Rick was born and raised in the greater New Orleans area. He is a graduate of Jesuit High School and received his B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Management from the University of New Orleans. He is a big Saints fan and season ticket holder for over a decade. He is very passionate about the outdoors and spends as much time on the coastal waters of southern Louisiana as he can. In his words, “At the end of the day, I love my city and am proud to be a part of bringing top notch wellness and emergency care to the animals in our area”.
Staff
Rick
Practice Manager
Joana
Head Technician
Joana has always had a passion for animals. When she was a little girl growing up in Kenner, she wanted to become an “animal doctor”. Her parents humored her passion and allowed her to raise dogs, numerous rabbits, a turtle, fish, and even chickens. She started working in veterinary hospitals her senior year of high school and has been doing so ever since. She graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a BA in Sociology/Anthropology in 2007 and spent some time in New Mexico in an Archeology Graduate program. Now 17 years later, she is a seasoned technician whose passion is taking care of critical care patients who need extra TLC. Joana now lives in Loranger with her husband Chris (a zookeeper), 2 rescue Pit Bulls (Athena and Leeloo Dallas Multi Pup), 2 cats (Pele and Ares), 4 snakes (her husband’s), a tortoise (Dubs), and 11 (yes, 11) chickens! If you ever need some farm fresh eggs, just let her know!
Bonnie
Lead ER Technician
Bonnie has always had a love for animals and wanted to be a veterinarian. She spent 11 years in the service industry before deciding to change careers and enter the veterinary world. At 30 she decided to go back to school and major in veterinary technology. Bonnie started as a kennel assistant, and through her dedication and hard work moved up the ranks to veterinary technician in 3 short years. She knew, then, she was where she was meant to be. Bonnie current lives in Metairie with her fiance, Vinny, 4 Pomeranians (Fred, Lilly, Bitters & Doodle Bug) and a black kitty named Minnie Cat.
Anna-Lisa
Lead Daytime Technician
Anna-Lisa’s devotion to caring for animals began when she rescued her first kitten, Zeke, at the young age of 3. She didn't realize her fervor for the Veterinary field until 2007 when she applied to a small Baton Rouge clinic on a whim and fell in love. After moving home to Luling a few months later, she found a veterinary hospital where she was able to hone her craft. Over that 7 year tenure, she worked her way from an assistant to becoming a technician and eventually running their large volume Pharmacy, Lab, and Surgery departments. She currently lives in Metairie with her sister, and they have 4 dogs (Achilles, Brody, Jiggy, & Lola), 2 cats (Nooch & Cat), and a snake (Princess Buttercup).
Norm
Technician in Training
Norm is a Metairie native, and an 8 year US Army Veteran. After working in security, his love of animals and close work with military working dogs drew him closer to the animal care profession. His hobbies include computer programming and teaching himself about new technology. He hopes to further his career as a veterinary technician and plans to focus in the field of radiology.