Our Team

Meet the Team at Willakenzie Animal Clinic

Welcome to Willakenzie Animal Clinic in Eugene, OR, where we are passionately devoted to the long-term well-being of your furry family members. We are proud to not only provide exceptional medical attention for your pets but also to foster an environment where they — and their pet parents — can feel at home.

Get To Know Us

Get to Know Our Eugene, OR Veterinary Team

Veterinarians

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Dr. Meri Brandt

Veterinarian

Dr. Brandt was born in Illinois, raised in Arizona, and a resident of Oregon since 2016, when she joined Willakenzie Animal Clinic. Dr. Brandt received her degree in Biology from Arizona State University. She graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed her clinical year of veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. After graduation from veterinary school in 2007, Dr. Brandt returned to Arizona to practice.

Drawn to the climate of the Pacific Northwest, she joined the team at Willakenzie Animal Clinic in 2016. She lives in Eugene with her husband and young children. Their dog Walter- an adorable terrier mix, is most content guarding the house while basking in the sunshine. Dr. Brandt enjoys all aspects of general practice from puppies and kittens, soft tissue surgery, dental care, dermatology, and geriatric medicine. She most enjoys developing relationships with pet owners to help them best care for their pets.

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Dr. Stacy DeWall

Veterinarian

Dr. Stacy DeWall was born and raised in Oregon. Her love of animals began at a young age when she started to feed and help stray cats in the neighborhood. 4-H was a big part of her childhood, along with showing horses. Being a veterinarian was her childhood dream that came true.

Dr. DeWall attended OSU and WSU for veterinary school, graduating in 2005. She was first employed as a staff veterinarian at the clinic where she had worked as kennel help and as a veterinary assistant. Dr. DeWall finds veterinary medicine exciting and challenging!

The DeWall family lives locally on a farm with crops and animals. It’s a busy lifestyle, but very rewarding. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, playing/teaching/learning with her children and riding/showing her home-bred horses.

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Dr. Lisa Poquette

Veterinarian

Dr. Poquette was born in Missouri and was raised just over the border on the Kansas side of Kansas City. She received her Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Oregon in 1990, and her DVM from Oregon State University and Washington State University in 1994. Additionally, she earned her certification in animal chiropractic care. She currently lives in Creswell with her husband and their 2 whippets, Mira and Tigger, formally known as “The Couch Warmers”.

Dr. Poquette enjoys veterinary general practice, especially wellness and preventative medicine, with an interest in chiropractic care for her patients from puppyhood to geriatrics, as well as injuries and performance.

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Dr. Helen Sutthill

Veterinarian

Dr. Sutthill graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1992. After her trek along the Oregon Trail in 1997, she settled on the coast where she owned a successful veterinary practice for 24 years. She has recently relocated to the Eugene area to be closer to family. Dr. Sutthill is a proud mom of two grown human children along with her plethora of pets. Her eleven pets consist of three dogs, two cats, two guinea pigs, and six chickens. In her free time, Dr. Sutthill enjoys hiking, reading, doing math for fun, vegetable gardening, and learning the Irish language. In the clinic, her interests include dermatology, preventative care, and client education. She is a wonderful addition to our team and we are excited for you to meet her.

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Dr. Stephen Kairis

Veterinarian

Dr. Kairis is a lifelong Oregonian, earning his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from University of Oregon and his DVM from the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. He joined the team at Willakenzie Animal Clinic in 2021.

Dr. Kairis lives in Eugene with his wife Gracie, their terrier mix Enzo, and their cats Baxter and Moxie. Outside of practicing medicine, he enjoys golfing, cars, live music and exploring the Oregon coast with his family.

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Dr. Fischer

Veterinarian

Dr. Erika Fischer was born and raised in Oregon. She received a Bachelor of Science in biology at Oregon State University in 2017. She left to attend vet school at University College Dublin in Ireland and returned to join Willakenzie Animal Clinic in 2022. She lives in Eugene with her partner, Jackson and greyhound, Seamus.

Dr. Fischer has been loving general practice at Willakenzie. Her clinical interests include clinical pathology, dermatology and anesthesia/pain management. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, walking her dog and likes to travel often.

Leadership

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Colleen W., CVT, Practice Manager

Colleen joined our team in September 2019. Born and raised right here in Oregon, she has a passion for all animals, the outdoors, trail running and nature. To her, all the best days start with a run or hike outdoors with her dogs. Colleen has an adult son in California, and lives on a small farm with her dogs, goats, chickens, turkeys, and cats.

