Veterinary TeamRancho San Carlos Pet Clinic
Your pet is more than just an animal that resides in your home. They are an integral part of the family.
Meet Our Veterinary Team
Meet Our Doctors
Meet Our Staff
Sara
Client Service Representative
Sara is a native San Diegan and grew up loving animals. She is also a big fan of Disney and Soccer, both of which she shares with her beautiful family. Sara has been in the veterinary field for over 10 years and enjoys helping strengthen the bond between client and patient with each interaction.
Jocelyn
Client Service Representative & Veterinary Assistant
Jocelyn grew up in San Diego and loves to take in the town with a good hike. Veterinary medicine is her passion, and she is working toward becoming a veterinarian in the future. She is honored to work with you and your pet. Jocelyn also enjoys travel and a good movie when she is done with work and college homework.
Sam
Sam was born and raised in Michigan. She graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Pre-Veterinary Medicine from the University of Findlay then obtained a degree in Veterinary Technology from the University of Michigan in 2002. Sam moved to San Diego in 2015 and has a special interest in feline health and well-being. As our resident “cat whisperer,” she will ensure that our feline patients have as stress-free of an experience as possible.
Sam and her partner share their home with their shy tabby cat, PorchCat or Mimi. When she is not at work, Sam spends her time watching and reading Sci Fi and Fantasy. She also enjoys the occasional craft project.
Ashley
RVT (Veterinary Technician)
Ashley joins us after moving from Long Beach. She has been in the veterinary profession for over 5 years and can be found dancing in the treatment area while caring for your pet. She shares her home with Asha, a beautiful grey cat, but loves treating dogs and cats alike. Her favorite foods include mango and hot Cheetos.
Heather
Heather is from Washington, D.C. but grew up in San Diego since she was 8 years old. She graduated from Mesa College in 2011 from the RVT program. Heather enjoys video games, hiking, going to the playground with her son, and watching scary movies when her son goes to sleep. She has a 4-year-old black and white cat named Strawberry who she adopted 3 months ago.
Kendra
RVT (Veterinary Technician)
Adriana
Adriana grew up in Mexico, where she completed her veterinary degree before moving to San Diego. She is going through the foreign veterinary program to obtain her DVM in the United States. Adriana loves wildlife, the ocean, and strives for kindness in all her actions.
Andrea
Veterinary Assistant
Andrea is one of the Veterinary Assistants at Rancho San Carlos Pet Clinic. She grew up in San Diego and graduated from PIMA. Andrea became a Certified Veterinary Assistant in 2019 and hopes to become an RVT in the future.
In her free time, she enjoys going to Disneyland, but if she is staying local, she enjoys going to the San Diego zoo, museums (the Natural History Museum), walks along the beach to catch the sunsets and photography. Andrea is a big music fan, so she also really enjoys seeing her favorite artists perform at local venues. At home, she has 2 sisters, and they all grew up exploring San Diego with their wonderful mother and father. Andrea has 3 cats, an adorable and awkward 2-year-old orange cat named Mango, a sweet but sassy 9-year-old named Cleo, and a mischievous but sweet 9 month old named Tino. Her favorite snacks include acai bowls, potato chips, dark chocolate, veggie pizza, iced coffee with hazelnut, and almond/oat milk.
Evelyn
Veterinary Assistant
Evelyn grew up in Tijuana, Mexico and Baja, California. She graduated as a veterinarian in 2018 from UABC, Mexico, and has been working as a veterinary assistant in the USA for over 5 years. She loves to dance, sing, work out, play the piano, and go to the beach. She enjoys going for walks with her dogs. Evelyn has three dogs (a golden retriever named Nani, a lab mix named Dina, an English Bulldog named Pepito). All of Evelyn’s pets were adopted, and she loves them so much
Melissa
Veterinary Assistant
Melissa grew up in San Diego. This is her first year as a Veterinary Assistant. She loves animals which is why she decided to choose a career that helps them. Outside of work, she loves to bake, go to the beach, hike with her dogs, spend time with her family, and watch movies. Her two dogs consist of, one named Daisy who enjoys hunting and rolling down windows during car rides, and Rose who loves to follow her sister everywhere.
Laura
Veterinary Assistant
Laura was born and rasied in San Diego. She was in retail management for 23 years but decided to go back to school to be in the veterinary field. Laura is currently married and has a teenage daughter. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and camping. Her pets at home include a dog, named Kippur, a long haired cat named George, and a grey tabby named Cosmo.
Lina C.
Hospital Manager
Lina joins us after moving from her hometown in Virginia. She has a history of working with TSA before following her passion for working with animals. She shares her home with two adorable dogs, Moses (pittie) and Ewok (shitzu/pug). In her spare time, she explores San Diego beaches and hiking areas.
Maris
Lauren
Lauren grew up in the Chicago suburbs of Lemont, Illinois. She is excited to transition to this field from retail. In her free time, Lauren enjoys hiking, biking, running, her favorite snacks (anything gluten-free), going to the beach, and anything outside. She also enjoys discovering music, art, and restaurants. In her family, she is the youngest of three girls and her parents raised her to love and respect animals.
Elayna
RVT (Veterinary Technician)
Elayna grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, graduated from the veterinary assistant program at PIMA Medical Institute, and completed her externships at La Costa Animal Hospital. After completing her externship, she worked at Oceanside Veterinary Hospital. She is currently in the veterinary technician program at PIMA to fulfill her childhood dream of helping animals.
