Kristina

Michelle - Veterinary Assistant – A graduate of San Jose State, Michelle started with VVC in July of 2009. She is a much needed addition to our staff. She comes to us with 1 year of substitute teaching under her belt.

Born and raised in the land of pineapples, Plumeria, poi and surfing, Oahu, Hawaii, is her birthplace. Most of her family and friends are still on the islands.

Michelle is an amazing cook, she spoils the clinic with her yummy treats! She enjoys spending time in her garden and is always bringing in her homegrown seasonal veggies for staff to share. You can find her hiking with her Black Mouth Cur Mix "Samba." She also shares a special bond with Dr. Ganters dog "Murphy."

Chelsea-Veterinary Assistant- Joining our team in 2010 Chelsea brings spirit and spunk to the team. After graduating from Cabrillo High School in 2009 she started Allan Hancock majoring in biology. Her plans for her future include continuing her education and becoming a large animal veterinarian.
Chelsea enjoys spending her free time hiking in Santa Barbara, camping at the lake and volunteering. She donates her time to different organizations including The North County Rape Crisis Center, the homeless shelter, and VIVA. Her pet family includes her “Dorkie” "Bentley" and "Skeeter" her Yorkshire Terrier.

Jeff - Veterinary Assistant- While in high school Jeff started with us in 2008 working in the Kennel. After graduating he attended UCSB graduating in 2013 with a B.S in Microbiology. While on breaks from school Jeff worked as a veterinary-assistant at the clinic. He is making future plans of attending Veterinary School. He hopes to come back to the Central Coast and become a small animal veterinarian.

In his free time Jeff hangs out with his rescue dog “Achilles”.  This handsome pit bull enjoys playing ball and taking walks around the neighborhood.

Marissa - Veterinary Assistant- Marissa joined our kennel staff in summer of 2013. Like both of her parents she was raised in Orcutt. She graduated from Righetti High School in 2010.

Marissa has great customer service skills which she accumulated while working at the Red Lobster in Santa Maria. She currently attends Allan Hancock, and plans on applying to Moorpark's Exotic Animal Training & Management Program.

In her free time Marissa enjoys writing, she has started 8 different fantasy novels. She also enjoys volunteering at the Foster Road Animal Shelter where she helps dogs find new loving homes. She has two dogs "Lady" & " Pepper" both are 14 year old mixed breeds and two small dogs "Onyx" and "Rina."

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Receptionists

Sarah - Receptionist - An integral part of our reception staff, Sarah came to us in the autumn of 2007. Currently a LVN she continues to work for us while going to school. Her ultimate goal is to become an RN specializing in emergency medicine.

Sarah loves spending time with her daughter taking frequent trips to their favorite destination Disneyland. You can always find Sarah with a camera in her hands ready to snap a photo in a moments notice.

Her pet family includes her gang of cats, "Snickers", "Bella" and "Milo."

Nicole - Reception - Joining the staff in the beginning of 2012 Nicole brings her love of animals to the team. Currently enrolled at Allan Hancock College her future plans include enrolling with Penn Foster to become a certified Veterinary Assistant.

Nicole enjoys spending her time outside; camping, fishing & hiking at the lake. She enjoys photography, riding dirt bikes, and hanging out with her friends. Her furry family includes her adventurous Cattle Dog "Shelby" her loyal Yellow Lab named "Rusty" and her Tabby named "Keeley."

Crystal - Reception- Starting in Spring of 2014, Crystals bubbly personality and outstanding customer service skills have been a perfect addition to the VVC front desk team. Her former work experience includes being a librarian at two local schools and working as a receptionist at another veterinary hospital.

Crystal was born and raised in Lompoc, after meeting her husband they decided to stay and raise their family. Her passions include spending time with her three children, and her granddaughter. Her missionary work has found her traveling to Nepal twice in the past two years. She has enjoyed the country so much that she plans on retiring there one day.  

Her animal family includes 6 chickens, a pond of fish, a 50 gallon tank full of fresh fish, a ball python, a border collie named “Sally”, a Shi-poo named "Lilly", a Lhaso Mix named "Tucker" "Tula" the Torti cat and a ragdoll cat named “Louie.”

Deanna- Reception- With past veterinary experience Deanna was a perfect fit when she joined our team at the start of 2015. Her upbeat personality and amazing customer service skills make her a great addition to our reception team.

