Our Team

Dr. Diane Givler received her veterinary degree from Ross University in 2008 and spent her clinical year at LSU (Geaux Tigers!). She is originally from Pennsylvania, and has practiced small animal medicine in Rochester, NY, Columbia, SC, and Southport, NC. Dr. Givler has worked in small private-owned hospitals, large corporate hospitals, and on a non-profit surgically-equipped spay/neuter RV. Most recently she has been self-employed as a relief veterinarian and is currently living on a 58 foot sailboat with her husband, two dogs, and one cat. Dr. Givler joined FirstVet in 2020.

Dr. Julie Napier graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. She started work in a small animal, exotics, and emergency practice, with the intent of becoming a zoo and wildlife veterinarian. She spent almost 20 years in a variety of zoological institutions and did field work around the world including South Africa, Botswana, Madagascar, and Belize. Dr. Napier has a passion for animal welfare and conservation. Although she is no longer practicing in the wildlife field, she continues to be involved, writing book chapters and journal articles. She takes in senior dogs (over the years she has rescued 19 to date), has remained active in small animal medicine, and continues to consult in exotic pet and wildlife medicine. Dr. Napier joined FirstVet in September 2020.

Dr. Zack Beresin received his veterinary degree from The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Following graduation, he completed a rotating internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware. Since completing his internship, Dr. Beresin has worked as a small animal general practitioner in Ohio and New Jersey. His veterinary interests include preventative care and client education, radiology, dermatology, and surgery. Dr. Beresin’s undergraduate degree is in Environmental Studies, and he is still passionate about environmental conservation and sustainability. Outside of work, Dr. Beresin enjoys exploring the outdoors, including hiking, biking, camping and travel, cooking, listening to music, and most of all, spending time with his family. Dr. Beresin joined Firstvet in 2021.

Dr. Cindy McCauley graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. She knew from a very young age that she had a strong connection to animals and wanted to help them. So, it was no surprise that at eight years old her life would be changed by helping to pour blue antiseptic on an injured rooster. At the time, she had no idea what that “blue stuff” was, but can still remember where she was standing and what she was wearing. During her high school years, Dr. McCauley’s passion to help animals and advocate for their needs grew even stronger. Now, after more than 25 years in practice, she is still grateful to spend her life doing something she loves with people who all feel the same way! Dr. McCauley’s favorite part of being a veterinarian is that it allows her to make a difference. Whether it is preventative health care to keep animals healthy, helping a new life enter the world, performing a life- saving surgery, or assisting an old friend to pass with peace and dignity, she gets to make a difference every single day. Dr. McCauley feels blessed to have a supportive husband, daughter, son, and four-legged fur baby that understand her commitment to this career. Dr. McCauley joined FirstVet in 2021.

Dr. Monique Lewison obtained her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Husbandry with high honors and then went on to realize her childhood dream, graduating from the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987. Since then, Dr. Lewison has had a mobile mixed animal practice in Northern Israel, worked in mixed and small animal practices in New York State, Chicagoland (where she also spent several years as an at home euthanasia veterinarian), Seattle, and East Tennessee. In 2013 she became an IVAS certified veterinary acupuncturist, and in 2015 she completed her veterinary chiropractic certification at the Healing Oasis in Wisconsin. Dr. Lewison is especially interested in animal communication and is dedicated to client education and holistic preventative care. She loves helping people better understand their pet’s issues and how to best care for them. She is currently following her husband’s dream (and now hers) of sailing around the world. While they organize to refit their 41 foot sailboat (in Kent, UK), care for her elderly mother in Israel, and care for their homestead in the foothills of the Smokies in Tennessee, Maximus, her rescued cat waits patiently for her to return from her travels each time. Dr. Lewison joined FirstVet in 2021.

Dr. Leah Talesnick is a 2015 graduate of Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a post-graduate internship and worked as an emergency veterinarian at one of the largest emergency/specialty hospitals in the country. Dr. Talesnick now works as a general practitioner at a non-profit private practice that is dedicated to community outreach for an underserved community. She also works with a rescue that takes animals from natural disasters worldwide and high-kill shelters. Dr. Talesnick has been a contributor to NPR’s podcast Talking Animals. She has a special interest in pain management, quality of life, alternative and physical therapy and is certified as a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner through the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband and Boston Terrier. Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr Talesnick enjoys cooking and playing tennis. Dr. Talesnick joined FirstVet in 2021.

