Dr. Jaime Thurk
Veterinarian
Dr. Jaime Thurk was born in rural Wisconsin and grew up on a Dairy farm where her love of animals has grown into her life-long dream of becoming a Veterinarian. Dr. Thurk received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marine biology at Texas A&M University and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Ross University in 2009. She completed her one year clinical rotation at Washington State University.
Dr. Thurk’s areas of interest are preventative medicine, natural nutrition and supplementation, avian/exotic medicine, surgery and dentistry. Her priority is to maintain the highest ethical and medical standards, while providing a friendly and relaxed environment for your pet. Her goal is to ensure her patients are treated as member of the family and that clients are well informed, involved and comfortable with the decisions made regarding their pet’s care. She will constantly apply the latest in veterinary medicine advancements to properly diagnose, treat and care for her patients so that your loved ones remain happy and healthy.
Dr. Thurk’s interests outside of the practice are spending time with her son, Fiance, 2 dogs (Echo, Hoss) and 2 cats (Mr. Bojangels, Fat Cat). She also enjoys hiking, camping and just spending time in the outdoors.
Dr. Rodney Toogood
Veterinarian
Rodney Toogood, DVM was born and raised in southern Minnesota. He attended Mankato State University for his undergraduate degree and received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Toogood practiced for 25 years in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, 20 years owning and operating his own small animal and exotics practice in suburban Minneapolis. His professional areas of interest include medicine and surgery, preventative care, and fostering the human animal bond. He enjoys seeing exotic animals, especially small mammals. He is committed to the highest standards of veterinary care with thorough client communication and education.
Dr. Toogood is an avid cyclist, both mountain and road biking and also enjoys skate skiing, standup paddle boarding, hiking, and generally being outdoors. He is a musician and a wine and food enthusiast. Dr. Toogood and his wife, Gretchen, who is also a veterinarian, have one dog and two cats.
Dr. Brooke Jacoby
Veterinarian
Brooke grew up in a small town in northeast California and always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian as she was surrounded by dogs, cats, horses and rabbits. She graduated from California Polytechnic University in 2003 with a B.S. in Animal Science and made her way to the Eugene area to pursue veterinary school. She completed her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Oregon State University in 2008 and worked for 4 years in a large multi-doctor small animal hospital. This is where she first met Dr. Thurk!
She then transitioned to a rapidly growing holistic practice and there she found excitement in the field of holistic medicine. She completed her acupuncture certification via the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2012 and has also completed course work in homeopathy. She is currently obtaining her certification in Chinese Herbal Medicine through the Chi Institute. Dr. Jacoby is passionate about holistic medicine and creating a life-long health plan for her patients. She is especially interested in nutrition, internal medicine, senior care, pain management and hospice.
Away from the clinic she loves spending time outdoors with her two children, husband and dog. Brooke is excited to provide holistic and integrative veterinary care here at East Bend!
Becky Wendt
Practice Manager
Becky was born and raised in Idaho on a ranch (which is where her love for all animals developed). Becky spent some time traveling around the country and lived aboard for a year before she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University. She is currently working towards becoming a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager. She has been working in the veterinary field since 2011.
In her spare time, Becky enjoys hiking, camping, trail running, and traveling. She has four dogs (three of which are foster failures) and two spoiled cats.
Nakia Twigg
Certified Veterinary Technician
Nakia grew up in beautiful Sisters, Oregon. Her passion for veterinary medicine started with her schools career program. Nakia earned her Veterinary Technician Certificate in 2006.
Nakia’s special interest are dentistry and behavior. She enjoys helping pets and their people have a long healthy and happy relationship. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, horseback riding, camping. mountain bike riding and hanging out with her pets (horses, dogs, cat, chickens, goats)!
Caroline Read-Mullins
Certified Veterinary Technician
Caroline grew up in the Bay Area where she was heavily influenced by her time spent volunteering and working at the Lindsay Wildlife museum. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound she lived in Gig Harbor Washington were she ran a small farm and raised a family. After moving to Bend in 2014, she acquired her Veterinary technician certification through COCC in 2018. Caroline’s special interest is in wildlife rehabilitation and stewardship. Her free time is spent hiking with her five dogs, skiing, camping, listening to music, and playing with her two children. Her goal in life is to teach the public how to treat and respect animals.
Ellisa Randles
Veterinary Assistant
Ellisa recently moved here with her husband from Salem, Oregon. She has been working with animals for over 9 years. She loves the coast and loves to hike. They don't currently have any pets, but hope to get a dog in the future.
Jessica Jameson
Veterinary Assistant
Jessica fell in love with animals from the start. She was born and raised in Tucson, AZ where she grew up with dogs, horses, fish and a hermit crab named hermit. Upon graduating high school, Jess moved to Southern California where she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from Vanguard University. It was here that she pursued a 13year career path working as an Aquatics Director in the field of her other passion- swimming.
When Jess and her husband moved to Bend in 2016, It was in Central Oregon where Jess was reignited with passion for working with animals. Having spent time working with a local animal shelter, Jess knew she wanted to continue her growth in the field and joined the EBAH team with the goal of working towards her CVT. In her free time, Jess loves exploring the pacific northwest with her husband and their three dogs.
Brittany Landucci
Veterinary Assistant
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Brittany has always had a love of cats (especially!) and all other animals since a very young age. Brittany has a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and Business and has worked with companies such as DreamWorks Animation, ABC Sports San Francisco / Bay Area and most recently, a fitness startup called Grow Fit. She is currently pursuing her Certification in Veterinary Technology with Penn Foster College and hopes to graduate in a few years. She and her husband Rick have lived in Bend for four years and reside with their two chihuahuas Oliver and Finnius Deschutes and their three black cats Hemi, Smudge and Twitch. In her free time, Brittany enjoys cooking, baking, spending time with friends, and traveling with her husband.
Alicia McCallum
Client Service Representative
After being raised in Eugene, and living in Portland for school/work for several years, Alicia finally made her way to Central Oregon in 2014. Her love for animals began in middle school, when her parents got her a Keeshond named Moses, and she realized the therapeutic benefits to having a pet. After pursuing journalism and psychology in college, she realized her love of taking care of others, worked as a nanny for several years, and then made her way into the veterinary field in the beginning of 2017.
Alicia joined the East Bend team in March. Her favorite part of the job is making connections with the families that see us, and learning about all of the exotic animals we treat. On her days off, she enjoys spending time with her chocolate lab, Jake, taking walks, photography, learning the guitar and reading.
Hannah Paustain
Client Service Representative
Hannah grew up in western Washington, enjoying many camping trips and developing a passion for the natural world at a young age. She studied environmental science at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and began working in the veterinary field as a receptionist while attending school. In her free time Hannah enjoys snowboarding, hiking, climbing, camping, playing guitar, and singing.
Valerie Hemstreet
Client Service Representative
Valerie grew up in Portland, Oregon and spent many years after college traveling and living around the world. It was in 2014 that she finally decided to settle down and move to Bend. Valerie is currently enrolled in an Applied Animal Behavior course through the University of Washington and hopes to apply this knowledge to her work with animals. In her free time you can usually find her wandering the many trails around Central Oregon with her two favorite pups, cooking with her boyfriend, or volunteering with animal welfare organizations.
