Peter De Waal, DVM
Dr. De Waal is a 1982 graduate of The Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He loves all sports and is currently immersed in mountain biking. He has been married to Merrilee for over twenty years; she is a residential Real Estate Agent. Their son, Kyle, loves sports and entertainment, plays hockey and is a student at Fort Lewis College .

Dr. De Waal's goal is to be devoted and passionate about his family, friends, work, spirituality, and life in general.

Rex Johnson, DVM
Dr. Johnson is a 1997 graduate of Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He practiced in Oklahoma and Texas before moving to Colorado in January 2004. Dr. Johnson has a special interest in surgery, cardiology, and exotic animal medicine.

Dr. Johnson and his wife Shannon are the proud parents of Courage, a boxer; and a cat, Jagger. Outside of work he enjoys backpacking, hiking, golf, and most other sports. He and Shannon also enjoy going to the movies and concerts together.

Roman Dye, DVM
Dr. Dye came to Westside Animal Hospital in the summer of 2006 from Oklahoma , where he earned degrees from The University of Oklahoma, Southwestern Oklahoma State University , and Oklahoma University College of Veterinary Health Services.

Dr. Dye and his wife, Deanna, have an adorable son, Dylan, who keeps them both busy at home. They are also the proud parents of two dogs, Squiggie and Katerina; and two cats, Scoobey & Raschal. They enjoy spending their spare time with family and friends.

Leslie Ornelas, Hospital Manager
Leslie has been employed at Westside Animal Hospital since February 1997. She was in the communications field for nineteen years before leaving the "corporate world" to move on to a more rewarding and satisfying career in pet health care.

Leslie and her husband, Ted, enjoy traveling, hiking, and marathon movie viewing at home. Ted is a successful sales associate at Red Noland Cadillac. Leslie loves Chow Chows, gardening and anything to do with flowers!

They share a home with Kiko, a red male Chow Chow born October 2002, and Zia, a black female Chow Chow born November 2004. Kiko & Zia are their "children" and they are shamelessly spoiled!

Carisa, Managing Certified Veterinary Technician
Carisa, a native Coloradoan, began at Westside Animal Hospital in July 1996, shortly after her graduation from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology where she earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technology.

She has worked her way up to the position of Veterinary Technician Supervisor, which includes both technical, patient care, and management duties. Carisa is the coordinator of our internship program with Bel-Rea; she loves to teach new techs the skills and techniques necessary for success in this profession.

Carisa, her husband Chris and daughter Kaitlyn share a home in Woodland Park with three cats and three dogs. She and her family love to go camping and ride four-wheelers in the mountains. Carisa also enjoys cooking, baking, and spending time with her family whenever possible.

Melissa, Tech Assistant/Cert. K9 Massage Therapist
Melissa has been with Westside since March 2000. She is a Tech Assistant, caring for the pets in the hospital and the cats in Cecil's Bed & Breakfast Feline Boarding Facility. She give all the pets extra TLC!

Married for 17 years, Melissa has two children, Kristine and Steven. Their family includes six cats - she loves to foster wayward kitties - and two dogs, Myth and Zodiac. They enjoy living in Colorado for all of the outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and four-wheeling. Her family also loves to attend the Renaissance Festival each year.

Recently Melissa achieved her long-time goal of becoming a Certified Canine Massage Therapist. She practices her "tender touch" on dogs here at the hospital - and they love it!

Tami, Technician
Tami joined Westside as a technician assistant, then was promoted to Technician in 2006. She is a biology major at UCCS and plans to attend Veterinary school in the near future. She has lived in Colorado Springs her entire life.

Tami is the "mommy" of four very happy Labs; Bailey, Coal, Chance, and Hunter, and three beautiful cats named Riley, Ziggy & Dinah. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dogs and nights out on the town.

Karren, Certified Technician
Karren graduated from Bel-Rea Veterinary Technician Training School where she earned AAS degree. She chose Westside Animal Hospital for her internship, which she enjoyed very much. When an opening became available, Karren came back as a full-fledged Certified Technician.

She enjoys snowboarding, hiking, or anything she can do with her three girls. Karren's "girls" are Xena, a ten year old poodle mix, Gabby, a Min Pin who is eight, and Annabelle, a three year old Doberman.

Karren and her husband moved to Colorado six years ago from Texas . They love all the outdoor activities so much, they never want to go back!

Sarah, Technician
Sarah has lived in Colorado Springs all her life. Since the tender age of nine, Sarah has wanted to work with animals. After completing High School, she decided to pursue her dream by attending Pima Medical Institute, graduating one year later. Sarah has been a veterinary technician for the past three and a half years.

Sarah's pet family members are all rescues: four cats, Emily, Boots, Angel, and Missy; two rats, Dolce & Gabana; and the newest addition, A Cockatoo named Fred. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys camping, fishing, hunting, watching movies, skating, and nights on the town with friends.

Tara, Technician
Tara is a 2004 graduate of the University of Wyoming with a BS in Zoology and Physiology. She and her husband, Tim, recently moved to Colorado Springs from Cheyenne , WY . Originally from Kentucky , they are avid Kentucky basketball fans and enjoy traveling, reading, watching movies and hanging out with friends.

Tara and Tim have two wonderful cats named Mo and Drew and one crazy dog, Hank, who is a BUG (Boston terrier/Pug mix).

Heather, Technician
Heather grew up in England and moved here in September 2006 to enjoy life in sunny Colorado, and to be with her Coloradoan fiancé Troy. After volunteering at Westside the previous summer she just had to come back and officially join the team! She has a BSc in Bioveterinary Science from Liverpool University , England , and she now aims to go to vet school at CSU.

Heather and Troy live with their yellow labrador Winston and orange kitten Sequoia, and will soon have a new addition to the family; a baby in September! They enjoy hiking and backpacking, Broncos games, movies, music and traveling.

Jasmine, Technician Assistant
Jasmine was born and raised in Astoria , Queens , New York City. She moved to Colorado Springs in 1983 and settled near her sister, Dr. De Waal's wife, Merrilee.

With her lifelong love of animals, Jasmine adopted a cat, Cindy and a dog, Nifty. They both lived good long lives and passed away when they were very old.

Jasmine's most recent addition is a cat named Skittles who came to her through adoption from the Humane Society. He has a very unique personality and provides Jasmine with many hours of companionship and enjoyment. Some of his playful antics include chasing his tail and playing with his toys.

Angie, Receptionist
Angie came to Westside in May 2005. She graduated soon after from Regis University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Applied Psychology. Since then, Angie has been working on her Master's Degree in Psychology.

Angie has been married to Andrew since 2004 and has four lovely 4-legged "children". Her dogs, Kyla and Dexter; and two cats, Scout and Tilly, make up her animal family. Angie and her human family love the mountains, hunting, and sports (Go Red Wings and KC Chiefs!!!)

Val, Receptionist
Val joined the Westside reception team in March 2006. She had worked as a receptionist and CNA in the medical field for the previous seven years and finds the pet health field very rewarding.

Val and her husband Jim are transplants from Nebraska where they enjoyed living the "good life" on their small ranch. There they spent time trail riding and enjoying their horses, cats, and dog. Together they have five grown children and six grandchildren.

Val has enjoyed "Colorful Colorado" for the past two and a half years with her yellow lab " Sandy" and cat "Toby". She enjoys quilting and all crafts, along with four-wheeling with their Jeep in the mountains in her spare time.

Kara, Receptionist

Kim J., Receptionist