Deanna was born and raised in Lompoc, and plans on raising her two kids here as well. In her spare time she enjoys going to the lake, working out at the gym, seeing movies and taking her two kids to their various sports practices. Her fur family includes "Mia" a Chihuahua mix and her Staffordshire Bullterrier “Euro.” 

Cierra-Reception- Bringing along her love for animals and her sweet personality Cierra joined the front staff team in the summer of 2017. Cierra was born and raised in Lompoc, she graduated from Lompoc in 2014 and attended Allan Hancock College. She hopes to stay in the veterinary field and has plans to attend the Veterinary Assistant program.

In her spare time she enjoys relaxing by listening to all genres of music. She has also recently taken an interest in photography. Her fur family includes a sweet Border Collie Mix named "Daisy."

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Boarding Assistants

Brenda - Kennel Manager – Born and raised in Lompoc, she left the human field of Medical Assisting to come to VVC and run our boarding facility. Her family of 3 was raised here in Lompoc. Her favorite hobby is taking her 3 grandchildren on adventures. She also enjoys camping, cooking, interior decorating and especially motorcycle riding with her husband. She and her husband are members of the Lompoc Elks.

Her furry family consists of, “Layla”(American Staffordshire terrier), and her kitty, “Molokai”.

Cristy - Kennel Assistant- Joining the kennel team in the summer of 2014 Cristy has an undeniable love for animals that fits in perfectly with the VVC family. Cristy has past experience working for the Lompoc Animal Shelter and Care4 paws.  Cristy was born in Troy, New York but raised in sunny California.

She loves spending time with her 3 boys, playing with her pets, and going to the beach. Her furry family includes three dogs including “Blue” an Australian Shepherd Mix, “Dizzy” a Shibu Inu Mix, and “Sadie” a Border Collie and two cats, “Kiara” & “Vinny Pawz.”

Blanca-Kennel Assistant- Starting in 2015, Blanca’s upbeat attitude and passion for animals was a perfect fit for our kennel team. Blanca graduated from UCSB in 2015. She majored in zoology and anthropology. Before working at the VVC she worked to restore Chumash artifacts.

Blanca grew up in Lompoc but spent many summers with her family in Mexico. When she’s not spoiling animals here at the clinic she enjoys reading, binge watching TV series, hiking, and traveling the world. In the spring of 2016 Blanca traveled to Thailand, she explored the beautiful country and ate the local cuisine.  Her fur family includes a Cocker Spaniel named “Robinson.”

Colette-Kennel Assistant- Colette started with us in the Spring of 2017. Her passion for animals and calm demeanor works perfectly in our busy kennels. She was born and raised in Lompoc, graduated from Lompoc High School in 2014 and is currently taking classes at Allan Hancock College. 

In her time away from work she enjoys playing tennis, watching movies and spending time with her family. Her pets include an 11 year old tabby cat named "Chanel", a 7 year old Terrier Mix "Jersey" and a 1 year old Lab named "Lola." She also just added an adorable member to her fur family, a Torti kitten named "Bindi."

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 Groomers

Cody-Groomer-Starting with us at the beginning of 2015 Cody’s past grooming experience was a positive addition to the VVC groom team. Cody grew up in Sante Fe Springs and moved to Lompoc to be closer to family.

Some of Cody’s hobbies include, spending time with his family, playing with his dogs, hunting, fishing, camping, video editing and building computers. Cody’s furry family includes his dogs “Hank” a German Shorthaired Pointer, and “Lia” an American Foxhound. Cody’s favorite dog is a St. Bernard and he hopes to one day own one. 

Danielle-Groomer- Coming to us in the fall of 2016 Danielle was the perfect addition to our grooming team. Danielle grew up on the central coast and graduated from Delta High School in Orcutt. She has pet sit for various families over the past years. Danielle is a Certified Pet Groomer through the Animal Behavior College.

In her time away from work she enjoys baking, hiking and yoga. Her pet family includes an orange Tabby named "Mr. Frizz" and a Dalmatian mix named "Pink."

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The entire staff at the Village Vet is grieving the loss of one of our dearest family members.
Kelly “Granny” Simmons, was a cherished member of our family for over 10 years, and will be greatly missed by all.