Her parents live in Minnesota with her dog, Tucker, and her brother attends college in Fargo, North Dakota. She also has a 12-year-old shepherd mix named Ruffi. Elayna rehomed him when he was surrendered at her vet’s office.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, drawing, playing guitar and ukulele, and going on picnics with Ruffi. She loves any type of coffee, especially vanilla lattes and caramel macchiatos. She likes to be shown appreciation with verbal affirmations and sweet treats.
Elayna grew up with a plethora of animals since her grandparents lived and worked on a farm. She began caring for animals before she could walk. Her family had cows, chickens, horses, goats, pigs, bunnies, dogs, and cats.
Madison
Madison is a San Diego native who earned her degree in Animal Science from UC Davis. Since entering the veterinary field in 2017, she has gained valuable experience in emergency animal care, wellness, and rehabilitation. Madison aspires to further her education by attending veterinary school in the future.
In her free time, Madison enjoys reading, camping, and spending time at the barn with her horse, Quincy, whom she adopted from UC Davis upon graduating. She also cares for a diverse group of pets, including her lab mix, Ruby; her cat, Henry; her Goliath bird-eating tarantula, Kevin; and her ball python, Monty.
Alora
Client Service Representative
Alora grew up in El Cajon, California, before moving to Joshua Tree as a teen. She entered the veterinary field in late 2022 at a 24-hour emergency hospital in New Orleans. Alora is excited to expand her experience in veterinary medicine at Rancho San Carlos Pet Clinic.
Outside of work, Alora has a special passion for pigs and immersing herself in nature. Her furry family currently consists of her Pitbull/Labrador mix, Blaze, who she rescued from an abandoned house as a puppy in 2013.
Kayley
Kayley, a San Diego native, discovered her passion for veterinary medicine in 2023 and quickly found her place in the field. In 2024, she joined our team where her enthusiasm and dedication shine through in her work.
Outside of work, Kayley enjoys spending time at the beach and visiting theme parks like Disneyland and SeaWorld. She is a proud pet parent to five dachshunds—Leia, Lucy, Makani, Scarlett, and Snickers—as well as her cat, Goose.
Tess
Tess grew up in rural Jamul, California. She spent her childhood participating in the local chapter of the 4-H Horse and Pony club, participating in shows and competitions all over San Diego county. She graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution before entering the veterinary field in 2020. Although she didn’t start her career in veterinary medicine, her experience in the field has ignited a strong passion for educating the public about the medical aspects of pet ownership.
Outside of work, Tess spends most of her time-making art, hitting the gym, and hanging out with friends and family. She is the proud mother of a Baja rescue pup named Franny as well as a 5 ft long ball python named Kronk.
KiAnna
KiAnna grew up in Mississippi before moving to San Diego at the age of six. Her passion for animal care started early—she has been involved in various animal rescues, including cat, dog, and farm animal rescues, since she was 14 years old.
A self-proclaimed homebody, KiAnna enjoys traveling and taking daily trips when she gets the chance. She also loves hiking and exploring nature.
She has a small but close-knit family, all living in San Diego & LA. At home, she shares her life with a variety of beloved pets, including a German Shepherd mix named Sakari, an orange tabby named Cheddar, a black American Shorthair with 6 toes on front feet named Beans, leopard geckos named Stokely & Itachi, and a spunky bunny named Rocket.
Meet Our Specialists Partners
Dr. Demner
Veterinarian
David Demner, DVM, Diplomate, ACVS (Board certified veterinary surgeon), graduated from the National University of Colombia in 2003. Upon graduation, he joined their soft tissue surgery department for advanced training in surgery for two years and then became an assistant professor. David moved to California, and after a rotating internship, he completed his residency in surgery at a private practice in Southern California. He passed the certifying examination and became Board Certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and after 5 years of working as a surgeon in private practice, he founded Veterinary Mobile Surgical Specialist – VMSS.
Dr. Demner’s vision is to offer excellent care to patients that need surgical care at a reasonable price. He enjoys all aspects of surgery, but his specific interests include orthopedic and soft tissue surgery.
Dr. Render
Veterinarian
Dr. Render grew up dreaming of becoming a zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo. Cardiology pulled on his heartstrings after having the opportunity to work with great mentors, all of whom are cardiologists. The zoo and exotics veterinary field is still near and dear to his heart, as Dr. Render enjoys evaluating the hearts of all animals, big and small.
Dr. Render enjoys all aspects of small animal cardiology with particular interests in congenital defects and cardiac tumor evaluation. When not treating patients, Dr. Render enjoys watching sports and movies OR movies about sports, all things comedy, and cooking shows.
Dr. Frey
Veterinarian
Dr. Tracy Nicole Frey was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and is a 2002 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her surgical training in New York and New Jersey and has been practicing in Southern California since 2009 with an emphasis on soft tissue and emergency surgery. Dr. Frey is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
She is the sole traveling surgeon and founder of SoftSurg Incorporated and has also been a relief surgeon for a number of specialty practices throughout California. Dr. Frey enjoys all aspects of soft tissue surgery, particularly gastrointestinal and oncologic procedures. She has a special interest in pain management and critical care and will work closely with owners and referring veterinarians to provide the utmost compassionate care for her patients.
Dr. Frey’s little princess is a gorgeous Pomeranian named “Pouf!” whose favorite hobbies are spinning in circles, playing fetch, and barking at all the cars on neighborhood walks in her pretty pink buggy!