Meet Our Team

Get to know the amazing people who make Care Animal Hospital so special.
APPOINTMENT

Get to know our veterinary team!

We are dedicated to providing pet owners with the latest and best veterinary diagnostics, treatment, and preventative care. We enjoy working with pet owners and always welcome client questions or concerns. Our Tulsa veterinarians are always available through phone or e-mail in addition to requests and questions through our website.

First, meet our veterinarians!

Dr. Mark Higgins

Veterinarian

Dr. Higgins' Bio

Dr. Mark T. Higgins graduated from the University of Missouri in 1981 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine and has been practicing veterinary medicine in Tulsa since that time. After working at Mingo Road Veterinary Hospital for several years, Dr. Higgins opened Care Animal Hospital in 1994. Several years later his wife, Dr. Betty Bassett, also a veterinarian, began practicing feline medicine here at Care Animal Hospital. In 2008, Dr. Betty Bassett retired from veterinary medicine and now focuses her attention on volunteering around the community. Dr. Higgins is committed to practicing high-quality medicine by annually improving his skills with continuing education conferences and staying active in various veterinary organizations. By doing so he is able to offer the most recent and innovative treatment options for your pet. Like his wife, Dr. Higgins also enjoys working in the community and often volunteers to teach students and children about the importance of preventative pet care, proper pet ownership, and compassion for animals in schools around the Tulsa area. Dr. Higgins has two children, Emily and Brian. Recently he welcomed two beautiful grandchildren, twins named Sophia and Olivia! In his spare time, Dr. Higgins enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball, and staying active in his church. He has three wonderful dogs, two terrier mixes named Duke and Daisy and a Chihuahua named Beanie. Beanie is also a registered therapy dog and often accompanies him during his volunteer work.

  • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
  • Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA)
  • Tulsa County Veterinary Medical Association (TCVMA)
  • Dr. Higgins is a past president of both the TCVMA and OVMA

Email Dr. Higgins at drhiggins@tulsacarevets.com

Dr. Kathryn Downie

Veterinarian / Owner
Dr. Downie's Bio

Dr. Kathryn Downie began her career as a registered nurse. She worked for the Tulsa Health Department after earning her nursing degree from the University of Tulsa in 2005. Dr. Downie decided to combine her love of animals and people with her medical knowledge and earned her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University in 2012. Dr. Downie has special interests in ultrasound, internal medicine, dentistry, and enjoys managing complex cases. She performs both cardiac and abdominal ultrasounds here at Care Animal Hospital using the latest state of the art equipment. Dr. Downie is married and has a daughter named Kate. Her fur-babies include two dogs, “Penny” a three-legged rescue, and “Audrey” a Cavalier/Cocker Spaniel rescue, and two cats, “Timothy” and “Rose” When not at work, Dr. Downie enjoys camping and spending time with friends and family.

  • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
  • Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA)
  • Tulsa County Veterinary Medical Association (TCVMA)

Email Dr. Downie at drdownie@tulsacarevets.com

Dr. Angie Semple

Veterinarian / Owner
Dr. Semple's Bio

Dr. Angie Semple is a native Tulsan and graduated from Bishop Kelley High School. She attended the University of Tulsa where she obtained her undergraduate degree and then graduated from Oklahoma State University with a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1998. Dr. Semple worked in Tulsa area and Houston before coming to Care Animal Hospital in 2016. Dr. Semple has a special interest in internal medicine, surgery, and feline medicine. Dr. Semple is also passionate about education and serving the community. She served as PTO President for many years as well as on the Owasso Education Foundation Board and Grant Committee. In her free time, Dr. Semple enjoys spending time with her family and going to the lake. She also loves horticulture, reading, saltwater fish, and watching sporting events. Dr. Semple is married and has two children. She also has a lot of pets including a French Bulldog named “Ed” and two cats “Edith” and “Joey”. In addition, she has a lovebird, two chickens and various saltwater fish.