Dr. Patricia Banks graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. After graduation she worked in emergency and critical care before opening her own practice in 2001. She currently owns a small animal practice in Houston, TX where she focuses on internal medicine, geriatric health care, soft tissue surgery, and preventative care for dogs and cats. Dr. Banks loves cooking, quilting, gardening and spending an afternoon at the park with her pups. She lives in Houston with 2 dogs and 4 cats. Dr. Banks joined FirstVet in 2021.

Dr. Lauren Aderholdt graduated from Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 and pursued additional training as a small animal intern at Virginia Tech’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. After completing her internship, she practiced small animal medicine outside Denver, Colorado for five years. After getting married, Dr. Aderholdt relocated to Dallas, Texas where she has continued treating dogs and cats in general practice. She enjoys educating clients about the best preventive care choices for the furry members of their families. When not at home with her two cats and dog you can find her running after her toddler. Dr. Aderholdt joined FirstVet in 2021.

Dr. Elizabeth Wesson received her veterinary degree from the University of Sydney in 2014. Before pursuing veterinary medicine, she started her career as an environmental scientist and worked as a microbat rehabilitator and educator during her undergraduate degree. Since then Dr. Wesson has worked as a general practitioner for small animals and exotics in the U.K. and the U.S. She is passionate about improving the quality of life of animals and educating owners on caring for their pets. Her special interests are feline and exotic medicine, geriatric care and ultrasonography. In her spare time, she enjoys pottery, gardening, yoga and any outdoor activity. She lives in Florida with her husband, son and Devon Rex. Dr. Wesson joined FirstVet in 2023.

Dr. Lauren Hulse graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. She has wanted to be a veterinarian since she learned what jobs were in second grade. After completion of her BS and MBA, she fulfilled that dream. Since graduating, she has worked in emergency, general practice, and relief. She loves helping animals and the families they mean so much to. Dr. Hulse lives in Northern California with her husband and two small children. When not working, she can be found on her small farm taking care of everything from sheep to cut flowers.

Dr. Jessica Scholl graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M University-College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating, she worked 4 years in a busy mixed animal practice outside of Dallas. There, she saw dogs, cats, horses, alpacas, llamas, pigs, cattle, small ruminants, and the occasional chicken. Dr. Scholl has also worked for over 7 years in small animal emergency medicine near Dallas. Currently, she works as a small animal veterinarian while continuing to pursue equine medicine. Dr. Scholl has a passion for low stress cattle and equine handling, ultrasonography, equine reproduction and emergency medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys working on her farm, reading, traveling, and spending time with family. Dr. Scholl joined FirstVet in 2021 and is excited to be a part of the Firstvet team!

Dr. Kirstin Kamps received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2011 from Western University of Health Sciences outside of Los Angeles. The last 10 years she has been a self employed traveling veterinarian working with small animal clinics all over California. She is currently in the UK working as a clinician with a veterinary school. In her free time she enjoys traveling for theater festivals and volunteer work.

Dr. Nikki Johnson is a Florida native who received her veterinary degree from the University of Florida in 2016. She currently travels and works as a traveling relief veterinarian throughout the United States, practicing small animal medicine in general practice and urgent care. She has one dog named Piccolo, and they both love to hike and camp. She joined the team in 2023 and is excited to provide care for clients across the US.

Dr. Nilufer (Nil) Wilkins graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1983. When she was in the ninth grade, her Civics class gave students the project to select three careers they were interested in and to interview someone in the community in each career. Given from a young age Dr. Wilkins had always wanted to help animals, she could only choose one career – to be a veterinarian. Dr. Wilkins has over 39 years as a practicing veterinarian, including working as an associate and relief veterinarian in several small animal practices; as staff veterinarian at two different county animal shelters, adopting several “foster failures” so that at one point their family had six cats; and providing hospice and end of life care for family pets in the home. Dr. Wilkins believes in practicing preventative medicine and educating families on its benefits for both the families and their pets. Her special interests include cats (no surprise!) and helping guide families in end-of-life decisions. Dr. Wilkins enjoys reading, listening to classical music (especially Baroque), traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She currently lives in Florida with her husband of 40 years and three cats. They also have two grown daughters. Dr. Wilkins joined FirstVet in 2023.

