Meet Your Patient Care Team

Your pet’s emotional and physical well-being is prioritized at every visit by our amazing healthcare team.
We put our patients first! Always…in ALL WAYS!

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Taunia McDonald

Hospital Manager/Owner

Taunia is originally from Calgary, Canada and has been with Alpine View since graduating from PIMA Medical Institute in 2000. Hard to believe that she has been part of the Alpine View family for over 20 years. From a very young age, Taunia knew without a doubt that she wanted to spend her life working with and for animals. Originally, as a Technician at Alpine View, she had a specific interest in veterinary dentistry and surgical assisting, and simply loved knowing that she helped make a difference in the lives of the patients treated at Alpine View. In 2002, however, Taunia transitioned into her current role as Hospital Administrator. Although her role has changed, the one thing that remains the same and is Taunia’s sincere love for animals and her desire to ensure that they are receiving the absolute best veterinary care available.

As Taunia says, “We are their voice, therefore, it’s our job to make sure they are as healthy, happy, and comfortable as possible both during and after their visit to Alpine View!” Taunia and her husband Bryce live in Kenmore with their 2 children, Dorian and Araylia, and their extremely spoiled and loved Rottweiler, Alkaia, as well as their feisty cat, PITA. In her spare time, Taunia enjoys spending time with her family and dog, traveling, snowboarding, all water sports, and working on updating their family home.

Tiffany Prince

Lead – Out-Patient Nurse

Growing up on a small suburban farm with chickens, pigs, goats, horses, rabbits, cats, and dogs, Tiffany knew early on that she wanted to work with animals. She joined 4H and volunteered with an equine vet, solidifying her passion for veterinary medicine. After initially starting out with the goal of becoming a vet, Tiffany changed gears and decided to pursue a career as a vet tech instead. In the meantime, she is thrilled to be serving the patients and clients of Alpine View as she works toward her lifelong dream.

In her role as a veterinary assistant, Tiffany enjoys caring for all the fur-babies and getting to know their unique personalities. She has a particular soft spot for senior pets and the cats and dogs that get a little nervous or scared. When her own dog was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at age five, Tiffany developed a deep interest in animal rehabilitation. She loves learning new things about the underwater treadmill, orthopedic surgeries, physical therapy, acupuncture, and laser therapy.

Outside of the clinic, Tiffany has four pets of her own, including Buddy, a black lab who loves to snorkel and bring treasures back to the shore. Then there’s three-legged Felix the cat, his best friend and snuggle-buddy Sylvester, and Doc Holliday, whose favorite companion is any lap that is unoccupied. Aside from animals, Tiffany’s personal interests include gardening, cooking, hiking, and reading. A self-proclaimed homebody, you can usually find Tiffany at home with her pets and her partner, Neal.

Sierra Ohm

Lead – Out-Patient Nurse

Some people are just natural born caregivers. Anyone who knows Sierra knows she most certainly falls into this category. In fact, it was this caring nature that led Sierra to a career in the veterinary industry. As a certified veterinary assistant and our Lead In-Patient Nurse, Sierra elevates the care and service our patients and clients receive here at Alpine View Veterinary Hospital to a whole new level.

Sierra’s first taste of working with animals came at a friend’s family clinic, where she cleaned kennels and answered phones for a couple of summers while in high school. After graduating, Sierra went on to attend Pima Medical Institute in Seattle to obtain her Veterinary Assistant and Technician certification. She came to Alpine View as an intern and knew right away it was the perfect fit. Professionally, Sierra has a special interest in surgery and lab work, as both require meticulous attention to detail.

Outside of work, Sierra is happily married to her high school sweetheart. The couple recently purchased a home in Granite Falls, where they plan to raise their growing family, which currently includes their young son and a feisty cat named Bailey. Aside from being a mom, Sierra enjoys cooking with her husband, spending time in the mountains and camping in Easter, WA, where much of her extended family resides.

Jenny Magruder

LVT, In-Patient Nurse

Jenny always knew she wanted to work with and help animals in some way. When she learned that veterinary technicians collect the samples, take the radiographs, monitor anesthesia, keep patients clean and comfortable, and help to educate clients, she knew she’d found her calling.

Jenny graduated from Pierce College in 1999 and joined the Alpine View team shortly after relocating to the area in 2006. Clinically, Jenny enjoys communicating with clients about their pets. She also enjoys performing blood draws and looking at diagnostic samples under the microscope.

Outside of the clinic, Jenny lives with her husband, Doug, and their three children. Their animal family consists of three dogs: Jasmine, Castle, and Guppy. Jasmine is a princess who loves to lay sprawled on the couch, Castle would be happy being pet constantly, and Guppy is a smarty pants who will do anything for a treat. They also have two budgies: Percy and Smokey. In her free time, Jenny likes hiking, gardening, and birdwatching.

Erin Janonis

LVT, In-Patient Nurse

Erin was born in TX, the middle child with two sisters. Her family moved to Kansas when Erin was still in elementary school, and in 2011, she relocated to Washington State with her parents. Throughout that time, Erin’s interest in animals never wavered—especially her interest in exotics, of which she had many different kinds over the years. To this day, those critters serve as Erin’s biggest influence and the reason she works so hard to help other pets and their humans.

In kindergarten, Erin boldly declared that she wanted to become a bear when she grew up. It was suggested by her teachers and parents that perhaps she might compromise and consider becoming a vet instead. Erin pursued that goal with everything she had, but after graduating from Kansas State University with her degree in Pre-Vet and relocating to Washington State, Erin discovered her true calling was veterinary technology. She is also our resident dental hygienist and has a special interest in cytology.

