Chelsea
HOW SHE GOT HERE
Chelsea was born in Florida but moved up to Massachusetts when she was 3 years old. Chelsea obtained her associate's degree in the arts for dance and taught dance and acrobatics for six years. Wanting a change, she found an online veterinary assistant program and used a scholarship for military spouses to complete the program while working in the field. She came to Windy Hollow in 2019 and enjoyed expanding her education so much she enrolled in a program to become a certified veterinary technician. She is currently working through that program.
WHAT MAKES HER INTERESTING
"I love music and there’s a good chance that I am either listening to some or singing a song that’s stuck in my head at all times."
WHY SHE LOVES HER JOB
She has always loved and cared for animals and since switching careers to the Veterinary world advocating for them is her main goal. She loves making sure that the clients have an understanding on what is happening with their animal and educating them for the best care that is available.
WHAT SHE DOES IN HER SPARE TIME
When not at work, you can find Chelsea reading or studying. But when she can, Chelsea, her husband, and her daughter will go outdoors with her Dixie rescue, Denver, who loves anyone who will pet him, and her chocolate Lab, Piper, who loves to swim and fancies herself a mighty duck huntress though she has yet to actually catch one.
Veterinary Assistant
Gianna
HOW SHE GOT HERE
A native to western Massachusetts, Gianna has been taking care of animals of all sizes since she was a teen. Growing up in a household where everyone was an animal lover, the family pets were always cared for by her, her parents, and her sister during her childhood. The passion of being their advocate and voice is something that continues to grow for her. She joined the Windy Hollow team during the spring of 2022
WHAT MAKES HER INTERESTING
"I enjoy photography whenever I get the chance."
WHY SHE LOVES HER JOB SO MUCH
Being new to the field, she finds more things that interest her every day which keeps her striving to learn more. She especially focuses on making sure the animals are comforted and cared for as well as educating clients on optimal care. Her goal is to get certified as a veterinary assistant.
WHAT SHE DOES IN HER SPARE TIME
When every she gets free time you will find her out and about with her boyfriend and her sidekick, Ellie, a Lab mix that enjoys zoomies in the backyard.
Veterinary Assistant
Mattie
HOW SHE GOT HERE
Mattie was born in Santa Rosa, California and moved to western Massachusetts at the age of three. She and her mother always had animals to care for so going into veterinary medicine was a natural choice. She came to Windy Hollow as a junior intern for her veterinary shop class at Franklin County Technical School. She is currently an underclassman at UMass Amherst in their pre-vet program. Mattie has been a great addition to our team as she looks forward to her future as a veterinarian.
WHAT MAKES HER INTERESTING
Mattie was her high school valedictorian.
WHY SHE LOVES HER JOB SO MUCH
She has a strong passion for all animals and believes in providing them with the best treatments to give them their best life. She also loves helping people give the best care they can to their pets. She loves all animals but is especially drawn to birds and exotics, so she tries to assist with their care here as much as possible.
WHAT SHE DOES IN HER SPARE TIME
When not at work, you can find Mattie volunteering, horseback riding, or hanging out with her young French bulldog, Tater Tot, who lives up to her name as a sassy potato on four legs. Tater Tot's favorite place is the beach and they try to get there as much as they can.
Veterinary Assistant
Brady
HOW SHE GOT HERE
Born in Colorado and raised in Nebraska, Brady visited the east coast as a teenager and fell in love with how green everything is. She attended Smith College and has been in Massachusetts ever since. She started working as a veterinary assistant in high school after becoming involved with the local 4-H dog training club. She joined our team in 2018. She briefly left to obtain her degree in landscape design at the Conway School but she couldn't stay away and returned to Windy Hollow in 2022.
WHAT MAKES HER INTERESTING
I have a special interest in pocket pets and other exotics.
WHY SHE LOVES HER JOB SO MUCH
Brady’s favorite aspect of her job is getting to know and love each individual animal with all their quirks and different personalities.
WHAT SHE DOES IN HER SPARE TIME
She lives with her husband and helps her sister with her nephews. When she is not measuring out food and cleaning litter boxes, she loves to hike, knit, cook, read, garden, and study herbalism. She also shares her home with her two Chihuahua mixes, River and Junebug, and her cats, Crackers and Nigel.
Veterinary Assistant
Hana
HOW SHE GOT HERE
Hana is originally from Rhode Island but moved to southeastern Massachusetts at six years old. With the intention of becoming an art teacher, Hana got her start at Boston Arts Academy and went on to Massachusetts College of Art and Design for a year. She then majored in outdoor education at UMass Amherst. She worked in the outdoor industry for over ten years before looking for a career change during the pandemic. She fell in love with veterinary medicine and joined our team in 2020 as one of our receptionists. She now doubles as a veterinary assistant.