She is a member of the following:

  • American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP)
  • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
  • Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA)
  • Tulsa County Veterinary Medical Association (TCVMA)

Email Dr. Semple at drsemple@tulsacarevets.com

Dr. Jennifer Pucket

Veterinarian

Dr. Pucket's Bio

Dr. Pucket has been with Care Animal Hospital since May 2016 as one of our associate veterinarians. She graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science going on to complete her veterinary degree in 2008 from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Pucket has a special interest in ophthalmology as well as geriatric medicine, however, she turns to a big pile of mush anytime a black lab is near.

Dr. Pucket is married to a veterinary ophthalmologist and together they have has two young boys and a boxer named Fenway. When not at work she is an avid distance runner and has completed several full marathons.

Email Dr. Pucket at drpucket@tulsacarevets.com

Dr. Victoria Monaghan

Veterinarian

Dr. Victoria Monaghan's Bio

Born and raised just outside of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Monaghan attended Oklahoma State University where she competed for their track and cross country program. She graduated in 2014 with her Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology. Having fallen in love with Oklahoma she decided to stay at OSU to complete her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2018.

Dr. Monaghan’s family includes her loving husband Taylor, her daughter Payton and two fur-children, a rescue boxer-hound mutt named Cooper and a German Shorthair Pointer named Maple Bacon. Dr. Monaghan’s interests include small animal wellness, surgery, and internal medicine.  In her spare time Dr. Monaghan enjoys being outdoors, whether that be camping, gardening, lake days, or cooking out with friends, family and beloved pets.

Dr. Alison Vanderhoof

Veterinarian

Dr. Alison Vanderhoof's Bio

Dr. Alison Vanderhoof was born and raised in North Texas. She moved to Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science before obtaining her DVM degree in 2016. Dr. Vanderhoof has been practicing in the Tulsa Metro area for the last 8 years and is excited to join the Care team.

Dr. Vanderhoof is certified in animal acupuncture through the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine and is passionate about chronic pain management and helping older pets stay active and comfortable as long as possible. She focuses on incorporating the best of Eastern and Western medicines to develop unique treatment plans for her patients. In addition to her passion for pain management, she enjoys soft tissue surgery and internal medicine. She loves treating cats, dogs, rabbits and other small mammals.   

Dr. Vanderhoof enjoys spending time with her husband and young son. The family enjoys all kinds of sporting events, but Dr. Vanderhoof holds a special place in her heart for her alma mater, Go Pokes! She stays active outdoors with her two dogs and enjoys her down time at home with her geriatric cat.

NOW MEET OUR AMAZING TEAM!

Kristi

Kristi's Bio

Office Manager

Kristi has been with Care Animal Hospital since April 2006 as our practice manager. She started working in the veterinary field in 1999, first as a kennel technician and a veterinary assistant. In 2005 she graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in marketing. She has loved animals all her life and enjoys being able to work with them daily.

Kristi and her husband have two children, a daughter named Everleigh and a son named Brooks. She has two dogs named Ava and Posey, as well as a cat named Thomas. In her free time, she can often be found outside at the Gathering Place or zoo with her family. When not out enjoying the sunshine, she often spends her free time at home reading.

Nancy

Nancy's Bio

Nancy has been with Care Animal Hospital since May 2012 as one of our registered veterinary technicians. She is originally from South Bend, IN but moved to Oklahoma in 2006 graduating from TCC’s veterinary technology program in 2012. Nancy has always had an innate desire to help animals and wanted to be a veterinarian growing up, however, when she found out there was a career that was the equivalent of a nurse for animals she knew it was her calling. Nancy has a special interest in anesthesiology, pain management, and end of life care. She is also a passionate advocate of the human-animal bond.

Nancy’s other greatest passion is for music and singing. She enjoys going to a wide variety of concerts and musicals whenever possible. She has two dogs named Jax and Sydney and two cats named Wesa and Nora. When not at work she also enjoys spending time with her husband Josh and two adorable yet rambunctious boys John and Adam.

Brandy

Brandy's Bio
Brandy has been with Care Animal Hospital since February 2016 as one of our registered veterinary technicians. She is originally from Oregon but lived in California for several years while attending college at Western Career College. She earned her associate’s degree in Science in 1998. After graduation, she moved to Reno, Nevada, where she worked at a veterinary hospital specializing in dentistry and developed her skills in dentistry and anesthesia. She is currently specialized in veterinary anesthesia and moving towards specializing in veterinary ultrasound as well. Brandy moved to Oklahoma in 2011 and particularly loved our famous thunderstorms!

