Thankful Thursday: The Gratitude Roundup

February 26, 2026

Explore these quick notes, big shoutouts, and everything in between. This is the perfect snapshot of collaboration, positivity, and support that make our team feel like a true community. 

Anna Adair from Lake Station Pet Clinic, Lake Station, Indiana, wants to recognize Ruth Patrizi, Assistant: "Ruth is always willing to come in or lend a hand when need be. She helps me with inventory management and is always ready to help with change." 

Heather Hardman from Macon County Veterinary Hospital, Lafayette, Tennessee, wants to recognize Dr. Seth Sellers, DVM: "Dr. Sellers is a cornerstone of our medical team. Beyond his clinical expertise, he consistently demonstrates what it means to be a true team player. Whether it's taking time to mentor a tech or educating a colleague on a complex case, his commitment to professional growth- both his own and the team's is inspiring! He balances high quality, evidence-based medicine with a warm, positive demeanor that puts both clients and patients at ease. We are thankful to have him as part of the MCVH team!" 

Danielle Lopes from Tiogue Veterinary Clinic, Coventry, Rhode Island, wants to recognize Nicole Desrosiers, Hospital Manager: "While I was out on FMLA for my cornea transplant, Nicole was super helpful keeping my Team and our clinic on track! She is always willing to give me her advice, and help whenever I may need it, even if I just simply need to vent! Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do! You are amazing!" 

Gabriel Carrillo from Downtown Toronto Cat Clinic, Toronto, Ontario, wants to recognize the whole team: "For making me so welcomed on my first week working with the team." 

Megan White from Lake Parkway Animal Hospital, Humble, Texas, wants to recognize Karime Alfaro, Technician: "Karime is such a hard worker and an amazing communicator. She gets along with all staff members and is great with our clients. Keep up the great work Karime, we appreciate you!" 

Amber Snyder from Lewis Veterinary Clinic, Linden, Pennsylvania, wants to recognize Nicole Keating, Hospital Manager: "I am a new HM (3 weeks) and within 6 days the COS resigned and the staff is having a hard time. She has been very attentive, reassuring, encouraging, and available for any concerns, issues, help, and reassurance.” 

Melissa Strycker-Grzeskowiak from Western Vet Clinic, South Bend, Indiana, wants to recognize Alex Lesniak, DVM: "Dr Alex only recently joined our team and has been an amazing addition and meshes perfectly with the whole team. She is eager to learn new things, but also to help teach and train others.  We are so blessed that she is a part of WVC!" 

Rafael Nigaglioni from Friendship Pet Hospital, Schertz, Texas, wants to recognize Roxanna Ocaña, COS: "Dr. Ocaña expresses so much patience in mentoring and training me as a hospital manager.  Would not be able to hone in on skills and development in my position without her support. " 

Megan White from Lake parkway Animal Hospital, Humble, Texas, wants to recognize Tish Lovell, Reception: "Tish is such a great employee. Such a team player and always helping our clients in the best way possible. We appreciate everything you do, Tish!" 

Tommie Castro from Animal Care Center of Hays County, San Marcos, Texas, wants to recognize my whole team: "They have been an outstanding group and I really couldn't be happier and proud to lead this team. They are amazing and continue to work hard during all of the modifications and upgrades the hospital has been getting." 

Kim Franco from Creature Comforts Animal Hospital, Las Vegas, Nevada, wants to recognize Tiffany Ferrous, Hospital Manager: "Thank you for having so much social and emotional awareness." 

Mary Higginbotham from Barry Road Animal Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, wants to recognize Melissa Beeler, CCS: "Melissa single-handedly held down the front desk for two days while the majority of the clinic was out sick! She continued to provide excellent customer service and the clients would have never known we had a shortage of staff!" 

Nicole Curler from OPS wants to recognize Morgan Smith, Director of Operations: "Morgan is an incredible support. She truly listens, doesn’t judge, and shows up as her real, authentic self. That openness makes it easy to be real and honest in return. She collaborates with you on decisions, respects your perspective, and fully supports your choices. Morgan is both a strong leader and a dependable source of support." 

