Meet Our Team

Dr. Sarah Lovell, DVM

Dr. Sarah Lovell was born, raised and obtained her undergraduate degree in her hometown of Dillon, Montana. She was accepted into the veterinary program at CSU and graduated in 2014. From the age of 15 until graduating vet school, she worked as a small animal technician.

Upon graduation, Dr. Lovell moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she worked as a small animal emergency veterinarian at specialty practice. In 2016, she joined the staff of Animal Urgent Care. Her veterinary interests include emergency surgery and trauma stabilization. Her personal interests include any activity that gets her outdoors and spending time with her two yorkies and one cat.

Dr. Kate Smith, DVM

Kate Smith aka "Smitty" graduated from CSU, College of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. In spring of 2017 she joined AUC as a veterinarian. However, she has worked at AUC since 2011 as a veterinary assistant and owes her success in veterinary school to the wonderful support of all the staff at AUC. Dr. Smith is a Colorado native and loves cheering for and watching the Buffs and Broncos. When she's not working, she enjoys horseback riding, running, hiking, and hanging out with her crazy special needs cat, Todd.

Dr. Kimberly Drake, DVM

Dr. Kimberly Drake is originally from northwest Ohio and graduated from George Mason University in 2010 with a Bachelors in Biology.  She chose to attend St George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine located on the island of Grenada and graduated in 2015.  Dr. Drake also had the pleasure of completing her Veterinary Clinical year in Dublin, Ireland while completing her veterinary degree.  Client education is very important to Dr. Drake, as it was something she felt was lacking with her own family pets’ care as a child.  She is also passionate about urgent care and practicing preventative medicine, as it can truly help your pets live longer and healthier lives.  Other areas of veterinary medicine she also enjoys are ophthalmology, cardiology, and dental care.  Dr. Drake enjoys ANY outdoor activities, spending time with family and friends, meeting new people, traveling, as well as cooking (and eating)!  She and her husband, Dr. Smith have two dogs named Dodger and Radar, and two cats named Cheddar and Brie.

Dr. Bridget Roche, DVM

Dr. Bridget Roche grew up in Michigan but moved to Colorado to become a CSU Ram for her undergraduate degree in Animal Science. She moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, to complete her veterinary degree and explore the Scottish highlands. She returned to Colorado shortly after graduating and spent 2 years in general practice before transitioning over to the team at AUC. In her free time, she is generally hiking with her poorly behaved dog Murphey or relaxing in the sun in her backyard.

Dr. Adam Smith, DVM

Dr. Adam Smith is originally from England, UK. He attended St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies. From a young age, Adam has wanted to work with animals and help the local community. He is most interested in surgery, trauma stabilization, endoscopy, and pain management. He loves to go hiking, fishing, and camping in beautiful Colorado outdoors. He enjoys music, reading, playing guitar, and video games. He lives with his wife (Dr. Kimberly Drake), two cats (Cheddar and Brie), and two dogs (Radar and Dodger).

Dr. Brenda Francis, DVM

Bio Coming Soon!

Dr. Devon Wochele, DVM

Dr. Devon Wochele grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia for both her undergraduate and veterinary degrees. She moved to Colorado after graduation and completed an internship in shelter medicine at the Dumb Friends League. She worked in shelter medicine for three years following her internship and is now excited to continue to learn and grow in the field of emergency medicine. Her special interests include soft tissue surgery, and she brings a wide variety of surgical experiences with her to AUC. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time in the mountains with her partner and their two dogs, a rambunctious three-year-old golden-doodle named Kylo and a spirited ten-year-old shepherd mix named Joon. Of course, they all look forward to coming home to spend time with their two brown tabby cats, Ben and Ren.

