Dr. Steven Dennis is a U.C. Davis graduate with more than 14 years experience. Most of his veterinary practice has been in California with a short stint in upstate New York. Dr. Dennis has been involved in many different types of medicine from emergency and critical care to mixed animal medicine including surgery, internal medicine, and cardiology.

Originally from Santa Barbara, Dr. Dennis and Dr. Kira have made Chico their new home. Dr. Dennis is currently dividing his time at Chico Animal Hospital between managing the practice and seeing patients. In his free time, Dr. Dennis enjoys riding his motorcycle.

Dr. Kyle Crowson grew up in Chico and Durham before traveling to many parts of the U.S. and Canada for work and schooling after graduating from Chico High. He is a proud Clemson University graduate (Go Tigers!) and joined Chico Animal Hospital after practicing outside of Seattle.

Dr. Crowson found his calling to veterinary medicine after volunteering at a wildlife sanctuary and working as a field technician on a number of wildlife research projects. These projects all gave vastly different insights into what veterinary medicine encompassed, and after seeing how profound an impact proper and compassionate medicine can make to an animal’s well-being and quality of life, he set his mind to becoming a veterinarian and to make a positive difference in the lives of our four-legged friends. His veterinary interests include: endocrinology, behavioral modification, preventative care and client education, dentistry, and soft tissue surgery.

Having an affinity for fly fishing, backpacking, and hiking, the move back home to northern California was inevitable, but returning to the charming community of Chico is an exciting opportunity to give back to the community that helped shape him. When not exploring the outdoors, Dr. Crowson is a voracious reader, an avid record collector, and he enjoys cooking.

Dr. Kira has been practicing veterinary medicine since graduating from the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. Since graduation, Dr. Kira has lived and practiced in Phoenix Arizona, Davis, upstate New York, San Luis Obispo, Goleta, and San Rafael. She is so happy to finally put down permanent roots and make Chico her forever home. Additionally, she and her husband, Dr. Dennis, are thrilled to fulfill their shared dream of owning a veterinary practice, and look forward to serving the pets of Chico and getting to know their 2 legged friends.

Dr. Kira’s interests include soft tissue surgery, ultrasound, and dentistry. In addition to cats and dogs, she also works with rabbits, rodents, and other small furry critters.

When not at the clinic, you may find Dr. Kira running, reading, or riding a motorcycle. In addition to a husband,she lives 5 cats, a boa constructor, and a collection of tarantulas, and other invertebrates.

Jessica originally studied to work as a nurse assistant and dietician. She decided to switch fields to zoology and has been working as a kennel assistant here since June ’18. Jessica’s passion for all things cute and creepy means she owns some interesting pets! She owns 2 cats, 1 Hognose snake, 1 Day Gecko, 1 Leopard Gecko, 1 Jackson Chameleon and 5 Tarantulas.

Crystal joined us in September of 2020 as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT). She worked at veterinary hospitals in the Bay Area for 14 years before making the big move to Chico. She grew up surrounded by dozens of pets which inspired her to become an RVT.

Crystal is still surrounded by many pets today. She currently has 3 horses, 6 dogs, 4 cats, 1 pig and 1 baby goat. They are a lot of work to care for, but it is so worth it! In the little free time that she has, Crystal enjoys horseback riding/training and reading.

Fun fact: Crystal can play the flute, piano, bagpipes and Irish penny whistle!

Sam has been working reception for the hospital since July 2018. She began working with animals as a volunteer before interning and eventually joining the CAH family. Sam graduated from CSU Chico in 2017 as a Humanities major, but couldn’t ignore the call to help animals in need.

Growing up, dogs were the only household pets in Sam’s life until she started bringing random animals home off the street. This included stray cats, a stray dog, a rabbit, 6 parakeets and spiders from the garden. Will the trend continue? We shall see!

In her free time, Sam enjoys listening to true crime podcasts and watching hockey (go Sharks)!

Esme has been a part of the team since April of 2018. She first began her career in the animal field back in February of 2010 when she started interning at local clinics. She is now on the way to becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician! Esme grew up surrounded by cats and dogs, so her passion for helping them came naturally. She currently has 2 dogs, 4 cats and a Yellow-Headed Amazon parrot. While she can’t choose between cats and dogs, her favorite exotic animal is a leopard. Esme is often seen running around the hospital multi-tasking like a super hero!

Chrissy works as both a receptionist and a vet assistant (best of both worlds!) She worked as a VA in Oroville before joining us earlier this year. As a local Chicoan, Chrissy enjoys the dog-friendly environment. She has 2 dogs at home named Nacho and Chica who do their best to keep Chrissy on her toes! She also has 2 cats named Mary Jane and Snow and 1 bunny named Mocha.

When’s she’s not running around at work, Chrissy enjoys sushi dates with her coworkers!

Elizabeth joined Chico Animal Hospital as janitorial staff in November of 2020. She is currently studying in the Butte County ROP program to become a certified veterinary assistant.

Elizabeth has always had a huge heart for animals. She hates to see them suffer, so learning how to help animals heal is her passion!

Elizabeth has two dogs Usagi (pictured here) and Pumba, as well as other family dogs and cats. She enjoys hiking with Usagi, painting and watching anime. Elizabeth is also a huge fan of seafood and sushi!

Bio Coming Soon!

Laura joined us in June of 2021, she currently works as a Kennel Assistant and a Customer Service Representative.

