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!

Josh joined Chico Animal Hospital in July 2021 as a janitor/facility worker. His passion for working with animals started at an early age and was encourage by his family. They fed all the neighborhood strays, making sure they were well-cared for. Josh says he is happy to be doing this job because if the hospital equipment is running then more families can get their pets the care they need!

This is Josh’s first job in the veterinary field unless you count pet ownership a job. He has two (2) dogs back home: a sassy, lazy weiner dog name Molly and a pug named Otis. His family also raises chickens and takes care of an outdoor cat colony. When he’s not busy taking care of the pets or attending classes, Josh likes to play video games, watch anime and hang out with friends. Of course, he also enjoys the many beautiful outdoor areas Chico has to offer.

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!

Taylor joined us in October of 2019 as a Customer Service Representative.She is currently studying to become an elementary school teacher.

Growing up, Taylor was active in both 4H and FFA. She raised steers and worked with pigs. The baby piglets were her favorite!

Taylor is the proud owner of a 10 month old kitten named Tux. In her free time, Taylor loves to test out new bread recipes and bring them to the clinic for everyone to taste-test!

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.

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!

Bio Coming Soon!

Meet Lavinia! 🐾

Lavinia joined the team as a kennel assistant in March of 2022. She joined the veterinary field due to her strong passion for helping animals. Growing up, she moved to different areas, such as Arizona, Texas, Hawaii, and more, which allowed her to meet various kinds of animals and wildlife that she fell in love with. It became instinct to always surround herself and care for every animal she came across, so she always knew that this was a job she wanted to pursue.

Lavinia says, “What I enjoy most about working with animals is being able to reciprocate the love they constantly show and give us through what we do each day! Whether it’s cleaning their space or assisting with a medical procedure, it’s never a dull day when you’re surrounded by what you love!”

Lavinia has three rescues of her own that are all the light of her life! She has a 1-year-old Pit/Lab mix, Aurora, a Jack Russell/Boston Terrier, Shiloh, and Milo who’s a Chihuahua/Jack Russell who are both 2-years-old and full of spunk! They all really love beef liver treats, Stinson dog beach in San Francisco, and walks at Bidwell Park’s Five Mile!

In Lavinia’s free time, she loves to go hiking or walking with her dogs. She also enjoys coloring, painting, and watching new movies!

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 Tinkerbell (or Stinky Tinky as she is referred to by staff). Tinkerbell came to live with us in 2007 after she had been hit by a car. Unfortunately her leg was too damaged to save and her previous owners surrendered her to us. Ever since she has been scouring the hospital looking for cheese or other snacks to steal from staff. Just don’t try and stop her or you might be in for a  stinky surprise!!

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?).