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. 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 horse. In addition to a husband, she lives with 3 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 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!

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.”

Bio Coming Soon.

I joined CAH in September 2024. I wanted to start working in the vet field because I have a passion and love for taking care of animals. I raised/showed rabbits and larger livestock for five years and enjoyed every minute of it! I gained an interest in veterinary medicine when I was younger going with my parents to my hometown veterinary clinic with our animals. Being involved in different veterinary courses throughout school got me started and wanting to be a part of the veterinary field. My favorite parts of working in the veterinary field are interacting with the different animals and learning about them in all aspects. I enjoy making clients happy and being able to gain the trust of an animal. Some hobbies that I enjoy are drawing, showing livestock, doing anything outdoors, and hanging out with family/friends, along with my two cats Pablo and Buster!

Bio Coming Soon.

Bio Coming Soon.

Serena joined the team in June of 2021 as a customer service representative! She has been working with us for three years now! She has one chubby five-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 sneak into the car yard next door.

Besides chasing Peepo around, she paints and plays music in her spare time! Serena has played guitar for over 10 years and plays in a few locak bands. She is also a painter, working extensively with acrylic and oil.”

Austin joined the Customer Service Representative team in September of 2023. He graduated with a Bachelors in History and is considering pursuing a Masters degree next! Regardless of what subject he pursues a Masters degree in, he is determined to study something that will allow him to continue working in fields that he loves. Austin has a precious Goldendoodle dog named Baylee, who also responds to “Princess” ! In his spare time, Austin enjoys playing disc golf and watching anime. Fun fact, Austin is kind of like a walking human version of Wikipedia! He knows a lot about current and past events, so our staff members tend to turn to him when they have questions.

Kyana joined the Chico Animal Hospital team in 2024 as a Client Service Representative. After graduating from Chico State University with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts, Kyana had worked as a pharmacy assistant and became very interested in healthcare. This experience made learning all the different medications that pets can take interesting and not too difficult! She has always had a great love for all animals and currently has 2 cats (Ellie and Lelouch), 1 dog (Marley), and 1 Betta fish (Twizzler). Kyana is very excited to learn more in this position and hopes to eventually get cross-trained in other areas of the hospital!

Autumn has joined the CAH team starting May 2024 as a Customer Service Representative. She has been working with animals for about 2 years and was previously a veterinary assistant at Three Heart Vet Hospital in Oroville. Autumn has always dreamed of becoming an exotic veterinarian with a specialty in large cats. After receiving her bachelors degree in Animal Science with a pre vet route at Chico State, she is aiming to work here to get more veterinary office experience before applying to vet school. Her other interest in mind is a wildlife conservation masters degree with the hopes of volunteering abroad starting with Thailand at an elephant sanctuary.

Natalie joined the team in Spring 2024 as part of the CSR team. She graduated from Chico State with a degree in animal science and plans to continue her education to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. Natalie is furthering her education with this position as well by learning the ins and outs of veterinary medicine and working as a team. She has had pets all her life, so it was to no one’s surprise that she chose the veterinary field. What was surprising was that she found a passion for working with livestock animals! Natalie came to adore cows and have a bunch of cow themed stuff now!

In addition to veterinary medicine, Natalie loves exploring the outdoors. However, she also doesn’t mind staying inside to play with her kitten, Mazapan, and give her dog, Chiquita, tons of kisses! When she is able to, she loves to travel to many amazing countries such as Puerto Rico, Colombia, Barbados and so many other cool places!

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 🙂

Sky joined the team in February 2024 as a Kennel Assistant. She first started working in vet med when she was 16 and her love for animals has grown ever since! Sky grew up around livestock and exotic animals, which gave her a good foundation for her veterinary career.

Since moving out on her own, Sky has taken in multiple animals in need of a furr-ever home. She has two kitties now. One was given to her when the previous owner couldn’t house her anymore and the second was found all alone in the road at 2 weeks old! Sky also has two dogs, named Kentucky Fried Chicken and Cedar, who love each other more than anything. Her dream is to get a house with a nice garage that can be converted into a mini shelter for dogs and cats in need of homes.

Stephanie moved to Chico in January of 2024 from Southern California where she attended college and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Writing Studies from CSU San Marcos. Her passion for animals was apparent from early childhood and is reflected as an adult in her near ten years of experience as a professional pet groomer and extensive volunteer work with non-profit horse rescues. She spends her spare time playing piano and electric violin, reading and writing poetry, antiquing, hiking, and enjoying time with her canine soul mate named Shiloh.

Bio coming soon!

Meet Shay!

Shay joined us in 2021 as our office assistant. You can find her typing away in the office or assisting Dr. Dennis as a medical scribe! She studied theater for a few years at UCSC (Woohoo Banana Slugs!), and a couple years in London with an emphasis on Shakespeare studies. After adopting her late cat, Barnabas-Basil, Shay felt encouraged to pursue a career in the veterinary field as his importance in her life reignited her passion for animal care and welfare.

In addition to theater and animal care, Shay is a horror enthusiast who will happily talk your ear off about the best recent scary books, films, and games. You can also find her roller-skating, playing Dungeons & Dragons, or exploring antique stores around town!”

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?).