Dr. Christine McFadden
Veterinarian, Practice Owner
Dr. McFadden has lived in, and served our community since 1982. She opened Valley Animal Hospital in 1985 and in 1999 she built our current, state-of-the-art hospital to offer the best medicine and surgery possible for our patients. She cares for dogs, cats, birds and all small “pocket pets”. She has cared for the Applegate Zoo animals for over 20 years and has cared for the local service dogs since the Police Department and Sheriff’s Office Canine Programs inception in 1987. In addition, Dr. McFadden was a Board Certified Avian Specialist (AABP-Avian) for 10 years and continues to take a special interest in parrots and other birds.

Dr. McFadden is involved in a local college scholarship program through the non-profit charity, The MSSM Friendship Scholarship Foundation (wwww.mssmfoundatin.org) in memory of and to honor her four children, Melanie, Stanley, Stuart and Michelle. In addition, she serves the community through the Downtown Rotary Club, participates in multiple education & career day events and is a supporter of the University of California, Merced.

Dr. McFadden is married to Gerald Corman and together they have twin daughters, a Siamese cat, a large Irish Wolfound and, at Valley Animal Hospital, her 25 year old Blue & Gold Macaw “Forbes”.

Dr. Jon Klingborg - Veterinarian
“Dr. K” has been a small animal veterinarian for over 15 years. His patient and caring approach to your pet’s health means that you get your questions answered and your pet gets to feel better! In addition to general practice, Dr. K also performs orthopedic surgery and provides behavior counseling for owners whose pets are ‘misbehaving.’ Dr. Klingborg was President of the California Veterinary Medical Association in 2004 -2005, and his contributions to the profession were recognized in 2006 when he received the title of “Distinguished Practitioner” from the National Academies of Practice.

Angelina Brouillette, DVM - Veterinarian
Angelina Brouillette, also known as Dr. B, graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. She worked for several years in the bay area prior to moving to the Merced area with her family. Dr. B’s particular interests in veterinary medicine are oncology, soft tissue surgery and internal medicine. Dr. B lives with her husband, Ari and son, Wyatt. Her four-legged children include her cats, Bailey and Woody and her new puppy Charlotte. Dr. B enjoys hiking, camping and cooking when she isn’t working.

Wendy Alvares - Hospital Administrator
As the Hospital Administrator, Wendy manages of all areas of the hospital to ensure a safe, comfortable and productive work environment for employees and a supportive, nurturing environment for patients and their owners. Wendy has been with VAH since 2000 and looks forward to coming to work every day. Wendy has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resources, a Master of Business Administration Degree and is PHR Certified. Wendy, her husband Joe and their daughter Jackie share their home with 2 dogs, 1 cat and 2 birds.

Elizabeth DaRocha-Carvalho
RVT – Registered Veterinary Technician,
Nursing Supervisor
Elizabeth has been with VAH since 1999. In March 2009, she passed her RVT Exam! Elizabeth assists the doctors in surgery, cares for pets in pre and post surgery and monitors hospitalized pets. What Elizabeth enjoys most about her job is helping injured or ill pets and being able to send them home happy and healthy. Elizabeth and her husband Robert share their home with Chihuahuas, Dobermans and fat cats.

Jillian Mesa - Pharmacy
As the VAH Pharmacy Coordinator, Jillian is responsible for keeping the back office running smoothly. She fills medications, enters fees, presents estimates and works closely with the local zoo, animal services and rescue groups. Jillian has been dispensing love at Valley Animal Hospital since 2006. She really enjoys her job, but her favorite part is getting to visit with all the dogs, cats and "other little critters" that come in to the clinic. When she's not at work, Jillian likes to spend her free time with her family, friends and her own personal pets - especially her "CoCo Roo". Jillian is a proud member of the VAH team and looks forward to helping clients care for their pets.

Tim Farmer – Veterinary Nurse
Tim assists the doctors in surgery, performs dentals, processes in-house lab work and cares for pets in pre and post surgery. Tim has been a valuable member of the VAH team for over 9 years. We also depend on Tim to fix just about everything in the clinic!

Amy Halencak – Veterinary Nurse
Amy recently joined VAH in 2009 as a Veterinary Nurse. She assists the doctors in exam rooms and helps wherever she is needed. Amy has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She looks forward to coming to work everyday to see all the happy tail wagging pets! Her favorite part of her job is helping sick pets get better and getting to see the smiling faces of the owners when they take their pet home. On her days off she enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Brandon and her Golden Retriever, Lula Lynn, at her house in the hills of Mariposa.

Elyse Murphy - Veterinary Nurse
Elyse joined the VAH team in 2009 as a veterinary nurse and spends her days helping the doctors with various tasks, monitoring sick animals, taking x-rays and performing dentals. She has been working with animals for over 8 years! Elyse is known as the “crazy cat lady” around the clinic- she has a special fondness for ALL cats!! Elyse, and her boyfriend Brian, have 4 crazy kitties of their own- Rusty, Trinity, Scarlett, and Logan. They also have an honorary “big fluffy kitty”- 3 year old Sheltie, Hayden.