Dr. Rebecca Bohlmann has been involved with the veterinary industry for over 30 years, 20 of those as a veterinarian. She enjoys talking to people and helping keep people's pets not only healthy but also happy. She currently has a rescue terrier, rescue roadside ditch kitten, along with her husband and 2 busy/crazy girls.

Dr. Brass is a 2011 graduate of University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Public Health and Health Professions. His career has spanned over twenty years with work on numerous species in multiple countries. He has maintained a deep passion for public health throughout his multidisciplinary work in small animal medicine, food animal medicine, and biorisk management. This work extends to board certification with the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. He is committed to serving as a resource to empower pet owners and to nurture the human/animal bond. Dr. Brass is a Louisiana native and current resident of Ohio with two cats.

Dr. Emilee Repp obtained her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University. Following graduation, she practiced small animal medicine at a fast pace and quickly growing private practice. She enjoys working with clients to provide the highest standard of care to their 4-legged family members. In practice, she enjoys helping with client education, preventative medicine, as well as management of difficult medical conditions. In her free time, Dr. Repp loves to spend time with her family and friends and enjoys any outdoor activity.

Dr Ashley Word graduated from the University of Missouri School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. She has employment experience in both emergency medicine and critical care as well as routine practice. As a veterinarian, Dr Ashley strives to provide the utmost care to pets by treating each as a unique individual, requiring tailored health recommendations. Her goal is to work as a team with pet parents through thorough, concise, and easy-to-understand language so the best outcomes can be achievable for their pets. Dr Ashley currently resides on the North Carolina coast. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, and fossil hunting. Dr Ashley also owns a horse and competes in three-day eventing horse trials.

Dr. Hill has enjoyed practicing Veterinary Medicine since graduating from UC Davis in 1995. Initially she practiced mixed animal in a fairly rural area doing on-call and field service for all species. She has practiced in a variety of small animal clinics, with a stay of 20 years at her current practice concentrating on small animals. Dr. Hill enjoys all aspects of Veterinary medicine, particularly the variety it brings, ranging from educating a family about a new puppy or kitten, providing needed medicine and surgery through that pet’s life, and even gently assisting with end of life decisions. Most recently she has been participating in shelter medicine surgery and first hand seeing the dilemmas of overpopulation.

Dr. Hill loves the outdoors, is an avid horsewoman, trail riding and doing endurance rides on her Rocky Mountain Mare ‘Willow’. She also loves traveling and backpacking and enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters doing these things. Her family includes their crazy yellow lab Baloo, 3 geriatric cats, two horses and a multitude of chickens.

Overall she is grateful that veterinary medicine has allowed her to devote her life to the wellbeing of pets and their people and hopes to continue to do so through FirstVet.

Dr. Matthew Drozd was adopted from Poland at the age of three and relocated to the United States, where he grew up in New Jersey. During his teenage years, he nurtured a variety of animals including ducks, gerbils, rabbits, and cockatiels, igniting his passion for veterinary medicine. He earned a Bachelor's of Science from Fordham University and later obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. Matthew's expertise encompasses both specialty and general medicine for small animal species. In his leisure time, he finds joy in tending to his diverse collection of plants, unwinding outdoors, and engaging with his beloved cat, dog, rabbit, and bearded dragon.