Kate Parker - Hospital Manager

Kate is the Hospital Manager of AUC. She grew up in Philadelphia, and graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. In 2009, she moved to Denver and began working at AUC. With Dr. Liz's support and mentorship, Kate began to realize her passions were leading her to a managerial role, and she began directing her efforts to learning about practice management. In 2019, the team nominated Kate for the VECCS Practice Manager of the Year Award, which she went on to win. 2019 also afforded her the opportunity to become a partner in the practice. Kate has begun to develop an interest in public speaking with regards to mental health and wellness within the field. Her passion is to cultivate and grow her co-workers into their best selves. Kate lives in North Arvada with two scruffy terrier mixes (acquired through AUC, of course), Tibbs and Milo.

Wendy Butler, CVT, Technician Manager

Wendy joined AUC in 2019 as a Certified Veterinary Technician. She obtained her Associate of Science degree in Veterinary Technology from San Juan College. Prior to AUC, Wendy worked at an animal shelter, a general practice, and in a mixed general/emergency/specialty hospital. Wendy loves AUC because the focus is on the patient’s care and wellbeing. She enjoys being on a team of caring, dedicated individuals. Outside of work, Wendy enjoys volunteering for the Downtown Aquarium. In her spare time, she loves spending time with family, friends, her three cats, and being outside!

Katherine Cambier, Reception Manager

Katherine grew up in in Southern California and went to college in Flagstaff, AZ before moving to Colorado in 2016. She started working in the veterinary field in 2013 as a receptionist at her father’s small animal practice. Kathrine has been working in the industry since and has a huge passion for helping animals and people. She started working for AUC early 2018, and became apart of the management team in early 2019. During her time at AUC, she has found another passion for leading other and is currently working on her Certificate of Veterinary Practice Management. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, craft night with her family, and spending time with her husband, Kam and their four amazing fur babies.

Erin Booker, CVT, Referral Coordinator & Marketing Development

Erin is a native to CO. She started her career in veterinary medicine at a general practice in Parker, CO where she learned the basic skills of a veterinary assistant. Erin came to AUC in July 2017 as a veterinary assistant. She quickly discovered her love for emergency medicine. While working as a veterinary assistant, Erin attended Bel-Rea Institute and graduated with her Associates of Applied Science and obtained her Veterinary Technology Certification. Erin has recently taken on the role of Referral Coordinator and Marketing Development. She splits her time between helping patients and helping our referral veterinarian community. She also manages our Instagram page, posting all the pictures of your furry friends. In addition to working at AUC, Erin is pursuing her bachelor's in Business Marketing with the goal of practicing management and marketing.

Adayenci Cadena, CVT 

Ada attended Northern Arizona University where she pursued a Biology degree with a minor in Geology. She decided to continue her education and became a CVT in 2014. She is a mother to Dakota, a bright 3-year-old little girl and engaged to the love of her life, Simon. She is determined to help one pet at a time. She has 2 cats, Aerosmith and Pharrah, and two dogs, Charlie and Torche. In her free time, she likes to catch up on sleep, run errands, do “mom” things and try to take time for herself. She enjoys reading, watching TV and activities like hiking and going on scenic walks. She hopes to one day specialize in Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia, and possibly Dentistry.

Shilee Schaeffer, CVT

Bio Coming Soon!

Casey Elliott, CVT

Casey moved to Colorado from Maine in 2009 and graduated from Bel-Rea Institute in 2011 with an AAS in Veterinary Technology.  After 3 years of working as a certified veterinary technician (CVT) with small and exotic animals, she made the switch to a full-time emergency and critical care technician.  Casey loves her job in emergency medicine so much she is currently submitting her application for specialty certification in emergency and critical care (VTS ECC).  She lives by the phrase "treating your pets as though they are our own."  In 2019 Casey won NVA's West Division Technician of the Year Award. When she is not at work, you can find her in the theater, traveling, outdoor adventuring, and volunteering.

Shay Dennis, Technician

Bio Coming Soon!

