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.
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!
Tricia Pollard
Practice Manager / Certified Veterinary Technician
Tricia graduated with a degree in Medical lab technology in 1992. She interned at a Veterinary clinic and that’s when she decided Veterinary Medicine was her passion. She obtained her Veterinary Technician Certification in 2007.
Tricia is originally from Delaware and moved to Bend in 2005 with her husband and 2 sons. She enjoys hiking with her dogs Buster and sage, cuddle time with her feline soul mate Buda, cooking, baking and she is trying her hand at gardening.
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)!
Jess Ludmer
Veterinary Assistant
Jess comes to East Bend with a background in Elementary Education as a 4th grade teacher. Jess has a Master in Teaching from Seattle University, and a Bachelors in Adventure Education from Prescott College. After ten years teaching in the outdoors and the classroom, Jess began observing at an animal emergency center and determined it was her true calling.
Jess joined the East Bend team in September as a Veterinary Assistant. Jess loves waking up every day knowing that on any day she may care for birds, reptiles, rodents, dogs, cats, and rehabilitated wildlife.
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.
