals, Matt's other joy in life is playing guitar and touring with his band, Brave The Sea. When he's not on tour, or working, he enjoys clearing his head by playing video games.
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Veterinary Assistants
Edwin hails from Peru and studied Veterinary Medicine at the National University of Cajamarca. He worked for five years after graduation in a Veterinary Hospital where he met his wife, Jessica, while she was volunteering in the Peace Corps.
After moving to the United States in 2015, he married Jessica, and they now have two beautiful twins, Benjamin & Elena. They also have three cats at home named Jake, Leonard and Oscar.
Edwin now works in our Hebron Clinic alongside our Doctors to continue his education during farm calls, surgeries and office appointments. When Edwin is not at work, he enjoys running, playing soccer and cooking his native Peruvian food for his family. He and his family also raise Quail together for their eggs.
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Jamilya originally joined us at our Pataskala team, but now she works closely with the Doctors at both locations as a Veterinary Assistant. She is knowledgeable in all aspects of our Clinic, and can do everything from assisting our Doctors during surgeries and apppointments, to Customer Relations at the Front Desk.
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Jamilya is a graduate of Heath High School. Her favorite things to do when she isn't working, is catching up on sleep or just spending time with her friends and family. She has two perfect men in her life named Gilbert and Oswald, both of whom happen to be very handsome, long-haired dachshunds.
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Addie is a Frazeysburg native, and still lives in the area to remain close to her family unit. She worked some miscellaneous jobs before finding her passion for animal research and the veterinary industry through her studies at University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) to facilitate the humane care and use of animals in biomedical research and teachings at The Ohio State University.
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Addie's home and barn are filled with lots of critters, including a dog, 2 cats, horses, cows, chickens, and her husband, Andrew; along with their new human baby, Asher.
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When she has the time available, Addie loves to go camping or hiking with her dog and family, or trail riding with her Dad. She happens to be very crafty and loves to paint and do projects with her Mom.
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Anna joined our top-notch team in 2022 and started at the Receptionist desk, but her curiosity and need to learn has turned her into an asset as a Veterinary Assistant. You're likely to see Anna at either one of our Hebron or Pataskala clinics.
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Anna is a Newark, Ohio native, and she shares her life with husband, Cody, 2 Sheltie dogs named Rosie and Nellie, and a special orange cat that came home with her from work one day, named Castiel, that rules their household with adorable little iron paws ;)
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On her days off, Anna likes to go hiking with the dogs, work in the garden, or work on renovations in their new home. She also loves to honor bees that she happens to find dead in her travels, and features them by creating adorable miniature terrariums.
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Stephanie has 10 years of experience in the veterinary field, but took a break to raise her 2 children, and now she has jumped back in with both feet to help our Doctors during appointments. She is passionate about soothing our patients, and works well with our clients and staff, bringing a calming factor to everything she does.
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Stepanie and her husband, Adam, live with their 2 children named Adelaide and Jude, as well as their rescued Beagles, Zeta and MJ. She likes to spend all of her spare time enjoying her family, and also loves to paint, read books, and hike when time permits.
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Jessie brings years of equine experience with her since she grew up with horses, and she is a recent graduate of The University of Findlay as a Pre-Veterinary, Animal Science Major. Jessie is currently working towards her Masters Degree at The Ohio State University in the pursuit of her dream of becoming a Veterinarian. Jessie's most recent employment was at The Galbreath Equine Center for The Ohio State University, but she also worked closely with her horse trainer.
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Jessie is a proud daughter of retired United States Air Force parents. She has 2 sisters that she adores, and also 2 dogs named Charlie & Luna, 2 cats named Zoey & Penny, and 5 horses named Rayne, Colby, Waylon, Piper & Gabe.
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When she isn't working, Jessie enjoys showing her horses, or spends her time with family & friends, taking walks with her dogs, or just being in the barn, cleaning stalls, and riding her horses.​​
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Tarisha is very knowledgeable and brings almost 10 years of Veterinary Technician experience with her. She fits in well with our staff and the patients, alike. She resides near Pataskala, but she may be seen working in either of our locations to help our Doctors keep their appointments running smoothly.
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Tarisha enjoys spending every spare minute with her young daughter, Ryan. Together, they love to read, paint, and have a collection of plants together.
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Reception & Customer Service Representatives
Laura works part-time in our Hebron location as a Customer Service Representative, but in addition to interacting with clients and their pets at the front desk, she also keeps our website, Facebook & Instagram pages updated with news, information and photos.
She and her husband Brian have a small herd of pet Nigerian Dwarf goats and a Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd named Boyd that watches over them. They also have a 24-year old Quarter Horse named Pepper who was born on their farm. They also have 2 other rescued dogs named Zeke & Dodge, 6 rescued cats, and a pet duck named Tyra Banks that was incubated & hatched from an egg laid by one of Dr. Laing's ducks.
