Meet 9 of Our Incredible Veterinary Assistants
Celebrate Veterinary Assistant’s Week
At Grady Veterinary Hospital, our 24 Veterinary Assistants keep our hospital clean, organized and an enjoyable place to work 24-hours-a-day. This week, we highlight everything they do as important members of our veterinary team. Get to know nine of these incredible individuals a little better.
Brett Grundhoefer has worked with animals his entire life, since he started his career at Grady Veterinary Hospital in 2000. He’s passionate about being a Veterinary Assistant and Dental Technician and says, “This was my first job. I love animals and getting to help them every day. It’s nice coming into work and being greeted by a dog licking you in the face. The most gratifying part of my job is helping sick animals by cleaning their environment and making them more comfortable.”
Kristen Oldham started off her career in nursing, but soon realized her real passion is working with animals. She’s been a Veterinary Assistant with Grady Veterinary Hospital since 2010, and works the emergency shift in the evenings. “I decided I liked animals better than people, I guess! Growing up, I was around so many animals. I had a horse, goat, cats and dogs. I’ve always been an animal lover.”
In 2016, Stephanie joined the Grady Veterinary Hospital team. She started as a Veterinary Assistant and has also moved into the important role of Lab Assistant. Her responsibilities include running labs, caring for patients, and holding patients during treatment. You may meet her as she prepares exam rooms and takes patient histories from clients. Stephanie adds, “I have a love for animals. To see them leave the hospital and walk out of here happy and healthy is the best.”
Caitlin Vanden Eynden started her career with Grady Veterinary Hospital in 2017. As a Veterinary Assistant, she primarily works in our Internal Medicine department, assisting with ultrasounds, endoscopies, colonoscopies, CAT scans, X-rays and blood draws. Caitlin came to veterinary medicine after experience in human medicine at a GI specialist practice. She says, “It’s neat being on the animal side of medicine. I absolutely love animals! I’m fascinated with them all! I worked at the Newport Aquarium for a long time. I enjoyed the aquatic life but love caring for mammals now.”
Audrey Brockman joined the Grady Veterinary team in 2021 as a valued Veterinary Assistant. She helps keeps animals safe during exams, and keeps our hospital clean—which is an important part of veterinary care. She says, “I like making sure the clients feel comfortable and have a stress-free visit. I always make sure their concerns are addressed because that’s what I’d want as a client.” She loves getting to know our patients, and she’s passionate that animals deserve the best quality of life, just like people do.
Zoriah is one of our wonderful Veterinary Assistants and started at Grady Veterinary Hospital in 2022. It’s her job to keep our hospital clean and our patients well-cared for. As she spends time with patients, Zoriah forms bonds with them during their stay and appreciates the positive impact she has on their lives. She loves her role at our hospital because, “I really just love animals. I would rather spend my time helping animals and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
As a valued Veterinary Assistant, Logan tells us she does, “All the things and cleans all the stuff.” That’s an accurate description of the fast-paced environment at Grady Veterinary Hospital! She joined the team in 2022, with the goal of helping people and their pets through the really tough moments that sometimes bring them to our hospital. She enjoys being a positive face for clients as they call or come in and keeping patients safe and calm. Logan wants to pursue a career as a Veterinarian, so she can always work with animals.
Darryl (DJ) Haussler started at Grady Veterinary Hospital in 2023. Being a Veterinary Assistant is a role he is enjoying during retirement from a previous career. He likes helping everyone on the team and interacting with our clients. And his favorite part? “I especially like getting to love and nurture the animals as if they were my own.” Darryl has always loved animals and appreciates this opportunity to help patients during difficult times in their health.
Brittney Lee is a certified Veterinary Assistant who came to Grady Veterinary Hospital in 2023. She’s passionate about animal care and wants clients to know, “I love being your pet’s safe spot during visits. I can be their voice, their protection and even educate when needed.” Brittney enjoys meeting all the amazing fur-parents who bring their animals in. She comforts pets during check-ups and treatments, keeps patients and hospital areas clean, assists with emergency code situations and works with our Veterinarians in exam rooms.