About Our Staff
Susan-Hospital Administrator       

I have been with the hospital for almost fifteen years.  My job title is Hospital
Administrator but you will often see me outside; building, landscaping, painting, even
digging holes! I also do large quantities of paper work, take care of the inside of the
facility, help with the animal patients and their parents when needed as well as a
variety of other tasks. Currently, I am studying Acupressure through Tall Grass
Institute and have been able to, under the direction of Dr. Mills,  include this into our
massage therapy sessions. I am blessed to say that I love my job and really enjoy
both our clients and the excellent team of people I work with. My husband and I
currently share our lives with three kitties, a beautiful Australian Shepherd named
Cinnamon, an adorable Border Collie named Tobias, a wonderful funny Dalmatian
named Bailey as well as an Arabian mare named Outragus Faith. No that's not a
typo, just how they spelled it. :)  I also get to share my office with three other kitties
that are pictured below.

We are the official greeters and the most
important of all the staff here. We are the
best paid, with good food, warm beds, lots
of attention and yummy treats.
Sebastian-I am a little shy but am getting
over  that gradually. I like people, I just
know they can't ALL be trusted.
Aramis - I love everyone, including dogs,
and everyone loves me!  Sometimes, I
love people so much I just have to give
them a little love bite, I'm working on
being more gentle. I love to watch the
other staff freak out when I approach an
unfriendly dog and for some weird reason
they don't like it if I try to help one of the
patients who is being treated. I guess it
could be because I use the other staff
members as a climbing post but
personally I don't see the problem.
Last but NEVER LEAST-
Aramis,Sebastian
Who's Who  

Dr. Brenda Mills  

I started working in the field of veterinary medicine as a volunteer in 1990,
assisting in my veterinarian’s office when I was home from college.  I worked my way
into a paid position, assuming many of the duties of a veterinary nurse over the
course of the next four years.  I graduated from the University of California—Davis
School of Veterinary Medicine in 1998, and started my first job as a doctor three
months after recovering from surgery for a ruptured disc.  I came to Livermore in July
of 2000, and bought the practice from Dr. Robert Hibner in 2002.

The clinic that I started at in 1990 is a small practice with one full-time doctor and one
part-time doctor.  It is the type of place where you commonly refer to a pet’s owner as
“Fluffy’s mom, “and clients come to expect their pet to be treated as an individual.  It
was there that I learned the importance of a veterinarian’s role as an educator.  I also
learned that behavior issues, whether they pertain to the pet’s behavior in the clinic
or at home, are central to the veterinarian-client-pet relationship.  By making our
hospital a “pet-friendly” environment, and by helping Mrs. Smith tame Spunky’s
“jumping up” problem, we can enhance the lives of people and pets much more than
by practicing medicine and surgery alone.  I also believe that any good veterinary
practice should stand on a firm foundation of freeze-dried beef liver.

My behavior experience includes courses in animal behavior and in developmental
psychology at the undergraduate level, required and elective courses in animal
behavior in veterinary school, attending numerous seminars by behaviorists and
trainers, and extensive extracurricular reading.  In addition to offering new pet
counseling and limited behavior consultations, I have taught new puppy classes and
have assisted in instructing classes in the sport of Dog Agility.

I have a keen interest in orthopedics, specifically canine sports medicine, which has
arisen from my own involvement with the sport of Agility.  I take every opportunity that
I can to learn more about lamenesses and orthopedic exams from the local
orthopedic surgeons, from Dr. Mike Gleason, DC (member of the AVCA), and people
like Darryl Millis DVM, who runs the canine physical therapy and rehabilitation unit
out of the University of Tennessee.

In order to enhance our ability to treat and care for all our patients I completed a
course of study in Acupuncture through the University of Colorado. I received my
certification in 2006. This has greatly added to our capacity to treat many disorders
and to manage pain in a non-invasive way.

Otherwise, my greatest joys are new puppy and kitten exams, making cats purr, and
making friends with frightened dogs.
Leah-Veterinary Assistant
Hello!  I've been a proud employee for 4 years now and  it's been a blast! I have two
kitties that live with me, Roller and Vader. They're my babies. My favorite part of my
job is being able to see and interact with the cute puppers and kitties that come in
everyday! It's a great job to have if you love smiling!
And Jeremiah
I live in Susan's office and occasionally you'll see
me chasing someone down and yelling at them to
give me treats. I have some physical challenges
so I have ramps that let me get up and down onto
the desk. I tolerate the other two maniac boys
that live here and if they get out of line I let them
know it! I may be sweet but I'm tough as nails!
We currently have three other staff members. Sabyl, our lead RVT, Krista, our
Customer Service Rep. and Sue who is taking care of all the things the rest of us
never get to!  She helps out where ever we need her and we are grateful for her
assistance!