Growing up beside one of the great lakes in Pennsylvania, she gained a deep appreciation for nature, and wildlife. No matter where she was, her love of animals was constant, so the veterinary field was a natural choice.

Laura is the proud servant of 5 fluffy bunnies, one silly German Shepherd, and an undetermined number of plants. When she’s not taking care of plants and animals at home, she’s usually reading, drawing, or knitting!

Serena joined the team in June of 2021 as a customer service representative! She has been working with animals for over a year now and brings with her experience as a emergency hospital veterinary assistant.

She has one chubby two-year-old cat named Peepo. He is a gorgeous orange and white tabby, but you know what they say about orange cats. He keeps Serena on her toes, always trying to climb the screens or jump over the fence of the backyard!

Besides chasing Peepo around, she paints and plays music in her spare time! Serena has played guitar for over 10 years and just picked up her first bass. She just started painting two years ago, starting with acrylic before falling in love with oil paint.

Bio Coming Soon!

Bio Coming Soon!

Meet Gia! 🥳
Angelina (or Gia), joined our team as a receptionist in June of 2022 after moving to Chico for school! She joined the veterinary field in 2020 due to her love of animals and strong desire to care for the pets in need. Her favorite part about the veterinary field is that there is always something to learn. Whether it may be learning about new medication or about a specialty medical procedure, she is always happy to gain more knowledge! Despite her love for animals, she is a Psychology major and spends the majority of her free time doing homework. 😵‍
Gia loves animals so much that she has a cat and a dog of her own! Kiki is a sweet calico kitty with a permanent grumpy face. But don’t let her RBF fool you! Kiki’s favorite activity is sitting in laps so she can soak up all the attention from anyone willing to offer! Her new puppy, Kylo, loves any type of treat that you can offer and long walks in the sun. Gia also enjoys spending time with her pets, friends, and family. She loves to try new food and explore new places that Chico has to offer!

Meet Shay!

Shay joined us in August as our office assistant. She studied theater for a few years at UCSC (Woohoo Banana Slugs!), and a couple years in London with an emphasis on Shakespeare studies. She has always wanted to work with animals because she love animals and thinks they’re the best. Shay’s cat, Barnabas-Basil, also encouraged her to pursue a career in the veterinary field.

Barnabas-Basil was a quarantine adoption, a burn survivor who instantly charmed her with his werewolf-y / scruffy appearance. His favorite things are food, sleeping, and booping Shay for more food.

Shay is a horror enthusiast who will talk your ear off about film. You may find her roller-skating, playing Dungeons & Dragons, or exploring antique stores!

Meet Lupita! 😁
Lupita joined Chico Animal Hospital first as a client before joining the team as a kennel assistant in February 2022. Lupita is currently a first-year student in the veterinary technology program at Yuba College and hopes to gain her RVT license after completing the program and national exam. “What I look forward to the most when becoming an RVT is sharing all the knowledge I will obtain with those around me. I want to be as helpful as I can whenever anyone has any questions about their pets.”
Lupita was inspired to join the veterinary field after participating in animal care internships, volunteering at a nonprofit that rehabilitated wildlife and raising livestock. Lupita’s goal is to always learn as much as she can so that she is able to take that knowledge and experience wherever she goes. Her favorite part about working with animals is creating a healthy bond with them and getting to learn their behaviors. “I have always loved animals ever since I was a child and as I get older, I appreciate each one more and more.”
Lupita has two Australian Cattle Dogs, Luna and Boone. They love to go on bike rides, swimming and play puzzle games that involve treats. Back home in Santa Barbara County, she has a barn cat named Pumpkin and a small herd of goats that she helps her family raise. In her free time, Lupita enjoys being outdoors with her dogs, spending time with people that she loves and going to farmer’s markets.”

Emily Joined the Chico Animal Hospital family as a Kennel Assistant in September of 2023.

I started working in vet med at 17 and through that job learned to love everything about the vet world, I’ve worked with livestock and pet animals throughout my life and always dreamed of being a vet when I was older though now it might be a tad too much responsibility for me hahah. I adore working with animals and learning everything I can about them inside and out and hope to eventually become a VA then RVT. I’m so incredibly lucky to have been able to get in as early as I could in this field and hopefully I continue to work my way up as I go 🙂

Stephanie joined the team as a Veterinary Assistant in February of 2023.

I joined vet med because I have prior experience in human medicine, and I thought my skills from human medicine would be a great fit switching to animals. My goal is to be the best VA I possibly can be and maybe even Vet Tech in the future. I have one dog named Deakin, a 3 year old standard poodle, who I adore.

One fun fact about me is that I love to travel. I traveled the country with Deakin before finding a home at Chico Animal Hospital. I spent 4 and a half years in the Army where I was able to travel and explore parts of Europe. I also love being outdoors hiking or at the beach.

Priscilla first came to us in 2011 when she was about 5 months old. She had been hit by a car and unfortunately her leg was too damaged to save. Her previous owners surrendered her to us and she has been here ever since. Now she spends the majority of her time napping in the doctor’s office and running away from our attempts to love on her. Despite her hard to get attitude she secretly loves the attention!

Meet Lizzie! She has been with Chico Animal Hospital since she was just a kitten! She was first found as a stray running around the streets. She joined our crew at just 8 weeks old! These days  Lizzie spends time sitting on keyboards while we type and stealing our chairs (because where else would be better?).