Jen Shade from Petaluma Veterinary Hospital, Petaluma, California, wants to recognize Tiffany Davis, Receptionist: "Tiffany is our super star receptionist who is always going above and beyond for the hospital.  She manages our social media and is always capturing great moments to post.  She makes working at PVH fun!" 

Emily Towns from Payroll wants to recognize the entire Payroll Team Jennifer Brown, Kelli Connors, Robin Adams, Emily Losee, Uli Herrera, Becky Burnett: "I want to take a moment to thank the Payroll Team for the exceptional work they do every day. Managing the extra year-end details and working through hundreds of W-2 questions, while also tackling regular daily duties, is no easy task.  Their attention to detail, responsiveness to questions, and commitment to compliance and confidentiality do not go unnoticed. They consistently help each other and step in to cover whenever and wherever they are needed.  This team has a great dynamic, positive attitudes, and is made up of truly amazing individuals. I feel lucky to support such a wonderful group of people." 

Tina Fye from OPS wants to recognize Anna Adair, Hospital Manager: "I would like to thank Anna Adair, HM at IN-Lake Station, for her continued help and support of one of our sister practices as they are without a COS. What stands out most is the partnership you have built with the Hospital Manager at that practice. Together, you have collaborated, problem-solved, and grown while successfully navigating challenges. Your willingness to share your knowledge, offer perspective, and lead with confidence has not gone unnoticed!" 

Oliver Brunhoeber from Barry Road Animal Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, wants to recognize Mary Higginbotham, DVM: "Despite over 50% of support staff being out with a communal illness, Dr. Higginbotham maintained an exceptionally positive attitude and ensured seamless clinical operations over a three-day period." 

Audry Helburn from Zippivet Arboretum, Austin, Texas, wants to recognize Danielle Gutierrez, Hospital Manager: "Danielle has been working extremely hard to get our new PIMS up and running on an extremely crunched schedule, while also still running the hospital, while also having to help on the floor because we are short staffed. She is amazing!" 

Tiffany Plourde from Lucerne Veterinary Hospital, Dedham, Maine, wants to recognize Cailen Alex, Veterinary Assistant: "Cailen has been a wonderful, newer addition to our team.  She maintains a positive attitude toward all of her teammates; she gets thrown into roles she may not be super familiar with but remains upbeat.  Her willingness to grow and learn, as well as her flexibility with the day to day, is much appreciated.  All of us are grateful she chose to become part of our group." 

Rocky McGullion from Companion Animal Hospital of Waller, Waller, Texas, wants to recognize Kristi McDuffie, Lead CSR: "I want to thank Kristi for being the literal face of our hospital. She always knows how to talk and handle clients. People come in just to see her. Clients love her! We love her! She has recently been the catalyst of some changes here that I can tell will make us a better operation. She had to make a tough decision for the betterment of the hospital. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Kristi!" 

Margie Giles from All Animals Veterinary Hospital, Sanford, North Carolina, wants to recognize Morgan Vogt, RVT: "We want to recognize the hard work of our newly credentialed RVT, Morgan Vogt.  She has been with us for almost 2 years, and in that time, she has grown exponentially. Morgan is a wonderful technician with amazing skills, and her passion and professionalism make her not only an outstanding technician but also an outstanding person. We are so happy Morgan decided to join our team!" 

Courtney Brooks from Valrico Animal Clinic, Valrico, Florida, wants to recognize Talia Sundstrom, Regional Manager: "Talia joined our team a few years ago as a new HM & helped coach & guide me into the role I am now! She has passed on and continue to provide valuable insight to help with growth & seems to ALWAYS have the answers! She works so flawlessly in leadership & I'm so grateful to have her has a boss!" 

Beverly Drotos from Happy Tails Veterinary Hospital, Shrewsbury, New Jersey, wants to recognize Phyllis Katz, Hospital Manager: "Thank you for taking over this job for the last year, you are a rock star!" 

