Meet Our Veterinary Team in Bend, Oregon
Meet the Veterinarians & Team of East Bend Animal Hospital. We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets.
Our Doctors
Our Veterinary Technicians
Our Veterinary Assistant
Our Client Service Representatives
Our Kennel Assistants
Dr. Ricky Hua
Veterinarian
Dr. Ricky Hua was born and raised in the Bay Area, California. He had the goal of becoming a veterinarian since growing up alongside the family dog in Vietnam. Although he was not allowed to have pets of his own growing up, he worked and volunteered at various small animal shelters and clinics, wildlife centers, and animal laboratories. Dr. Hua completed his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science at the University of California, Davis and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine.
As a veterinarian, Dr. Hua values education, compassion, and representation. By keeping up with the latest literature and educating clients, our animals can receive the best standard of care. Compassion for our animals is key to being aware of early signs of issues and providing the most comfortable life. Representation and understanding of all groups of people allows for more access to veterinary care in local communities. Dr. Hua’s interests in veterinary medicine include anesthesia and analgesia, preventative medicine, internal medicine, and surgery.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Hua can be found trying out new foods, playing video and board games, exploring the outdoors, or indoor bouldering with his partner, John. Otherwise, he’ll be at home sleeping with his dogs Katsu, Boba, and Toast (pictured left to right).
Carlee
Kennel Assistant
Carlee was born and raised in Redmond, Oregon. She moved to Southern California in 1999 but missed Central Oregon and moved back in 2002. She has an eighteen-year-old daughter, a cat named Noah, and a Dog named Max. In her spare time, Carlee enjoys fishing, being outdoors, and going to the movies.
Ashton
Client Service Representative
Ashton was born and raised in Bend. She is currently studying Social Work at Oregon State and plans to pursue pre-law. Ashton has two Labradors, River and Bailea, and a horse named Wilbur. In her free time, she enjoys hiking to waterfalls with her dogs.
Rachel
Client Service Representative
Rachel was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area of California. She has been working in exotic animal rescue since 2014. She currently has an Amazon Parrot named Sunny and over 200 reptiles! Rachel is currently on the path to pursuing a career in exotic animal veterinary medicine.
Alyssa
Client Service Representative
I was born and raised in Monterey County California. I recently moved to Bend late fall of 2022. I plan to pursue my Master in Forensic Psychology. In my spare time I like to go on walks and explore new coffee shops with my doggie best friend, Sage. I also love staying home watching movies including one of my favorite TV shows, The Vampire Diaries!
Krystal
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Kaitlin
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Sam
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Cris
Certified Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Emma
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Margi
Client Service Representative
Margi has lived in Bend for 12 years after being a Southern California native. She enjoys hanging out with friends, relaxing, and watching movies. She loves baby anything (except spiders) and keeping in touch with her four grown children and ten grandchildren. She has been working in the veterinary field for 23+ years.
Emily
Client Service Representative
Emily was born in Sandy, Oregon and grew up all over the Portland area.
Emily has always had a passion for all animals big and small.
She and her husband, Ben moved to Bend in August of 2022 with her dog Hank, and cat Ted.
In her free time she likes camping, hiking, snowboarding and playing video games with her husband.
Tess
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Trinity
Veterinary Assistant
Trinity recently relocated to Central Oregon from Whitefish, Montana. She plans to attend OSU Cascade to obtain her bachelor’s degree in Zoology before enrolling in school to become a veterinarian. In her free time, Trinity enjoys paddle boarding, hiking, and spending time with her five adorable dogs.
Nadia
Veterinary Assistant
Nadia moved to Bend from Portland in 2010. From a young age (since she could talk), Nadia wanted every type of animal as a pet. Nadia started working in veterinary medicine in 2021. She enjoys helping injured wildlife and working with clients and their pets in veterinary medicine. She loves researching exotic species, writing stories, and creating new characters with her friends to write in those stories. Nadia has two geckos at home (one of which is special needs).
Tori
Veterinary Assistant
Tori began her career in veterinary medicine with East Bend Animal Hospital in April of 2021 after years in cosmetics and salons. She enjoys working with all kinds of animals. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, going to concerts, and loving on her two cats and two dogs.
Jordyn
Veterinary Assistant
Jordyn grew up in Bend. She attended the University of Oregon in Eugene to study painting. She spends her free time hiking with her dog, Kondra and cuddling at home with her cats, Meatball and Jones. Jordyn just enrolled in veterinary technician school and is excited about a career in helping animals.
Amber
Veterinary Assistant
Amber was born and raised in Southern California. This is where her love for animals grew strong at a very young age. Amber began her career in a pet daycare and boarding facility but soon found that veterinary medicine was her passion. She relocated to central Oregon in 2018 and has been working as a veterinary assistant since. Amber dreams of one day becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician.
In her free time, you can catch her outdoors with her dog Roxy Mae, riding dirt bikes with her boyfriend, or hanging out inside reading a good book.
Mariah
Certified Veterinary Technician
Mariah is a CVT who is very passionate about the health and well being of animals. Her most favorite things about her job are surgery and client education.
Mariah has worked as a CVT for 5 years as an emergency and critical care technician. She is excited to bring her passion of patient care and education to East Bend Animal Hospital. She looks forward to building a relationship with clients and their pets.
When Mariah is not at work, she can be found on some sort of adventure with her husband and thier two pomeranians, Boba & Santo.