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When Laura isn't in the barn, she relaxes by rug-hooking, going to concerts or traveling with her family.
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Chris joined our Hebron team of front desk ladies in 2023, and she brings over 20 years of Veterinary experience with her!
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Her home is filled with a lot of rescued and adopted animals, including 11 cats, 2 Australian cattle dogs named Alice & Ranger, and 2 Corgis named Breezy & Rita. Chris also shares her life and home with husband, Dan.
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Chris enjoys meeting all of our patients and their owners at work, but when she's on her own time, she loves collecting comic books and baking. She also likes to travel with Dan looking for cars to repair.
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Nicole works as Customer Service Representative in both our Hebron & Pataskala clinics.
Nicole and her partner, Adam, have 3 daughters between them, named Alicia, Kaylee & Lily. Their youngest daughter still lives at home, while the other 2 have flown the coop and have started their own lives. They also share their home with a 5 yr old rescued boxer mix named Sadie, and a 7 yr. old cane corso named Hooch.
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When the weather is nice, Nicole likes to be on the water boating or kayaking with her family.
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Julee began with us in 2023 and works in both our Hebron & Pataskala locations to help clients schedule appointments, and assist with the many Customer Service Representative responsibilities.
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Julee and her husband, Rob, are the proud parents of 3 daughters, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 6 rabbits, 3 goats and 9 ducks. She enjoys working in the schools with young children when she is asked to help. Additionally, she loves to assist her daughters and the 4-H kids with their Club activities, and her family loves to travel whenever they can get away.
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Alayna started working with us in the Boarding Kennel while she was attending High School at Lakewood, but in addition to helping at the Kennel, she also works at both of our locations at the Front Desk during her College breaks. Alayna is currently taking Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary classes at The University of Findlay.
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When she's not living on campus, Alayna lives with her parents and sister, her 2 dogs, Dell & Delilah, along with some pet ducks, rabbits, and goats that she has shown throughout her 4-H career.
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Alayna is currently raising and training a foster puppy to be a future Service Dog. She gets to take him practically everywhere with her in order to condition him to all kinds of stimuli and surroundings. Being with her pets and animals is one of her favorite places to be.
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Kennel Personnel
Sydni is a Kennel Technician at our boarding facility in Pataskala. She enjoys meeting all of the dogs and their families that bring them to stay with us. She also works at home on their family farm, helping their horses enjoy a new and better life.
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Sydni currently lives in Baltimore with her large family of 3 sisters, 3 nephews, 1 niece and 3 dogs named Bandit, Colt and Sarge, and 2 horses named Remi & JoJo.
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When she's not working, Sydni loves spending time with her family and pets by riding the horses and just being outside on the farm and helping out.
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Annika works in the boarding facility as a Kennel Technician and enjoys sending the dogs and cats home with their owners healthy and happy. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Evolution and Ecology in 2024 from The Ohio State University. She also took a behind-the-scenes course at the Columbus Zoo and an animal handling class, both offered through OSU.
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Annika moved to Ohio from Atlanta, Georgia with her family in 2008. She enjoys living with their 3 spoiled cats, Koda, Kai and Kylie.
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When she isn't taking care of our client's pets during their stay with us, she enjoys her spare time with family and friends, or reading and hiking.
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Adjunct Staff
Erin is a 2008 graduate of C-TEC of Licking County and works in our Hebron office a couple of days each week in charge of custodial services by cleaning our Clinic. She happens to be a giant cat lover, and enjoys saying hello to all of the cats and kittens in the hospital while she's working.
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Family is the center of Erin’s life, and she lives at home with her parents and enjoys visiting her grandparents, her brother and nephews, Ben & Jack.
When she is not enjoying her human family, Erin can be found with her dog, Charlie the King Charles Spaniel, or her 3 rescued cats, Allie, Gus & Gabby. She also loves to bake cookies or go to the movies with her friends.
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Tanner has been an asset to our Hebron clinic since he began in 2023 as our Surgical Cleaning Assistant. He lives at home with his parents, but loves to work and donate his time for causes close to his heart, especially anything involved with helping animals. Tanner's family recently lost their 16-year old chihuahua that they adopted from a shelter, so he was basically raised with a desire to help shelter animals.
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Tanner has an amazing work ethic, and has previously worked at a pizza shop for 5 years, and has been working on a farm for over 10 years now, so we are thankful that he loves all of the ladies here, because he is very caring and fun to work with. He does an amazing job sterilizing our surgical tools, and cleaning crates after the animals go home.
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In his home life, he loves taking guitar & drum lessons, doing crossfit and yoga, and he even volunteers with the local police department. He is a member of a Pet Club and also a Greeting Card Making Club, where they make the wonderful, laminated bookmarks that he sells to donate proceeds to the Licking County Humane Society.
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