Eva, Administrative Manager
Eva is extremely proud to be part of the WVPC team since 2005 and of the accomplishments we’ve made together over the years. Originally from NJ, she lived throughout the South Bay, before settling in Oakland with her husband Tony. Yes, that is quite a commute! When she’s not working, her free time is spent in the garden, hiking, urban exploring, trying out a new gastro hot spot, or venturing off to some Bay Area back roads.
Her pets that she still holds dear in her heart have included her family pets growing up; a German Shepherd/Collie named Vicky, a Russian Blue named Misty and as an adult; a Boston Terrier name Herby, Jack Russell Bichon Scruffy and Cockatiel Harvey.
Scruffy, lived to the ripe old age of 17 years old and Eva attributes his longevity to the great medical care and support of her WVPC family. She also found that making adjustments as he aged and keeping to a familiar routine went a long way. She enjoys educating pet owners about avian and canine care for every life stage, but particularly geriatric care. If you feel like you’ve tried it all and are open to new suggestions come brainstorm with her! Eva is by far a very integral member of our team.
Quote: “Be kind to every kind”
Sandra, Technical Manager
Sandra joined the West Valley Pet Clinic in May 2015 as a Registered Veterinary Technician. She graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Carrington College in 2014 and became a licensed technician shortly after. Sandra is a very cheerful, bubbly person who likes to drink champagne with her friends and go to the beach on her time off. She is excellent at keeping everyone smiling and laughing throughout the day. Her positive attitude is contagious to the rest of the team. Sandra is exceptionally strong in cat handling and behavior. We are so grateful to have Sandra as part of our team.
Pets: 4 cats, (Bernard, Merlin, Mowgli and Dot)
Hidden Talent: Cat Behavior and Organization
Quote: “Just keep swimming.”
Robyn, Head Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Robyn became a team member of West Valley Pet Clinic in July 2017. She graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Carrington College in 2013 and became licensed in 2016. Robyn enjoys hanging out with her friends having a good time whether it is eating good food or listening and dancing along with great music. In the downtime that she has, she loves to watch movies both Disney and action, as well as, baking. Robyn’s genuine love for animals and the pride she takes in their care makes her a valuable asset to the team.
Pets: A Dog (Moose) and Two Cats (Forrest & Miss Kitty)
Hidden Talent: Puns and wordplay
Quote: “I reject your reality and substitute my own.”
Millie, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Graduated from the Foothill Veterinary Technician program in 2019 and became licensed soon after. Enjoys working out and participating in a local run group as well as training brazilian jiu jitsu. In her free time she loves to spend time with her 3 pups at home as well as volunteer at the Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital.
Pets: Zander (staffordshire terrier), Mocha ( chihuahua), Raikou (Shepherd mix).
Quote: “Some birds aren’t made to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright.”
Gwen, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Gwen joined the West Valley Pet Clinic team in January 2022. She grew up watching Animal Planet shows and that is where her love of reptiles came from (Crikey!) She graduated from the Veterinary Technology Program at Foothill College in 2019 and became a Registered Veterinary Technician shortly after. In her free time, she likes cooking, crafting, and taking care of her zoo.
Pets: Peanut and Boomer (chihuahua mixes), 8 snakes (ball pythons, Brazilian rainbow boa, Kenyan sand boa, hognose, kingsnakes), 3 geckos (crested, leopard, leachianus), a bearded dragon, a blue tongue skink, a red-footed tortoise, tarantulas, scorpions…and more!
Quote: “Yes, I really do need all these reptiles”
Jamie, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Jamie was born and raised in the Bay Area. She has a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon and an Associates degree in Veterinary Technology from Carrington College. In her free time, she loves gardening, adventuring with her dogs, and caring for her pets. Her favorite animals are chickens and iguanas.
Pets: dogs Larry and Franklin, 4 chickens, 5 Budgies, 1 gecko, small isopod colony.
Felicia, Client Experience Representative
Felicia was born and raised in San Jose, just about 5 minutes from the clinic! She grew up with backyard chickens, doves, and finches. She has two dogs, Bella, a Chihuahua mix, and Sweety, a Pomeranian/bischon mix who she absolutely adores. In her free time she loves cooking with her boyfriend, decorating her home, and traveling. We are delighted to have her always eager to help, sweet and bubbly self as a team member since 2016.