Dr. Victoria Lama began her veterinary career at an early age in general practice as an animal shelter volunteer and veterinary assistant in companion animal hospitals where she grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She then went on to receive her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Animal Science from Cornell University followed by her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University. In vet school, her career area of emphasis was on the Spectrum of care, as well as research on lower urinary tract disease in domestic species, so she knows much about pee! Before joining FirstVet in 2023, she worked as a full-time associate and relief primary care veterinarian for dogs and cats, and still currently works in the clinic providing relief care in areas of need. Her interests include fear-free canine and feline medicine, especially: client education, preventative care, upper and lower urinary tract disease, dermatology, behavior, and ophthalmology. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, weight-lifting, swimming, hiking and relaxing with her three adopted felines and French bulldog. She is a big fan of teamwork and effective modes of communication, and looks forward to helping you and your critters!

Dr. Freeman is a 2005 graduate of Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine with 18 years experience as a small animal and equine veterinarian and additional certification in acupuncture for pets. Professionally, Dr Freeman enjoys geriatrics and is especially known for helping very old cats live their best life. She is active in the local veterinary association and has served on the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association Board of Directors since graduation. Her hobbies include gourmet food and cooking, reading, horseback riding, shooting and anything ocean, including SCUBA diving. She also is a licensed EMT.

Dr. Tyler Wright is originally from Nashville, TN but now resides in NE Georgia with his lovely wife and their five dogs. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee: College of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2019. He has practiced veterinary medicine for 5 years as a mixed animal practitioner, seeing everything from dogs and cats to all sorts of different farm animals (cattle, horses, small ruminants, pigs, alpacas, and llamas). He looks forward to offering peace of mind for you and your animals.

Dr. Julie Morris graduated from the Cornell University New York State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1985 and is now semi-retired with over 38 years of clinical experience under her belt. She spent the first fifteen years of her career as an associate veterinarian in small animal practices in both New Jersey and New York, and finally followed the call to come home to NYC where she grew up. She developed a strong interest in integrative veterinary medicine and became certified in veterinary acupuncture in 1996 while working at the ASPCA in Manhattan. In order to be able to combine the "best of eastern and western" philosophies she opened her own full service clinic, Animal Healing Arts of Carroll Gardens, in Brooklyn in the spring of 2000 practicing a mix of conventional medicine, surgery, dentistry and alternative modalities. Animal Healing Arts transitioned to housecall only in 2016 where she still sees some of her wonderful and faithful clients, with fur babies both old and new. She currently lives with her partner Vince, her kitty "Boots", several half feral Brooklyn strays who have made our yard their home, and 8 very noisy zebra finches. In her spare time she loves reading, traveling, taking long walks, anything involving the seashore and is learning to play the harp.

Dr. Kelly Maxwell graduated from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 and then completed an emergency internship in North Carolina. For approximately ten years she worked as a general practitioner and an emergency veterinarian in Florida, Oregon, and Maine. In 2018 Dr. Maxwell shifted gears and became certified in small animal veterinary acupuncture through the Chi University. She has a special interest in supporting the quality of life of dogs and cats and has taken additional courses in canine physical therapy and food therapy. She now works primarily as a relief veterinarian so that she can enjoy spending as much time as she can with her many dogs and her partner! She currently lives in Florida and in her personal time she loves exploring nature with her family. Dr. Maxwell joined FirstVet in 2024.

Dr. Sally Wixson received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania and also received a M.S. degree in Comparative Medicine from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine (We Are! Penn State). She is originally from Pennsylvania, and has practiced small animal medicine in Hershey and King of Prussia, PA and also in Holden, MA. She was a staff member of a large private-owned veterinary referral clinic in Bethlehem, PA for three years. Dr. Wixson has also worked in corporate satellite practices (Banfield) in Central NJ. She has maintained a Relief Veterinary practice for the past 12 years. Dr. Wixson is also Board Certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and has led research teams in pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Wixson lives in NJ with her two children, 2 dogs and a cat (who thinks he is a dog). Dr. Wixson joined FirstVet in 2024.

Dr. Lisa Coder graduated from the University of Missouri in 2013. Since then, she has worked in many different types of clinics, from equine, to mixed animal and the ER. She served a few years with the USDA as a public health veterinarian. In 2021, she opened Home Vet, an alternative and holistic veterinary practice that provided acupuncture, therapeutic laser, and herbal medicine to pets in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dr. Coder believes in compassion, understanding, and above all, love. Currently, she treats cats, dogs, reptiles, and small exotic mammals. She has two children, four cats, a dog, and a gecko - who is undoubtedly the love of her life. She enjoys reading, good coffee, doing karate with her boys, learning new things, mediocre coffee, teaching, writing (both fiction and veterinary-related), tattoos, crazy hairstyles, and even cold, 2-day-old coffee is worth her time.