Krystle Bernier from OPS wants to recognize Kendall Point, Marketing & Event Specialist: "I want to thank Kendall for the incredible role she played in bringing our very first Canada Team Vetcor event to life during the OVMA — hosted at the iconic Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto.  From early planning to thoughtful execution, Kendall helped create an experience that truly reflected who we are as a team: collaborative, energized, and proud of the work we’re doing across Canada. The evening was nothing short of spectacular, and the feedback from our teams has been overwhelmingly positive.  Events like this don’t happen by chance — they happen because of people who care deeply about connection, culture, and creating moments that bring us together beyond the day-to-day. Kendall, thank you for your dedication, creativity, and for helping set the tone for what will undoubtedly become a meaningful tradition for our Canadian teams.  I appreciate you!" 

Tavish Mathiasen from Mother Lode Veterinary Hospital, Grass Valley , California, wants to recognize Katie Gerloff, Vetcor IT System Admin: "I want to give a big Thankful Thursday shoutout to Katie from Vetcor IT for her incredible support over the past several months.  What started as helping us get set up with PrinterLogic quickly grew into replacing 8 workstations, adding new stations, and troubleshooting additional issues we uncovered along the way. Through it all, Katie has gone above and beyond to help us work through challenges and improve workflows that our team has navigated for years.  Her partnership, responsiveness, and dedication have made a meaningful impact on our hospital’s day to day operations. We are so grateful for her support and expertise.  Thank you, Katie, for all you do to keep us running smoothly!" 

Haley Ducote from Creekside Animal Hospital, Tomball, Texas, wants to recognize Brandi Barragan, Marketing Assistant: "Brandi is always willing to help out and jump in wherever she is needed!" 

Oliver Brunhoeber from Barry Road Animal Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, wants to recognize Brant Mowry, RVT, and Skylar Baker, CVA: "When illness caused over 50% of support staff to call out, Brant & Skylar stepped up to ensure clinical operations continued without interruption." 

Bailey Chipp from Willow Park Animal Clinic, Calgary, Alberta, wants to recognize Vanessa Kapusta, RVT: "For always going above and beyond and making sure every patient and client knows they are loved and special. Always willing to jump in and lend a helping hand and bring fresh new ideas to the team. Vanessa is very easy going and her love for the field is shown in every patient she helps. She is a huge asset to the team and greatly appreciated <3" 

Gretchen Zarle from Stark Animal Hospital, Canton, Ohio, wants to recognize Ashley Quinn, Hospital Manager: "Ashley opened her hospital to me on a Saturday so that I could hold a cadaver surgery lab for new grads. She stored all of our supplies and allowed us to come in and use the spacious hospital area to hold a very informative and fun session with several ne grads. We tried to clean up well for her, but I'm sure we didn't put everything away just as it should be! Ashley was even able to have the cadavers cremated free of charge because of her great relationship with their cremation service. She puts her clients and their pets first at all times and is very loyal to the practice." 

Courtney Frizzell from Perrinville Animal Hospital, Edmonds, Washington, wants to recognize Jessica Howard, LVT: "Our very own tooth fairy, during Dental Month especially, we see the magic you bring — but we appreciate you all year long. Thank you for being an amazing mentor to our assistants and LVTs in training and for always bringing such positive energy to the team. You make us all better!" 

Loretta Charles from Mars Hill Animal Hospital, Bogart, Georgia, wants to recognize Danielle Mercado, Regional Manager: "Danielle is an amazing team leader. With all the new updates and protocols rolling out, I always feel well informed and supported." 

Nicole Desrosiers from Lincoln Animal Hospital, Lincoln, Rhode Island, wants to recognize the entire staff: "We need to take a moment and appreciate the effort all team members have put in to keep the hospital running at almost the same speed as when we had another doctor. This team has been incredible at keeping a fun positive environment. They have shown up every day filled with our core values and helped as many pets as they could. We have had a rough few weeks with illnesses, emergency babies being born Yay Ryan! That crazy moon, and down a doctor. The amount of "thanks" and "great job!"  we have heard is phenomenal! Keep it up team! From your chaos coordinators :)" 

Jessica Newman from Liberty Lake Veterinary Center, Liberty Lake, Washington, wants to recognize Kayleigh Schelin, Veterinary Assistant: "Kayleigh makes a great effort to be helpful to everyone and makes it look easy.  She is kind, brave, and smart.  We love having Kayleigh on our team!" 