Ashley Stone, CVT

Ashley is a Colorado native. She graduated from Bel-Rea Institute in 2017 and started her career in a small general practice She quickly realized her passion is emergency medicine and has spent the last 3 years working in a general practice/emergency hospital as an overnight technician. Ashley started on overnights at AUC in Winter 2020. She has two crazy cattle dogs and loves to paint and read in her free time.

Jade Kibler, Veterinary Assistant

Jade was born and raised in Colorado and has been with AUC since Spring 2017. Jade is currently a senior at Colorado State University getting her bachelors in microbiology. After graduation, Jade hopes to study veterinary medicine and one day become a DVM. Outside of work and school, Jade likes to volunteer her time to multiple organizations, ride her own mustang and spend time with her family and pets.

Lacey Matusik, Veterinary Assistant & Receptionist

Lacey grew up in the suburbs of Washington D.C. where she studied geology at James Madison University. In 2015, she moved to Colorado and took the first job she found as a receptionist for an animal clinic. She immediately realized she wanted to work with animals. She joined the AUC team in 2019 and has been working as both a receptionist and assistant. She plans on earning her CVT and hopes to start school by the end of the year. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and collecting vintage records.

Nina Blanchard, Veterinary Assistant

Nina is a Colorado native and just recently started her career in veterinary medicine. She graduated from Pima Medical Institute in February 2020. Nina spent time in shelter medicine but decided that she needed a more face paced environment. Nina joined the AUC team in Summer 2020. She has two crazy cats, a sassy dog, and a guinea pig, who are all rescues. Nina spends her free time fishing and spending the day at the dog park.

Kendall Beaman, Veterinary Assistant

Bio Coming Soon!

Ariana Johnson, Veterinary Assistant

Ariana has recently started out as an assistant in the veterinary field. Ariana is a certified veterinary assistant and is currently attending the Community College of Denver to become a CVT. She has one cat and plans to expand her furry family soon. Ariana has always had a deep love for caring for and advocating for our furry friends.

Morgan Curry, Veterinary Assistant

Morgan grew up in a small town outside of Washington D.C, and then a small town outside of Dallas, TX. She moved to Colorado to study animal science at Colorado State University. After she graduated, she decided to further her interest in veterinary medicine. Morgan just recently joined the AUC team to experience emergency medicine. In the coming years, Morgan plans to apply to veterinary school. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, riding horses, and playing sports.

Lilly Sosa, Receptionist

Lilly is from Colorado, currently going to school at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is one year away from obtaining her bachelor’s in Health Care Management. Lilly has a love for dogs and has a lab mix named Darla. Excited and intrigued by the inner workings of the animal care world, Lilly joined the AUC team as a receptionist in Winter 2020. She feels that this position further develops her communication and empathy skills needed for her degree and that the sweet animals brighten her days. In her spare time, she enjoys walking/ playing with her dog, dancing, and family time!

Rita Turner, CVT, Receptionist

Rita Turner, CVT, came to the veterinary field as a third career, after a long period in association management and then several years teaching at local colleges. Even though it took a while to get here, she feels she has found her real passion at Animal Urgent Care, helping people while their beloved pets are going through a crisis. At AUC, Rita can be found manning the reception desk every weekend and a few weeknights. Rita is a Colorado native, and enjoys living with her husband Frank and cockapoo “Angus” in Golden, especially when she is visited by her children and grandchildren!

Chantel Farley, Receptionist

Chantel is a Native to Colorado balancing work, a family of 4 at home, and 14 animals (most are exotics). I have a fierce sensation in my heart and my passion to take care of animals. I love to foster, pet sit and surround myself with animals on a daily basis. I enjoy our beautiful state and all she has to offer but camping is my favorite thing to do during the summer months with the family and my dog Chapo. I aspire to own an Exotic Rescue one day for all reptiles that need a safe haven to live out their life. I have a soft spot for alligators, crocs, and dwarf caimans, personally owning one has been the highlight of my life and I can not ever forget my passion that was started by Steve Irwin!