Dr. Lesli Reiff grew up in the Washington, DC area before heading south where she graduated from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. After practicing small animal and exotic medicine in the Raleigh/Durham area for 3 years, she continued her southern migration to sunny Naples, Florida where she has been a general practitioner and practice owner for 20+ years. She loves speaking to clients about their furry friends and has special interests in nutrition, dermatology, geriatric and wellness care. She currently lives around the corner from the beach with her English Bulldog, crazy Boxer, blind diabetic Maltese, 4 rescue cats, 3 parrots and a couple of hermit crabs.

Dr. Kate Pederson received her veterinary degree from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. She started her career as a veterinarian in small animal medicine working at a clinic in La Crosse, WI. She later moved back to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, continuing to work with cats and dogs. She enjoys preventative care and is passionate about animal behavior. Currently, she is traveling around North America working remotely with companies like FirstVet and picking up shifts at a variety of clinics, including community vaccine clinics. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, and spending time on the road with her 13-year-old dog, Glia. Dr. Kate joined FirstVet in 2024.

Dr. Whitney Collins earned her doctorate from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. Before completing her doctorate, she received her master's in Biology focusing on disease ecology, emerging infectious diseases, and tropical biology conservation in Latin America. Dr. Collins’ clinical work includes working with small animals, birds, exotics, small and large ruminants, and free-ranging and captive wildlife. Dr. Collins is currently a traveling relief veterinarian working in general practice, urgent care, emergency and specialty hospitals, and practicing shelter medicine. When traveling abroad, Dr. Collins enjoys aiding conservation projects, assisting with mass spay and neuter campaigns, collaborating and providing care for animal shelters and refuges, teaching and community outreach, and research evaluating health at the human-animal-ecosystem interface using a One Health approach. Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Collins enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures, hiking, yoga, gardening, cooking, and learning Spanish.

Dr. Roger Chase is a graduate of Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He has had a long career in providing care primarily to large animals with some small animals. For a few years, he served as a regulatory veterinarian in APHIS and FSIS for the US Department of Agriculture. Recently, he has focused on small animal practice. Because of his love for “all creatures great and small,” he has had a life well lived. He resides in Idaho with his wife, along with their cherished family members: Baby, an Idaho Shag, two old Boston Terriers, Kaycee and Geoffy; Teresa, their AQHA mare, and Phoebe, the buckskin mule.

Dr. Walker has been practicing for over twenty-five years, and prior to that, she was a certified veterinary technician, an outside saleswoman, and a special education teacher. She has been blessed with some extraordinary careers and just can’t retire. She loves veterinary medicine! Her forte is primate medicine and she has practiced and lived with all kinds of monkeys for almost seventeen years. She has also enjoyed working in zoo medicine and has experience with avian and exotic pocket pet medicine.

Nowadays, she leads a quiet life (but refuses to retire) in the woods of Fortson, Georgia with five dogs, many birds and many fish, including an outside koi and goldfish pond. She is delighted to be on board with FirstVet.

Dr. Young grew up in California’s Central Valley. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Genetics from the University of California, Davis, she initially pursued a career in genetic research. However, her passion for medicine and animals led her to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from UC Davis. She then completed an internship at a specialty center in Los Angeles, where she honed her skills in small animal medicine and surgery. Following her internship, she moved to upstate New York, where she began practicing as an Associate Veterinarian in a small animal clinic. Over the past 16 years, she’s been fortunate to work in a field she truly loves, surrounded by diverse cases and challenges.

In addition to her professional life, she is also a proud mother of three energetic boys, who keep her and her husband on their toes. After spending a few years working part-time to focus on family, she is now back to practicing full-time. She shares her home with two rescue dogs, who bring her constant joy and remind her daily of the power of unconditional love.