Jessica Addis from St. Francis Animal Hospital, North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, wants to recognize Dr. Richard Jankowski, Director of Veterinary Leadership & COSA: "I am thankful for Dr. Jankowski! He is a great COSA - always available and willing to help! I have really appreciated his guidance as I continue to grow as a COS." 

Jamie Ibarra from Golden Oaks Veterinary Hospital, Rancho Cucamonga, California, wants to recognize Julie Murray, Lead CSR: "Julie is one the hardest working people I have had the pleasure of working with. Not only does she run the front desk, but she is willing to jump into the back and help there as well. She is an advocate for not only the patients but for the staff as well. She is willing to put in the hard work to help the hospital run smoothly. She is compassionate and loves to celebrate alongside others and their accomplishments. " 

Mandy Tinker from Aspen Springs Animal Hospital, Bowmanville, Ontario, wants to recognize Jamie Hessner, Lead Receptionist, and Jennifer Michaud, Receptionist/ACA: "I would like to recognize Jamie for making everyone's days brighter, by greeting clients by name, sharing a funny joke and her beautiful smile! We love having Jamie on our team!  I would like to recognize Jenn for always showing up to work with a smile on her face, working hard to keep our clinic sparkling and our patients happy with her kind and gentle handling and care.  Jenn takes on our co-op students ensuring they get a thorough idea of what working in a vet clinic is like. She is very good at explaining what we do and why we do it, making the learning experience for those students top notch!" 

Rebecca Oglesby from Trussville Main Street Animal Clinic, Birmingham, Alabama, wants to recognize Edith Lopez, Receptionist: "We want to give a HUGE thank-you to Edith for going above and beyond for our clients! Not only is she fluent in English and Spanish, but she’s also played a big role in helping us welcome and support our growing Spanish-speaking clientele. Just this week, a client came in struggling to fill out our new client forms — and Edith immediately stepped in to help. She went even further and created a Spanish version of our forms so future clients can have a smoother, more comfortable experience. Edith, thank you for your heart, your initiative, and your commitment to making our clinic more accessible for everyone. We’re so lucky to have you on our team!" 

Miranda Brehmer from West Allis Veterinary Clinic, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wants to recognize Lisette Perez, Veterinary Assistant: "Lisette demonstrates a strong work ethic and a high level of competence. She learns quickly, adapts well to new responsibilities, and consistently meets expectations in all tasks assigned." 

Kielly Dietzen from Russell Veterinary Hospital, Russell, Pennsylvania, wants to recognize the support staff of Russell Veterinary Hospital: "Daily dedication and compassion shown through each staff member. The hard work does not go unnoticed! I appreciate all of you!" 

Courtney Brooks from Valrico Animal Clinic, Valrico, Florida, wants to recognize the whole team: "Because they come to work on a daily basis with such a positive attitude & willingness to help each other every day creating such a great working environment for all!" 

Kendall Cohen from HomeTown Animal Hospital, Prineville, Oregon, wants to recognize Dr. Kate Peplin, Chief of Staff: "Kate always goes above and beyond for the team and patients. We are so lucky to have her!" 

Jessica Daniels from OPS wants to recognize Amy Anthony, Talent Acquisition Manager: "I wanted to give a big shout out to Amy Anthony. Amy has been doing a great job recruiting in our region. She has been responsive and positive. She has done a great job finding candidates, communicating offers, and overall, a great partner. She even got a shout out on our regional call from the HMs. Thank you, Amy, for your hard work! " 

Megan White from Lake Parkway Animal Hospital, Humble, Texas, wants to recognize Ashley Forester, CSR: "Ashley thank you for always being a team player. And also, for knowing what to do in difficult situations. Thank you for taking pride in your work. We appreciate you!"

Destiny Rodriguez from Medina Veterinary Clinic, Medina, Ohio, wants to recognize Paige Kotora, Vet Assistant: "Paige, is such a big team player, always going the extra mile and willing to stick around for answer."