She has two dogs Johnny and Shelly, a love bird named Peaches, and 3 kitties named Onyx, Phoenix, and Gertie Girl. In her free time, Brandy enjoys all things outdoors, especially camping and going to the lake. Besides caring for animals, her other true passion is cooking delicious foods.

Karen

Karen's Bio
Karen has been with Care Animal Hospital since April 2016 as one of our veterinary assistants. She graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in English Education because of her love for literature. However, shortly after graduation Karen moved into veterinary medicine and found her true passion. Karen is a member of the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners). She has a special passion for feline medicine as well as running our social media platforms.

Karen is married to a member of the Tulsa Air National Guard, and together they have two Australian Shepherd mixes named River and Archer and two cats named Katniss and Andy. She is a big geek and loves talking endlessly about her love for pop culture. When not at work, she can usually be found at concerts, broadway shows, or curled up with a good book.

Kayla

Kayla's Bio

Kayla is one of our tech assistants, pictured here with her dog Darwin. She has been an important part of the Care Animal team since June 2013. She originally started in our kennel department and has formed such close relationships with all of our patients. Her favorite part of the job is getting to see the joy of pets being reunited with their owners. Kayla is currently attending classes at Oklahoma State University before going to law school! She has two cats (Navi & Dingus) and a dog Darwin.

Audrey

Audrey's Bio

Audrey has been with Care Animal Hospital since January 2018 as one of our veterinary assistants. She moved here from California but she is a Chicago girl at heart! She has been working in veterinary medicine for over 15 years and has a special interest in dentistry.

 

Audrey loves all things dogs and cats, but her kitties Maggie and Jonas have her heart. When she goes home you find her rooting on Chicago sports teams, listening to the Beatles or watching movies, especially Star Wars.

Stefanie

Stefanie's Bio
Stefanie has been with Care Animal Hospital since October 2020 as one of our receptionists. She has worked in veterinary medicine for over 5 years now in a variety of roles. One of her favorite things about her job is getting to greet every client with a smile.

When not at work Stefanie can be found spending time with her husband Brian and their son Ryker. She has 4 pets: a cat named Solomon and 3 dogs named Luna Lovegood, Princess Wasabi, and Sterling Marlory Archer.

Melissa

Melissa's Bio
Melissa has been with Care Animal Hospital since September 2020 as one of our veterinary assistants. She has been in the veterinary field for over ten years now and loves it because she gets to see young, old, sick, healthy, and everything in between. She is always up for a challenge and enjoys learning new things because there are no boring days in vet med! Melissa finds immense satisfaction in both the triumphs and hardships that come from loving our four-legged friends and is honored to be a part of that story.

Melissa is married with five children, three grandchildren, two dogs (Apollo and Sunny), four cats (Tigee, Lillith, Mylo, and Rosie), and 17 chickens! Melissa’s favorite things to do outside of work are anything that includes her family and the outdoors. She is also an avid heavy metal fan and attends Rocklahoma every year.

Amber

Amber's Bio
Amber started working at Care Animal Hospital in October of 2020. She has always had a passion for working with animals and is currently enrolled at TCC to study veterinary technology. Her favorite part of the job is making the animals that board with us feel like they are at home as much as possible.

Amber has 2 dogs, Athena and Caesar, 2 cats Fuzzball and Rogue, 2 axolotls, Toothless and Sofia, and a 75-gallon freshwater cichlid tank that houses her Red Devil cichlid, Dan, who is almost full-grown at 15 inches. When not at work, she enjoys movies and spending quality time with her animals.

Amy

Amy's Bio
Amy has been with Care Animal Hospital since September 2021 as our weekend kennel technician. She is currently attending Oklahoma State University as an Animal Science major. Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree she hopes to begin work on her DVM license. Her favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is seeing all the pets’ cute faces and getting to play with them. She excels at helping them feel more comfortable while being away from home.

When she is not at work she enjoys spending time with her dog, friends, and family. She has one dog named Teddy who she calls her best friend.