Technicians

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Heidi G., CVT

Heidi has lived in Oregon since 1988. She joined our team in May of 2017 as an experienced CVT and has brought much of her knowledge to our staff and our clients over the years. She currently lives with her husband and their many pets: Louise – a border collie mix, Mrs. Maizel – feral Siamese cross, Ginsberg – a domestic shorthair, Shamoo – a geriatric Arabian horse, and Daphne – a geriatric mini donkey. When she is not working, she can be found practicing pyrography, painting rocks, playing with her pets, or exploring nature. If you ask her why she works in veterinary medicine, “It is always interesting, and I am continually learning. I enjoy having the ability to use skills that make a difference in the lives and comforts of our clients and their pets. Having the opportunity to work with a fantastic cadre of coworkers is a joy.”
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Autumn W., CVT

Autumn moved to Oregon from Minnesota in 2019, then joined our team in December of 2020. She lives in Eugene with her husband Kyle, and their many pets: Jack (Aussie mix), Gordie (Border collie mix), Hannah (dilute calico DSH), Mila (orange tabby DSH), Oliver (Buff DLH), Kazi (Brown-ticked tabby DSH) and Cashew (Buff DLH). Autumn has an adult son, Brandon, and a young granddaughter named Max. When not at work, she can be found hiking with her dogs and husband, fishing, kayaking, reading, sewing, crocheting or playing in her gardens. She joined the veterinary medical field being a human nurse for many years and when asked why she changed fields, she will tell you “Dogs will usually growl before they bite. Humans don’t.
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Landy L., CVT

Landy moved to Oregon in 2021 after living in San Diego, Hawaii, Northern Navada and even Australia. She was drawn to the majestic beauty of the PNW and relocated here with her partner and her cat Fibonacci. Landy has been in the veterinary field for many years and is motivated to make a positive contribution, whether it’s advocating for patient care or just listening to people during their stressful times. Outside of the clinic, Landy spends time hiking and exploring the natural world, cooking (and eating!), watching movies and relaxing with her family.
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Colleen T., CVT

Colleen is originally from Chicago, IL, and joined our team in June 2023. Her passions in veterinary medicine include dentistry and creating a fear-free environment for patients. Outside of work, Colleen enjoys exploring the outdoors by foot and by bike, eating at new restaurants, and volunteering at various community focused organizations. She has two small boys at home – a chiweenie named Bruce and an apple headed chihuahua named Peter.

Veterinary Assistants

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Ellis H., Veterinary Assistant

Ellis is a Karen Pryor certified training partner. They are passionate about creating stress-free vet visits for you and your pets. When not working as a Veterinary Assistant, they can be found hiking with their wife and their dog Frankie.
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Ethan L., Veterinary Assistant

Ethan was born in Wisconsin and lived all over the Midwest and Northwest until he moved to Oregon in 2017. He joined our team in May of 2018 and brought a wonderful positive attitude to our clinic. He currently lives in Eugene with his 2 cats, Nimue – a gray domestic shorthair, and Purrsephone – a tortoiseshell domestic medium hair. When he is not working, Ethan loves to go hiking, take road trips, and enjoys baking. “I have always been surrounded by animals and viewed them as a family but have seen so many throughout my life that is not treated as such. This has always been a driving passion of mine, and I cannot think of anything more rewarding to alleviate that than veterinary medicine. I absolutely love being able to help people take good care of their pets and help them in times of need.”
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J.R., Veterinary Assistant

I am passionate about animal health and dedicated to providing the best possible care to our patients.

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Serenity P., Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon!

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Bethany, Veterinary Assistant

Born and raised in Oregon, Bethany has always been surrounded by animals of all shapes and sizes, discovered a passion for pet health and further education at her first assistant job in 2006. When not at work she enjoys reading and spending time with her cats and her fish.

Client Service Representatives

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Dawn H., Client Service Representative

Dawn joined the team in 2023. They are a graduate of Bergin University of Canine Studies. When they are not working as a CSR, they can often be found training dogs with a special interest in service dog training and behavioral modification. Dawn has worked with animals since 2009, including everything from animal shelter support staff to marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation. Dawn is tolerated by a feral lynx point named Piedmont.
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Whitney W., Client Service Representative

Whitney joined the team in 2024. Whitney has a strong background in customer service. Whitney is very passionate about helping pet guardians get the best care for their pets. When not at work, she can be found tending to her flock of chickens, painting rocks, or bird watching. Whitney has 2 dogs, Whiskey, and Todd (a retriever who doesn’t like fetch).
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Nataly S., Client Service Representative

Nataly moved from California almost 3 years ago and joined the Willakenzie team in 2024. She has been working in the vet med field for the past 4 years. When not working, she can be found at the coast with her husband and daughter. Nataly has a Tortie named Muffin.
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Dee V., Client Service Representative

Dee was born and raised in Southern California with her one sister and five brothers. She grew up always surrounded by dogs, birds, and cats in her home. In SoCal she worked at a vet clinic for 4 years and was the manager of their doggy daycare. She moved to Oregon two years ago with her boyfriend, and they now have a wild German Shepherd girl named Penny. Dee enjoys taking Penny on frequent trail walks, hanging out by the river, landscape photography, and relaxing at home watching her favorite shows & movies. Animals have always been apart of her life, and she can’t picture a life without them!