At home, Erin has several pets of her own, including: a cat named Dalia; two guinea pigs (Morticia and Cruella); a boa constrictor named Khan; a hognose snake named Isis; and a recently rescued iguana named Godzilla. You will also find a variety of fish in her backyard pond. Erin’s favorite pastimes include cycling, playing video games, or just getting cozy. Up until her recent knee injury, Erin was riding about 80 miles a week. She’s hopeful that with physical therapy, she’ll be back to those numbers again soon!

Chelsey Brick

LVT, In-Patient Nurse

For as long as she can remember, Chelsey has always been an animal lover. As she grew older and learned of the injustices so many animals experience in this world, she developed a strong desire to help those in need. As a veterinary technician, Chelsey strives to be an advocate for animal welfare and a voice for the voiceless.

Chelsey’s professional journey began at PIMA Medical Institute in Seattle. While attending school she was offered a job at a small local animal clinic, where she worked until the opportunity arose to work at a non-profit mobile spay station. When that organization ceased operations due to the pandemic, Chelsey decided to apply for a role here at Alpine View. She joined the team in August of 2021.

Professionally, Chelsey enjoys looking at samples under the microscope, whether it’s searching for evidence of an ear infection or analyzing a blood sample. She especially loves seeing our patients get better as a result of the care we provide.

Outside the clinic, Chelsey resides with her husband and their two children. Their fur-family includes four dogs—a German Shepherd/Huskey mix named Juneau, a pug/chihuahua rescue named Pixie, a border collie mix named Vinny, and a standard poodle named Cocoa—and two cats: a white and black shoulder kitty named Ink, and Stripes, a tabby who tricked Chelsey into taking her in by faking an injury.

In their spare time, Chelsey’s family enjoys visiting the Camlann Medieval Living Museum in Carnation. They also enjoy attending renaissance fairs and dressing up in costumes.

Lanie Zimmerman

LVT

After growing up surrounded by animals and befriending all the stray cats she could find, Lanie experienced a year filled with tragic pet loss. Through this, she realized how much of a difference veterinary professionals can make when going through a difficult time. Ultimately, Lanie decided to become an LVT so she could make the biggest impact possible on the lives of people and their beloved animal friends.

In 2016, Lanie graduated with honors from PIMA Medical Institute Veterinary Technician program and went on to work at various shelters in the PNW area, specializing in felines and high volume spay and neuter. After several years in shelter medicine, Lanie decided to switch gears and move into private practice. She joined the Alpine View family in November 2023. While she loves them all, her favorite patients to work with are spicy cats.

Outside of work, Lanie is married with two amazing sons who dominate most of her time. She also has three black cats, or as she likes to call them: “house panthers”. Animals aside, Lanie enjoys crocheting, quilting, gardening, and playing video games when time allows. She is essentially an old lady at heart.

Christina VanPelt

Veterinary Assistant Out-Patient Nurse

Even as a young child, if you asked Christina what she loved most in this world, she wouldn’t hesitate to say animals and medicine. Growing up, if she wasn’t busy loving on a pet, you would probably find her flipping through books about anatomy. Going into the veterinary field was a no brainer for Christina, and it’s something she’ll never regret, not even for a second.

During her junior year of high school, Christina was accepted into the Sno-Isle animal care program and knew immediately she had chosen the right path. She completed her internship right here at Alpine View and is proud to say that she now helps to train others starting out on their veterinary journey, just as she once was. Christina’s favorite tasks include taking X-rays and performing blood draws.

Due to allergies, Christina isn’t able to have any pets of her own at home, but that just means she’s got extra love to give to all the patients who come through the clinic doors.

Nikita Karsten

Veterinary Assistant Out-Patient Nurse

As a child, Nikita wanted to work in the veterinary field, but as she got older and influenced by those around her, she decided to focus instead on human medicine. Shortly before earning her bachelor’s degree, however, Nikita felt the urge to return to her roots, one of them being her love for animals. After taking on a role in a doggy daycare, she knew she wanted more, so she shifted to animal medicine and hasn’t looked back since.

Nikita joined the Alpine View Veterinary Hospital team in November of 2023, but had already gained experience as a trainer at her previous two veterinary hospitals. She also routinely assisted with urgent and emergency cases, as well as monitored during surgery and assisted in dental procedures. Professionally, Nikita enjoys working with sick patients who require attention to detail. She also appreciates any opportunity she gets to alleviate pain—especially in senior pets.

Outside of work, Nikita is happily married to her husband, Matt, who is a software engineer. The couple enjoys playing video games together and hiking. Their fur-family includes a high-fiving, couch-potato dog named Morgan, and a demanding cat named Tonka. When she has the opportunity, Nikita enjoys making small pieces of glass work, and spending time outdoors – particularly if it involves hiking in national parks.

Pharis Phaongsynha

Hospital Attendant

Pharis is one of our amazing Animal Care Attendants here at Alpine View. We were very fortunate to be able to have Pharis here as part of a school student internship program, we knew as soon as her internship started that we would want Pharis to join our team! She is smart, hardworking, eager to learn, loves our patients, is friendly to everyone she meets, and is ALWAYS in a positive and happy mood! In Pharis’s spare time she loves arts and crafts, listening to music, making her own animations, and enjoys spending time with family and friends. Pharis is loving her position here at Alpine View and when asked says that “her favorite part about working here is seeing how much we LOVE all of our patients!” Pharis is looking forward to continuing her career here at Alpine View and loves learning new things, Pharis has even started exploring the possibility of becoming a Licensed Veterinary Technician in the future.

Peggy Faranda

Animal Care Attendant

Bio coming soon!

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Meet Your Patient Care Team