Hidden Talent: Interior Design/Decorating
Quote: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”
Marlene, Client Experience Representative
Marlene is a San Jose native. She graduated from the National Holistic Institute in 2008 and has a certificate in massage therapy. Marlene is married and has two little boys, Lukas and Markus. These adorable boys take after their mom with their ability to spread joy to everyone around them. Marlene loves camping with her family and relaxing in the garden with a good coloring book at home. We are grateful to have Marlene as part of our team since September 2012.
Pets: Two female cats who are both orange tabby (uncommon) and fish
Hidden Talent: Massage Therapist and bakes a mean snickerdoodle
Quote: “Never look down on someone unless you are helping them up.”
Elena, Client Experience Representative
Elena has a soft spot for animals, especially dogs, She has a strong belief that pets make life better. She currently has a miniature American shepherd who keeps her very active. We enjoy hiking everywhere -mountains, beaches, and everywhere in-between. She grew up surrounded by dogs and other animals, spending the summers at her family cabin in the Eldorado National Forest. Elena believes variety is the spice of life; and so far has been an executive assistant, office and logistics manager, service dog trainer, canine behavior modification, pastry chef, and food allergen consultant; However, working with animals has been the most rewarding so far for her.
Sammy Benitez, Client Experience Representative
Sammy Love was born and raised in San Francisco- she spent some years in Washington State as well, but her heart has always belonged to “The City”. From a young age, she was drawn to “rescuing” animals, and it is her hope to one day own enough land to have an animal sanctuary.
In the meantime, when not offering exceptional service to our clients or working as an actor at the Northern California Renaissance Faire and performing as a fairytale character for children’s birthday parties, she can be found curled up on the couch with a good book. She also enjoys writing, beach days, and camping in the woods. She has two dogs, two cats, and a revolving door of foster kittens and puppies. It is her dream to save the world one animal at a time.
Pets- Chachi and Baxter are my dearest canine companions. Jasper and Tiger Lily are my feline overlords.
Hidden Talents – Radical empathy and intuitive compassion
Quote – “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Francisco, Client Experience Representative
Francisco’s passion for customer service and growing up with his family’s Siamese cat, Olly, has inspired him to work in an environment with amazing pets like yours. In addition to providing an exceptional experience to our clients, he’s dedicated to pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, biking, and spending time with friends and family.
Judy, Veterinary Assistant
Judy was born in San Francisco but was raised in San Jose. She has been working as a veterinary assistant for the past 3 years and we were lucky enough to hire her in March 2019. Judy plans on attending the Veterinary Technology program at Foothill College in the near future. She is highly passionate about animals of all kinds. Judy’s dream is to own a ranch and have a sanctuary for all animals big and small, young or mature! Judy is also fear free certified and great with animals that have their own “opinions”.
Pets: 2 dogs (Bean, a 13yo one-eyed Chihuahua, and Sugar, a 12yo Pit Bull)
Hobbies: Mountain biking, going to the gym and cooking
Quote: “Life is short, smile while you still have teeth”
Darcy, Veterinary Assistant
Darcy was born and raised in Colorado and grew up with cats and dogs, as well as snakes and lizards! She has been living in the Santa Cruz mountains for over 10 years with her husband, Eric, and their three pets: Winston, a springer spaniel mix, Gambit, a gray and white tabby, and Zydeco, a tortoiseshell. In her free time, she enjoys gaming, watching sports (especially hockey and football), cooking, and traveling.
Henry, Veterinary Assistant
Henry was born in San Jose and graduated from the University of Santa Barbara, California in 2019. Shortly after graduating, he decided to go back to school and become registered as a veterinary technician and am currently in the Foothill Veterinary Technician program. Growing up, Henry was always surrounded by animals and that sparked his passion for wanting to help them out in any way that he could. His goal in life is to eventually create an animal sanctuary and to still spend time with animals when retired. In his free time, he is usually either playing PC games or spending time with his two rescued cats, Moose and Ponyo.
Quote: “You’ll never work a day in your life if you love what you do.”
Ren, Veterinary Assistant
Ren found her calling in the veterinary field when the pandemic lockdown temporarily closed the restaurant where she worked. This led to Ren revisiting her passion for horses by lending a hand at a horse stable. We were then lucky to have her find us, to join our team and is currently back at school, pursuing becoming a licensed Registered Vet Technician.
Ren grew up riding horses and living with cats and dogs as part of the family. As she starts her own family with her fiancé, they have an 8-year-old tabby cat with HOCM named StanLee and a 3-year-old husky/pitbull mix named Nikita. In her free time, she loves to rock climb, hike, weightlift, read & crochet.