WHAT MAKES HER INTERESTING
Hana still has a strong passion for art and draws very talented pet portraits. All of the artistic touches you see around the clinic are Hana's doing. She is also our social media manager.
WHY SHE LOVES HER JOB SO MUCH
Hana loves helping people, advocating for patients, and making both our clients' and pets' days a bit nicer. Helping clients through their questions and making sure the patients as well as our clients are at ease are always her top priorities.
WHAT SHE DOES IN HER SPARE TIME
Hana loves exploring the area with her husband and her two Australian shepherds, Sky and Bumi, as well as hiking, skiing, drawing, knitting, mountain biking, boating, wine tasting, and visiting local breweries.
Veterinary Assistant/Receptionist
Caitlin
HOW SHE GOT HERE
Born and raised in Westfield, Massachusetts, Caitlin attended Westfield State University for early childhood education. She taught pre-K for a few years until deciding on a career change to veterinary medicine. As a veterinary receptionist, she felt right at home. While studying to become a certified veterinary assistant, she came to Windy Hollow to gain experience. She finished the course and is now not only one of our veterinary assistants, but also one of our receptionists.
WHAT MAKES HER INTERESTING
Caitlin has been taking her own young dog to training classes and has first hand experience learning canine body language to pick up on the cues that pass between dog and human. She applies what she has learned to her work as an assistant, helping pets feel more secure during their appointments.
WHY SHE LOVES HER JOB SO MUCH
Caitlin has been taking her own pup to training classes and has a first hand experience with the body language and cues that pets have between them and their owners. After being intrigued by this, she now can apply what she has learned from that to her current position and in turn help the patient feel more secure while in the appointments. She enjoys talking to the owners and interacting with pets in either of her roles. She loves nothing more than helping pets feel better and helping their humans feel better about pet health.
WHAT SHE DOES IN HER SPARE TIME
She can be found horseback riding, hiking, or just being outdoors with her cocker spaniels - the older, food-obsessed Cocoa, and the younger, always close by Maverick. She also loves relaxing with former barn cats, Piper and Raven. When she can, Caitlin loves to visit Cape Cod and complete DIY projects.
Veterinary Assistant
Daniel
HOW HE GOT HERE
Daniel comes from a family with science and medical background. His parents, who both have their doctorate in microbiology, instilled a love of science and medicine on their children at a young age. His sister is a traveling nurse in California and his brother is a medical student in Connecticut. It's no surprise Daniel would pursue a career in medicine, too. As a child, he was passionate about caring for animals and learning about nature. When it came time for college, he moved from Westford to Amherst to attend UMass in their animal science and pre-vet programs. He started gaining experience at a dog daycare and training facility, learning about dog behavior and helping at their vaccine clinic. Wanting more veterinary experience, he joined our team in 2023.
WHAT MAKES HIM INTERESTING
Daniel has a knack for reading animal behavior. He picks up on cues very quickly and helps animals feel more comfortable in the hospital.
WHY HE LOVES HIS JOB SO MUCH
In pursuit of a Veterinary degree, he wanted to get the entire experience of veterinary medicine. Daniel enjoys all aspects of his job including communicating with clients, taking and reporting patient histories, and performing lab work. Working as an assistant at Windy Hollow has only made him more excited about applying to veterinary school.
WHAT HE DOES IN HIS SPARE TIME
When he is not hanging out with his super mutt rescue pup, Cooper (who looks like a German shepherd on stubby legs), you can usually find him outside. He enjoys basketball, baseball, fishing, and snowboarding.
Veterinary Assistant
Haissa
HOW SHE GOT HERE
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Haissa grew up watching veterinary and animal shows and knew from a young age that she wanted to follow in the vets' footsteps. With that in mind, she chose the pre-vet program at UMass Amherst. She joined our team in 2022 to gain more veterinary experience while at school.
WHAT MAKES HER INTERESTING
She truly enjoys making people laugh.
WHY SHE LOVES HER JOB SO MUCH
Haissa enjoys learning the practical aspects of the profession while applying the basics and a scientific foundation, as well. She loves working with clients and their pets, learning from the doctors, and helping her fellow technicians with appointments. Her desire to learn new things like laser therapy, phlebotomy, and radiology has her right on track for becoming a veterinarian.
WHAT SHE DOES IN HER SPARE TIME
When she is not studying or enjoying time at home with her family and their Yorkie, Lily (who loves greeting people with her toys), she likes to spend time at the beach with friends.
Veterinary Assistant