Dr Staci Hansen makes veterinary visits easier for her clients and their pets. Clients value Dr Hansen’s focus on communication during and after appointments. They also appreciate her help when developing a customized and comprehensive, yet realistic, post-visit care plan to suit each individual family’s lifestyle. As a working mom, Dr Hansen knows how busy life can get!

Dr Hansen enjoys all pets, especially cats and exotics. She is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV). She is trained in Fear Free techniques to calm nervous cats and dogs. She moves slowly with anxious cats, sits on the floor with large dogs, and will even work in the open treatment area for pets who feel too confined in the exam room.

She stays current on veterinary skills and knowledge by attending Exoticscon, the annual exotics conference. She also invests time in local continuing education, regularly attending feline and canine seminars.

Dr Hansen received her degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. On weekends, Dr Hansen volunteers at Austin Wildlife Rescue and with Girl Scouts of Central Texas. Her favorite hobbies include traveling, baking, and geocaching. Dr Hansen and her husband share their home with their sweet son, three spoiled dogs, two lovable cats, and four adorable guinea pigs.

Clients appreciate Dr. Emma Bak’s collaborative approach to patient care and her warm personality. She educates clients to feel empowered so they make the best decisions for their pets. She speaks to clients in a language they can understand and her expertise and friendly disposition help clients feel welcome and comfortable.

She understands that each pet is unique and tailors treatment plans to meet their needs.

For Dr Bak, Fear Free is more than a certification. She strives to keep pets comfortable and stress-free during her visits.

She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. She attends continuing education seminars to learn and grow within the veterinary field.

Dr Bak received Bachelors in Animal Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from the University of Minnesota. In her spare time, she hikes and practices yoga. She also enjoys exploring Austin’s food and social scene. She shares her heart with her three pets – Fleur, a Siamese mix cat; Albus, an orange tabby cat; and Teddy, a Shih-Tzu/Poodle mix dog.

Crystal’s collaborative leadership skills are amplified by her desire to build connections, as well as educating clients and team members, and ultimately keeping animals healthy and happy. She ensures that each patient is handled with care and love by building lasting relationships with pets and their owners. Crystal has over fifteen years of technician experience, four years of management experience, and uses her vast pool of knowledge to help educate clients so that they feel confident caring for their pets.

Because Crystal is familiar with both the medical and business worlds, she can focus on the animal health aspects while also understanding what is required for employee and business growth. This allows her to assist clients more fully, no matter what types of questions or concerns they may have. She keeps her knowledge up to date by researching innovations in the veterinary field, learning from drug representatives, veterinarians, and her colleagues, and attending conferences (her favorite is the American Animal Hospital Association’s Connexity seminar).

Crystal attended Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, where she also played volleyball, before starting her Firehouse career seven years ago at our Davenport location. Since then, she has worked as a microbiologist for the Texas Department of State Health Services and presented safety measures to Marines and their Military Working Dogs. She is currently working on her graduate degree at Texas A&M University-Commerce. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, reading, and testing out new recipes. She also enjoys playing volleyball, basketball, and running track. She shares her home with her two spoiled dogs, Duke (a Pit Bull) and Princess (a Pit Bull mix).

Jessica grew up in Abilene, TX with a house full of dogs and cats. She moved to the Kyle area to attend Texas State and graduated with a BA in Anthropology in 2014 but liked the area so much she never left. She currently lives in Kyle with her two best friends, her sister, and their four cats. She enjoys creative hobbies like painting and sewing as well as continued learning about anything and everything, especially history and other cultures.

Jessica has been a proud member of the Firehouse team since 2016.

Mikayla utilizes Fear Free techniques and comforts scared pets to make them feel more comfortable. Mikayla takes her time with all patients, offering treats, quiet time, and breaks to help pets have an easy, calm experience. Clients appreciate Mikayla’s collaborative approach and how she takes time to explain treatment plans and answer all of her clients’ questions.

Mikayla advocates for each patient and enjoys teaching clients about the importance of lab work and prevention (especially heartworm prevention). She loves to continually learn, so she shadows her peers and asks questions to help her better understand new processes and treatments. Currently, she attends Austin Community College, where she is working toward a degree in Applied Science for Vet Technology. While she loves all animals, she is partial to Chihuahuas (and is especially patient for those who are nervous or scared) and horses. When not working, Mikayla likes to try out new restaurants and spend time with her dogs: Nala (Chihuahua), Mamas (Pit Bull), and Lily (Pit Bull).

Jamie brings her strong work ethic and unconditional love for pets to work each day. She helps Firehouse clients get the best medical care for their pets by asking lots of questions, offering tips on home healthcare and lots of continuing education at her favorite annual conference, the American Pets Alive! conference.

Jamie helps pets feel at ease when they visit Firehouse since she’s experienced in handling even the most irritable pets. She is passionate about Firehouse’s commitment to philanthropy and helping shelter animals since she worked at a no-kill shelter to save as many lives as possible in Texas. Outside of work, Jamie spends time with Kylo, her 4-year-old domestic shorthair tabby cat and Gunnar, her 3-year-old black and white pointer collie mix.

Kelli makes a huge effort to enforce Firehouse Animal Health Center’s Fear Free standards as well as getting to know our patients on a more personal level to create a comfortable and enjoyable environment for both clients and patients. Clients appreciate Kelli’s friendly personality. Firehouse loves that she’s driven, dedicated, and a fast learner.