Rachelle

Rachelle's Bio

Practice Manager

Rachelle has been with Care Animal Hospital since July 2021 but had been doing relief work here for several years prior. Rachelle grew up on a farm and always loved working with animals, especially bottle calves. As she grew up, she began to love the science behind animal care and decided to make it a career! The most rewarding part of her job is watching patients go home to their loving families. She received a Bachelor of Science in medical/molecular biology and an associate degree in applied science in emergency medical services. She is certified in canine CPR and AHA CPR for humans. Additionally, Rachelle has an EMT-B license through the Army, which means she’s also an Army Medic! She is currently a Sergeant First Class with the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

At home, Rachelle has a Miniature Schnauzer Savannah, Doberman Pinscher Turk, and two kitties named Fat Larry and Fat Patty! When she’s not at work, she enjoys spending time outside hiking and enjoying the outdoors.

John

John's Bio
John has been with Care Animal Hospital since June 2021 as our afternoon kennel technician. He has worked in veterinary medicine for over 5 years as a kennel technician. His favorite part of the job is being able to take care of all the animals that come in to board with us.

When not at work John can be found spending time with his girlfriend Bianca and their shared pet guinea pig. At home, he has a cat named Salem, 2 dogs named Stubby and Poncho, and his guinea pig named Chip.

Alexis

Alexis' Bio

Alexis works as our afternoon technician assistant and has been with us since 2018. She has worked in veterinary medicine for five years, first working kennels and then moving to veterinary assistant work. Currently, Alexis is enrolled at TCC and upon graduation will enroll at OSU for her doctorate in veterinary medicine! Her dream is to be able to work with exotics and all types of animals big and small. Alexis has three dogs named Olive Oil, Big Papi, and Max. She also has a pet rat named Randy. Her favorite part of the job is being able to work with the animals one on one, she really enjoys being able to see sick pets become well again and reunite with their owners. When she is not working, Alexis loves to paint, read, and go to as many concerts as possible!

Libby

Libby's Bio
Libby has been with Care Animal Hospital since August 2022. She started in the back as a technician assistant but relocated to reception. Her favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is getting to see all the love between humans and their furry companions.

Libby loves to read and travel to see concerts with her best friends Kayla and Aly. When she is not at the clinic, you can find her spending time with her husband and their 4 dogs, Rudy, Finn, Poppy, and Phoebe, as well as their 2 cats, Chowder and Corpse.

OUR AWESOME Clinic Cats!

Ernie

Ernie's Bio
Ernie, one of our two resident clinic cats, is the chief resident of food quality control here. He has been an important part of the Care Animal team since July of 2012. His favorite part of the job is personally testing out our warming equipment every morning and reminding Dr. Semple to grow more cat grass. Did you know that he secretly loves having between his back toes scratched and begging for as many treats as possible! He is such a bossy little kitty but he keeps us on our toes and the clinic just wouldn’t be the same without him.

Ellie

Ellie's Bio
Ellie, one of our two resident clinic cats, is the chief supervisor of our treatment area. She has been an important part of the Care Animal team since August of 2012. Her favorite part of the job is meowing at the staff to pet her and monitoring the bird feeder for violations. Did you know that she is quite fond of cat nip and is very particular about making sure the cat grass is being grown year round. She is a very special little kitty and our clinic just wouldn’t be the same without her.

At Care Animal Hospital, you’re a member of the family.

We believe in treating every patient as if they were our own pet and giving them the same loving attention and care. We are a group of highly trained, experienced animal lovers who are devoted to giving our patients the best care possible.

We’re here to make your life easier.

Keeping up with your pet’s health from your mobile device has never been easier! With our new app, you’ll have all of your pet’s health information in the palm of your hand. Plus, you’ll be able to communicate with us much easier. You’ll be able to request an appointment or refill, get reminders for upcoming appointments, and organize your pet’s records and notes!

Contact Us

Address

9717 E 93rd St.
Tulsa, OK 74133

Call Us

918-254-7122

Fax Us

918-250-8388

Hours

Mon – Fri: 7:00AM – 6:00PM
Sat: 7:30AM – 12:00PM
Sun: Closed

Send a message.

We'll get back to you as quickly as possible!