Wendy
Certified Veterinary Technician
Wendy grew up in Central Oregon. She graduated from Central Oregon Community College in 2016. She has four kids (all boys). Wendy loves working in rescue. In her free time, she loves camping and going to the beach.
Nakia
Senior Certified Veterinary Technician
Nakia grew up in beautiful Sisters, Oregon. Her passion for veterinary medicine started with her school’s career program. Nakia earned her Veterinary Technician Certificate in 2006.
Nakia’s special interests are dentistry and behavior. She enjoys helping pets and their people have long, healthy, and happy relationships. 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, and goats)!
Dr. Nicole Pupich
Veterinarian
Dr. Nicole Pupich was born and raised in a small town in Carson Valley, Nevada. She knew she wanted to work with animals from a young age, having her mind set on becoming a veterinarian by the time she was in 1st grade. Her love of animals was inspired by the various dogs, cats, and exotic animals she grew up with. Dr. Pupich completed her Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Science and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University.
Dr. Pupich is passionate about working with families to provide the best medicine possible for their beloved pets. She is particularly interested in preventative medicine, internal medicine, surgery, and exotic medicine. One of her favorite aspects of veterinary medicine is getting to know her patients and clients. She enjoys working with families to help make the best decisions for their pet’s health through all of life’s ups and downs.
In her free time, Dr. Pupich enjoys exploring the outdoors with her partner, Jake, via hiking, biking, climbing, and camping. If she isn’t enjoying the outdoors, Dr. Pupich can be found at home hanging out with her Sphynx cat (Wade) and axolotl (Sir Lancelotl).
Dr. Anna Kilgore
Veterinarian
Dr. Anna Kilgore joined the East Bend Animal Hospital family after earning her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University. Dr. Kilgore has a strong passion for client education, behavioral management (both pharmaceutical and training), and surgeries. She is excited to apply her skills and knowledge in a small animal general practice where she can build meaningful relationships with clients and engage in face-to-face interactions. After completing a rotation in Bend, OR with her fiancé, they both fell in love with the area and have decided to make it their home. Having already established relationships with the staff during several visits to East Bend, we are thrilled to see Anna flourish in her new role and make a positive impact on the local pet community.
Dr. Jessica Puccetti
Veterinarian
Dr. Jessica Puccetti was born in Napa, CA, but moved to Oregon at a young age. She grew up on a small farm in Redmond and was involved in both 4-H and FFA, raising and showing sheep, hogs, and horses, as well as livestock judging. This experience working with animals helped shape her dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Dr. Jessica received her Bachelor of Science degree in BioResource Research at Oregon State University in 2009 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 2014.
Dr. Jessica’s professional interests include acupuncture, pain management, soft tissue surgery, dentistry, cardiology (with a special love for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels), and dermatology. She loves being able to build long-lasting relationships with her clients and patients. She believes open communication, along with client education, is one of the most important aspects of the doctor-client-patient relationship. Dr. Jessica acquired her acupuncture certification during her last year of vet school through the CuraCore Integrative Medicine and Education Center. She loves being able to integrate western medicine and eastern medicine together.
Away from the clinic, you can find Dr. Jessica outdoors; camping, hiking, and adventuring with her husband, Beau, her daughter, Sedona, and their two dogs; Kai (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) and Beira (a Golden Retriever). They also have two indoor cats that rule the home (Bebe and Pai Mei).
Dr. Dalton Webb
Veterinarian
Dr. Dalton Webb grew up in the Texas Hill Country alongside 4 dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses, and a small herd of beef cattle. His earliest exposure to veterinary medicine came as a result of his rambunctious Beagle, who was frequently sticking his hound dog nose in places it didn’t belong. Seeing the level of care that was given to his best friend in his times of need instilled in him a passion for the veterinary profession. Dr. Webb attended Texas A&M University, where he received both his Bachelor’s in Biomedical Science and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Webb’s professional interests include dermatology, soft tissue surgery, preventative care, and exotic animal medicine. He appreciates the challenge that comes with working on all types of animals and has even traveled to South Africa to complete a course in Wildlife Conservation Medicine. He enjoys building lasting relationships with his clients and their furry, feathered, and scaled family members. He places special emphasis on client education and wants to work as a team with clients to help make the best decisions for their pets’ health.
Dr. Brett Thomas
Veterinarian
Dr. Brett Thomas was born and raised in a rural town in the mountains of southern California. As a child, he raised and cared for farm animals, exotic pets, dogs, and cats. Prior to veterinary school, Dr. Thomas was the lead technician and clinic manager of a six-doctor practice in Texas. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Lamar University and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Thomas is an experienced emergency and general practitioner for dogs, cats, and exotic animals. His areas of professional interest include small and exotic animal surgery and medicine, nutrition, dentistry, ophthalmology, and preventative medicine.
Dr. Thomas is passionate about caring for all his patients with empathy and with the same level of attention and care he would give to his own pets. He is dedicated to providing your pets with the highest quality veterinary care and believes that client education with open and honest communication is paramount. He strives to provide a comfortable environment for his clients and patients and takes pride in helping clients make educated decisions toward the care of their beloved family pets.
Dr. Thomas is a sports and outdoors enthusiast who enjoys fishing, hiking, and exploring. He and his wife (Erika), two dogs (Tank and Kain), and their mustached parakeet (Erin) are looking forward to exploring the beautiful state of Oregon for years to come.
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 lifelong 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 members 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 medical 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, husband, 2 dogs (Echo and Hoss), and 2 cats (Mr. Bojangels and Fat Cat). She also enjoys hiking, camping, and just spending time outdoors.