Amanda
Hospital Manager
If you asked Amanda what she loves most about the veterinary field, she’d say the challenges. Truth is, you just never know what’s going to come walking through that door. From sweet pitties to aggressive kitties, there’s always something new to learn about how to handle, comfort, and treat pets. This is a profession that is ever changing and growing, and Amanda considers herself incredibly lucky to be a part of it.
Amanda started her journey right here at Animals First Veterinary Hospital when she joined the team as a receptionist in 2017. Over the coming years, she learned as much as she could, from the front of the house to the back, and eventually worked her way up to the title of Hospital Manager. Professionally, Amanda enjoys meeting our patients at every stage of life and building relationships with their owners.
Outside of the clinic, Amanda is happily engaged and the proud mom of two children: Jolene and Jaxson. She doesn’t currently have any pets of her own because keeping up with the kids keeps her busy enough! In what little spare time she can find, Amanda enjoys photography and being with family.
Noreen
Office Assistant
Bio Coming Soon!
Cait
Receptionist
Cait is a hometown girl who grew up with a passion for animal care. In addition to the many pets she had over the years, she also regularly helped strays and wildlife in need, including several baby squirrels who had fallen from their nest. This upbringing laid the groundwork for a career in the veterinary field. As one of our receptionists, Cait enjoys being a voice and advocate for those who can’t speak for themselves.
Cait’s big break came in 2014, when another local practice took a chance on her and offered her a job. She quickly worked her way up to the front desk, interacting directly with clients and their pets. In 2019, she joined the Animals First Veterinary Hospital team. Professionally, Cait takes great pride in providing our clients with a positive experience with each and every visit.
Outside of the clinic, Cait lives with her son, Silas, and their multitude of pets, including five cats (Penny, Spooky, Layla, Fiona, and Chicken), a lab mix named Jersey, and three fish tanks filled with fish, frogs, and snails. When she’s not busy making sure our front desk is running like a well-oiled machine, Cait enjoys spending quality time with family, and doing arts and crafts.
Tiffany
Veterinary Technician
Growing up as the baby of the family, by the time Tiffany was in elementary school, her siblings had grown up and left home. Without her brothers and sisters there to keep her company, she turned instead to the family pets. Even at a very young age, Tiffany knew deep down in her heart that caring for animals was what she wanted to do. And while life has certainly brought her on many twists and turns over the years, she is thrilled to finally be in a career that she loves!
When Tiffany was in high school, she joined Future Farmers of America, through which she raised bunnies and goats for show. Her first job was at a boutique pet store where she assisted with the routine medical care and vaccinations of the puppies and kittens. She also did beak, wing, and nail trims, hand raised baby birds, bred snakes, raised reptiles, and became somewhat of a local resource for exotic pets and injured wildlife. After enrolling in an intense program at Moorpark College, however, and listening to the naysayers in her family, Tiffany decided to play it safe and settle for an office job.
After relocating several times throughout her young adult years, Tiffany met a boy and the two moved to Florida, where they started a family. Unhappy with the education system there, the family moved to New Jersey, where they settled into their forever home. When their twin daughters were 13, Tiffany decided it was time to return to work, but this time she decided to follow her heart and pursue a career she was passionate about. She joined the Animals First team in the fall of 2022 and hasn’t looked back since!
Clinically, Tiffany enjoys assisting with surgeries – particularly the responsibility of anesthesia monitoring. The satisfaction of a job well done is so much more impactful when it’s a life you’re dealing with and not just a project. She also takes great pride in getting to know new pet parents and sharing some of the wisdom she’s garnered throughout her lifetime of working with animals in one capacity or another. In addition to serving as a veterinary technician, Tiffany also co-owns Safe at Home Rescue.
Outside of work, Tiffany’s family consists of her husband, their twin daughters, and a veritable zoo of pets. Dozer is a Great Dane/Shepherd mix who makes up for his lack of intelligence with his giant heart. Yogi is a goofy, fluffy, and slobbery Bernese Mountain dog. Willow is a retired mill mama Golden Retriever. Sarge is a soft-coated Wheaton/Poodle mix who is known for faking a limp for attention. Benji, a Beagle/Bulldog mix, was adopted after the passing of his owner. Kitties Raz, Mimic, and Shiver each have their own rescue story. Rounding out the crew are three mice, two giant millipedes, and a snake.
While she can rarely find the time to fit them in, Tiffany has an impressive number of hobbies, including crocheting, knitting, sculpting, painting, building, customizing, playing, singing, and just about anything else you could think of.
Ces
Veterinary Technician
The first pet Ces ever rescued was a baby ball python who was refusing to eat and was quickly wasting away. At approximately 3 months old, the snake weighed less than a newborn hatchling. While Ces didn’t know as much about snake care as she does now, she was determined to do everything in her power to give her one more chance. After about a month of intense care, the snake finally began to eat on her own. It was that moment that solidified Ces’s desire to work in the veterinary field.
Initially, Ces set out to work in human medicine, but it never quite felt like the right fit. After taking a break to raise her children, Ces decided to pursue her passion and landed a job at a local pet store. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to return to school to continue her education in veterinary medicine. Ces joined the AFVH team in June of 2022. Professionally, she has a special interest in diagnostics, whether it be drawing blood or performing X-rays.
Outside of work, Ces is happily married with two children and six pets, including three cats (Bowie, Roxie, and Loki) and three snakes (Vanellope, Fez, and Sinabon). Bowie is the oldest but likes to be treated like a baby. Roxie is temperamental; she’s very protective of the children but only likes to be pet when it’s on her terms. Loki, the baby, is very rambunctious; he thinks he’s a dog and acts like a puppy. All three snakes are friendly and enjoy being handled.
In her free time, you will usually find Ces either reading or sewing. After she had her first child, she took a break from working to focus on being a mom and ended up taking up sewing. She was so good at it, that after a few years she became a professional seamstress. She even worked with a few different online pattern companies and would test and model the patterns of upcoming designs.
Gio
Veterinary Technician
Bio Coming Soon!
Sarah
Veterinary Technician
From a very young age, Sarah had a deep and special connection with animals. Though her first answer to “What do you want to be when you grow up” was “mermaid”, once she realized that wasn’t technically an option, her answer vehemently became “a veterinarian!”. As she journeyed through life, Sarah discovered she had an innate empathy and understanding of others without the need for spoken words. This ability has strengthened her relationships, not only with people, but more importantly with animals. To really pay close attention to the signs we often show when we aren’t feeling our best and give a voice to the voiceless is why Sarah ultimately chose to work in the veterinary field.
Sarah’s career journey began at Stockton University, where she earned her B.S. in Biology. Shortly after graduating, she joined the Animals First Veterinary Hospital team. Her next steps include becoming certified as a veterinary technician and eventually going on to earn her DVM. In the meantime, Sarah is soaking up as much knowledge as she can and loving every moment she gets to spend with animals. Professionally, she enjoys running laboratory samples and taking X-rays to gain a deeper understanding of animal anatomy and discover what’s going on inside a patient’s body.
Outside of work, Sarah has two cats of her own. Elvis is a handsome solid grey boy with an affinity for getting into trouble. He enjoys jumping onto counter tops and tables whilst staring at you as if he is totally aware he’s doing something he’s not supposed to. Priscilla is a spunky little grey tabby with the highest body-flailing jumps anyone has ever seen! She loves any kind of toy her humans bring her, and if she’s left alone with one, she will “kill” it. The unconditional love from these two “twin flames” is what keeps Sarah going, and you just cannot put a price on that!
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