Kelly Davis - Exam Room Nurse
Kelly started at VAH as an ROP Student in Fall 2010 and was hired in early 2011. Kelly assists the doctors by in examinations by documenting pet history, taking pet vitals, preparing vaccinations and helping to keep pets comfortable so the doctor can perform a thorough examination. Kelly also assists the nurses in x-ray, lab and pre/post op duties. Kelly has numerous personal pets including Belle an Irish Wolfhound, Lily a terrier-mix and Kaboodle a black/white kitten that she has trained to walk on a leash!

Cassie Fensin - Exam Room Nurse
Cassie has been with VAH since early summer 2011. Cassie assists the doctors in examinations by documenting pet history, taking pet vitals, preparing vaccinations and helping to keep pets comfortable so the doctor can perform a thorough examination. Although Cassie loves animals, her first love is fire-fighting! Cassie is currently training to become a full-fledged fire-fighter. Cassie has several personal pets, including an Australian Shepherd named Draven and a bearded Dragon named Spiker.

Becky Arias – Reception Supervisor
Becky was referred to VAH by a staff member and joined our team as a receptionist shortly after. Becky is one of VAH’s bilingual employees available to assist Spanish-speaking clients. Becky has 3 cats – Buttons, Uno and Number 2. Becky loves to go to Disneyland (about every 2 months!), concerts, and Oakland A’s games. She also likes spending time with her boyfriend Larry and her family.

Araceli Manzo – Receptionist
Araceli was recruited by a VAH staff member because of her exceptional client service skills and outstanding attitude. As a receptionist she is one of the first smiling faces to greet clients as they walk in the door. Araceli is one of VAH’s bilingual employees available to assist Spanish-speaking clients. Araceli is the proud parent of identical twin boys, whom she loves and adores. The twins keep Araceli very busy, so she doesn’t have any pets of her own. But, if she had to choose a favorite, it would be Chihuahuas.

Julianna Mendoza - Receptionist
Julianna joined VAH as a Receptionist in May 2010. Julianna is one of our bilingual employees available to assist our Spanish-speaking clients. Julianna's favorite thing about her job at VAH has been getting to know all the clients and their pets. When she started working at VAH Julianna was pet-less, but now she and her boyfriend are the proud "parents" of two adorable dachshunds, Hanz and Greta.

Stephanie Ramirez – Receptionist
Stephanie was referred to VAH by a former employee and has been with us since 2008. Stephanie says she really enjoys working in reception because she loves greeting all the cuddly pets that come in to visit. Stephanie and her husband recently welcomed their own cuddly (human) baby into their family! They love him like crazy and enjoy watching him grow and enjoy new experiences every day.

Kayla Valles - Receptionist
Kayla was recruited for her sweet personality and joined VAH as a receptionist in mid-2010. Kayla greets every VAH client with a smile – even while she’s answering phones, scheduling appointments or cleaning up the occasional “accident” in the lobby. Her favorite part of her job is visiting with all the VAH pets. Kayla and her boyfriend share their home with two little dogs, Jonah and Lilah and one huge cat, Shaq.

Jennifer Murray - Boarding Supervisor
Jennifer has been with VAH since March 2010, but has worked with animals for over 7 years. Jennifer takes special loving care of all VAH's boarding pets, ensuring they remain comfortable and happy during their stay. She also gives extra love and attention to the more timid pets so they can leave with a good experience. Jennifer has two dogs of her own - Kane, an Australian Shepherd and Raven, a lab-mix - as well as a mischievous cat, Spiker.

Jessica Padilla - Boarding Attendant
Jessica started as an ROP student in 2009 and was such a great worker that she was hired in the summer of 2010. Jessica really enjoys working with all the boarding pets at VAH. She makes sure every pet gets lots of love and attention during their stay so they will be excited to return. Jessica spends all her free time with her beautiful daughter Claudia. They share their home with a calico kitten named Daisy Bug.

Mallory Andersen - Boarding Attendant
Mallory has been with VAH since early 2010. Mallory really enjoys her job, but her favorite part learning the individual personality of each pet during its boarding stay at VAH. Mallory was born and raised in the Merced area and has been around animals her whole life. Mallory says she clearly remembers getting her first pet at the age of five, a kitten named Sassy. Mallory was an active member of 4H and FFA and showed pigs, rabbits and goats. Mallory shares her home with an American bulldog mix named Norris, a Pitbull mix named Leelu and a cat named Kitaana.

Taylor White - Boarding Attendant
Taylor was referred to VAH by one of our best clients. Taylor has worked with animals for many years, starting when she volunteered at the animal shelter while still in high school. Taylor says she is honored to be entrusted with the care of boarding pets at VAH. Her main goal at VAH is to leave a positive impact on all the lives she encounters – whether it’s a pet, a client or simply another person dedicated to the love of animals. Taylor also loves her twin sister Jordan, all trees and a very special Rottweiler named Bob!

Kookie Hiser - Groomer
Kookie has been grooming dogs and cats since 1979. She has been with Designer Dogs and Valley Animal Hospital since 1997. Kookie is an excellent groomer who is so talented she has clients who bring their pets from as far away as San Francisco to have her groom them! Kookie and her husband Don share their home with a very-well-groomed border collie named Paris.