Meet Our Staff

Dr. De Waal is a 1982 graduate of The Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He loves all sports and is currently riding his mountain and road bikes as well as playing tennis.

He has been married to Merrilee for over thirty years; she is a residential Real Estate Agent. Their son, Kyle, loves sports and entertainment, still plays hockey and works for a software company in San Francisco. Currently his animal family consists of 3 energetic dogs and two lazy cats.

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

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 State University for Veterinary Health Sciences.

Dr. Dye and his wife, Deanna, have two adorable sons, Dylan and Lennon, who keep them both busy at home. They are also proud parents of two dogs, Squiggie and Charlie, and two cats, Skippy and Marley.

Deanna regularly bakes wonderful goodies for the Westside staff, which everyone looks forward to. They enjoy spending their spare time with family and friends. 

Dr. Geist moved to Colorado Springs in 2014 with his wife and 1-year old daughter with the intention of raising their daughter and retiring here.  He joined the Westside Animal Hospital family in September, 2014.  Dr. Geist was raised in the state of Washington, attended vet school at Washington State University, and graduated in 1996.  He worked for many years at practices in Washington and Oregon.  For the last 10 years Dr. Geist operated his own veterinary surgery business, also working in emergency medicine.

Dr. Geist brings with him many years of experience in some areas of complicated surgeries, as well as the prevention and long-term management associated with them.  These include TPLO (for cranial cruciate ligament injuries), fracture repair, corrective orthopedic surgery, minimally-invasive surgery (endoscopy, laparoscopy, arthroscopy, etc.), reconstructive surgery, and major abdominal surgeries.  He is currently in the process of getting certification for PennHIP screening (for early identification and intervention of canine hip dysplasia).

Dr. Geist’s other areas of practice interest include pain management, wound healing, and helping to build the human-animal bond.  Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, hiking, climbing, biking, and fly-fishing. 

Dr. Abby Parrent is a recent graduate from Oklahoma State University, where she received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. She was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but always dreamed of living in Colorado. Dr. Parrent attended Austin College in Sherman, TX where she played Division III soccer and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Dr. Parrent married her college boyfriend, Alan, in a beautiful ceremony in Breckenridge, Colorado in June 2019. They have two boxers named Roo and Breck. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dogs, traveling, skiing, and spending time with her family and dogs.

Dr. Parrent’s veterinary interests include wellness and preventive medicine, soft tissue surgery, and ultrasound. She comes to us from a very busy small animal practice in Oklahoma and is excited to be a member of the Westside family.

Dr. Tyler Smith graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2018 with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He was Born and raised in Dallas, Texas prior to moving north to Oklahoma State for his undergraduate degree and doctorate. Dr. Smith then made the move to San Jose, California where he practiced from 2018-2021 before making the move here to Colorado Springs.

Dr. Smith enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, but has a special interest in surgery, dentistry, and client education. Veterinary medicine has always been his passion, and he is excited to share his knowledge with clients to help them provide the best care possible for their beloved pets even when they are not visiting us here at Westside.

When you cannot find Dr. Smith at work, he is most likely hiking one of the nearby mountains, skiing, fly-fishing, or playing soccer. He also likes to spend time with his dog Calvin, a husky-mix that was named after his favorite comic “Calvin and Hobbes”.

Bio coming soon!

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 career in pet health care.

They share a home with two magnificent Chow Chows; Zen, a red male and Mala, a black female. Zen and Mala are their "children" and are shamelessly spoiled!

Leslie and her husband, Ted, enjoy traveling, biking, hanging out downtown, and the music scene throughout the city. Leslie is a committed runner who is also passionate about gardening and most anything to do with the natural world – and shoes! 

Caley joined the Westside team in 2019. She comes with six years' experience in the veterinary field. She enjoys getting to know the clients of Westside Animal Hospital and their fur babies!

Caley and her husband followed a dream to move to Colorado 2 years ago, after living on the Oregon coast their whole lives. They love Colorado and all the amazing outdoor adventures that this state provides. They currently share their lives with 2 rescue dogs; Frida, a pug, and Jack, a Papillion mix and a rescue kitty, Marlo.

I moved to Colorado with my husband in the summer of 2000 and enjoy all the outdoor activities this state has to offer.

After several years as a Travel Agent and many more in customer service related jobs, I decided to pursue a career in Veterinary Medicine.

I graduated from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in 2005 and cannot imagine doing anything other than helping animals and their families.

Since moving to Colorado, my husband and I have taken full advantage of the outdoor life.   We enjoy hiking and backpacking the many trails available.  Recently we have taken up rock and ice climbing. On my lazy days I enjoy reading and even sewing.

Currently we are down to one four legged child. Her name is Señorita (Rita for short) and we adopted her from the Puerto Vallarta SPCA in May 2014. Rita looks like a black lab mix but DNA testing says she is Mastiff/Bassett hound mix. Either way she is a bundle of energy that fits into our active life. 

Bio coming soon!

I'm a Colorado native and can't imagine living anywhere else.  I have especially fallen in love with Colorado Springs.

After many years working in accounting and customer service I decided to pursue my dream of a career working with animals.  I completed my studies and graduated from Bel Rea Institute of Animal Technology in 1999.  I became a member of the Westside family in 2011 and love the people I work with and the very special clients who trust us with their four legged family members.

My husband Mike and I fulfilled our dreams of living in the mountains and enjoy spending time in the home we built and the challenges of mountain living.  We enjoy continuing to work on our home and trying to garden at high altitude.  We also enjoy camping and fishing.

In my spare time my passions include NASCAR racing and racing of all kinds, hiking, biking and stitching.  I also love music and my new challenge is learning to play the guitar.

My family consists of our 2 rescue dogs - Ellie Mae and Samantha.

I grew up in western New York and joined the Army right after high school. I was stationed in Germany, Colorado and Iraq. After the Army, I moved to Indiana where I worked on a horse-breeding farm for six years. I decided to move back to Colorado Springs to attend school at Colorado Academy of Veterinary Technology, which I have graduated from and became a Certified Veterinary Technician.

Of all the places I have been Colorado Springs is one of my favorites, which is why I have decided to make this place my home. In my free time, I enjoy hiking in the mountains, gardening and horseback riding.

I have two “children,” Shrek who is a three-year-old English bulldog/beagle mix and is quite the character. He loves sleeping in, going for car rides and going on hikes with me. Ash is a one and a half year old mastiff mix who just recently joined my family. He loves to play with Shrek and is quite the couch potato.

I am proud to be a part of Westside Animal Hospital’s team and love my new career working with animals every day.

I am a native to California and in early 2020 moved to Colorado Springs with my husband. The COVID-19 situation made it difficult at first to find a job, yet then Westside Animal Hospital hired me, and I couldn’t be happier.

I attended and graduated Carrington College in 2016, earning my Associates degree in Veterinary Technology. In my free time, I enjoy crocheting, walks along the bike trail, and baking sweets. I have three cats: Minx, Shu, and Kitten who are my precious babies. They act like brothers and their favorite activity is cuddling with my husband and I whenever they can.

Photo & Bio coming soon!

Photo and Bio coming soon!

Photo and Bio coming soon!

Photo and Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Photo and Bio coming soon!

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.

Bio coming soon!

Photo & Bio coming soon!

Photo and Bio coming soon!

Photo & Bio coming soon!

Megan moved to Colorado Springs from Los Angeles in the spring of 2007 to enjoy the beautiful mountains and be closer to family.

She holds a B.A. in Graphic Design yet her passion has always been to work with animals. Megan has been a Veterinary Technician as well as receptionist since 2002 and finds it very rewarding.

Together with her husband, Keith, they share their home with 3 rescue dogs, Winnie, a Saluki mix, Emma, a greyhound mix, and Ivy, a Borzoi, along with 4 rescue cats, Coda, Kinsey, Sawyer, and Quinn. They love spending time with their “spoiled” kids; hiking with the dogs, and exploring all that Colorado has to offer. 

I am originally from Avon, NY but grew up in East Alabama, I recently moved to Colorado in November of 2020. I attended Southern Union State Community College in Opelika, AL where I obtained my Associate in Science degree in General Studies in May of 2020.

 I have worked in the service industry for over 6 years and was previously a veterinary technician at an animal shelter in Georgia. I have been around all kinds of animals, but horses were always my favorite, I grew up riding and was also in a saddle club.

 Since moving to Colorado, I love to hike and soak up the beautiful scenery of the mountains. I also enjoy spending time with my family, binge-watching my favorite shows, and shopping downtown. I currently do not have any pets but will be planning to adopt a shelter pet whenever I get settled here in Colorado, rescued is truly the best breed!

 I am so excited to be a part of the amazing team at Westside Animal Hospital and look forward to meeting you and your loving pets!

Photo & Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!