As an assistant, she works closely with Veterinary Technicians and Veterinarians, to ensure quality care for patients throughout their lifespan. She has a passion for behavior specialties as analyzing and modifying behavior comes relatively naturally to her.

She is currently working toward her Veterinary Technician degree at Austin Community College. She has two pets of her own: a blue-nosed Pitbull named Jerry and a tabby colored Domestic Shorthaired cat named Brisket (who thinks he’s a dog).

Gabe’s calm and helpful demeanor helps him connect with clients and their pets. To help care for patients, he is focused on the details, recognizes if the pet is stressed, and works as fast as possible so clients can return to their life outside the hospital. He is very efficient in working with clients to uncover the details that Firehouse doctors will need for each cat or dog’s visit.

He enjoys learning from his colleagues in the hospital. Gabe truly loves helping pets prevent illness and get better if sick.

Gabe has three pets of his own: Daisy Denise, an English Bulldog; Milo, a chihuahua; and Achilles, a pitbull.

Esterleane was raised in Waco, Texas where she grew up with family pets. She knew at a young age that working with animals was what she wanted to do. In 2012 she moved to the Austin area to attend Texas State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture-Animal Science. In 2016 she started her career as a client service coordinator in the veterinary field. This allowed her to express her compassion for animals and to be their advocate. The following year she wanted to do more, so she became a veterinary technician in Dripping Springs, Texas. In April 2018, she joined Firehouse Animal Health Center as a full-time veterinary technician.

When Esterleane is not working she spends her time with family going fishing, playing games, watching movies and dancing. She has an awesome dog named Oreo and a goldfish named Shark who she loves dearly. In her spare time, she gets out in the community to support the local groups and shelters.

Janelle works hard to exceed expectations for her clients and pets, helping them feel comfortable and making sure that their needs are met. She aims for people and pets to feel like Firehouse Kyle is a second home. Janelle is bilingual.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in General Studies with a concentration in International Studies, Business Administration, and Sociology from Texas State University. Janelle loves leadership conferences, being with her family, the outdoors, and playing sports. When not working, she enjoys free writing in her journals and reading non-fiction books. She also loves gardening and growing new vegetables. Janelle grew up in a small border town called Eagle Pass, TX on the outside city limits on a small 3 acres land with a horse, pigs, sheep, goats, and dogs. Her pets are Zoey Ren, a 4-year-old Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix, and Hank, a 4-year-old pitbull/boxer mix.

Margarita Barco brings to her role a passion for animals and a desire to help provide high-quality healthcare for patients. She couples those feelings with the ambition to continue learning and improving in her field. Margarita wants every pet who visits Firehouse to feel safe and happy. She helps provide excellent care by ensuring each animal is comfortable, providing extra love and attention to all her patients, She also helps educate owners on the importance of disease prevention, dental cleaning, and spay/neuter procedures.

Margarita was raised in Lasara, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley where she grew up with family pets and cattle. In 2012, she moved to San Marcos to attend Texas State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture-Animal Science in 2016. Shortly after graduation, she began her career in veterinary medicine as a veterinary technician and has enjoyed every minute of it. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, reading, fishing, and going to the river. She has two well-loved dogs: a dachshund named Beans and a Chihuahua named Oliver. Margarita is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Kayla is a hardworking, compassionate animal-lover who strives to make all pets comfortable while at Firehouse. Her experience with a variety of animals (including reptiles, ducks, horses, and even raccoons!) means she is adept at providing excellent care for all critters. Clients appreciate that she is detail-oriented, thorough, and empathetic. They also love her sense of humor and professionalism. She has experience working at a shelter and a boarding/training facility for dogs.

Kayla is working toward a degree in microbiology with a double minor in animal science and chemistry. She has two pets of her own—Asher, a two-year-old Rottweiler, and Madison, a Polydactyl cat. She regularly fosters baby kittens as well.

Savannah has always loved animals and grew up with just about every pet you can have within city limits. She learned her passion was caring for animals while working at a pet store during college. Clients will enjoy working with Savannah because she is a patient listener, focused on details, and a compassionate advocate for animals. She seeks to understand each family who comes into Firehouse, so she can help provide them with personalized care.

She considers herself a lifelong student, so she is constantly and avidly learning new things to improve her care for all types of pets and the people who love them.

Savannah is from Lubbock, TX, where she also attended Texas Tech University. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s in English from Tech, then attended Texas State where she received a Master’s in Secondary Education. When she is not working, she likes to play board games, write, and read anything within reach. She has several pets of her own: Nyx, a one-year-old Wheaten Terrier/Standard Poodle mix; Luna, an eleven-year-old tabby cat; and Emrys, a twelve-year-old corn snake.

Ashley believes in transparency and detailed communication. She knows these are invaluable to making appointments stress-free for clients. Her sense of humor and detailed explanations help everyone feel welcome and valued. Ashley takes time to evaluate each patient’s stress levels, ensuring her approach is a good fit for each pet. Ashley is efficient when treating her clients.

Her passion is helping patients live happy and healthy lives. She takes the time to teach clients about prevention, oral care, and answer their questions. Each pet in Ashley’s care receives lots of love and treats!

After taking veterinary science and raising hogs for 4-H in high school, she received her Certified Veterinary Assistant certification. She plans to return to school to complete her zoology degree. Ashley shares her heart and home with her one-year-old daughter Emmy and her four pets: Danny Boy, a Shar-Pei mix; Lily, a Poodle mix; and Duke and Kitty, domestic shorthair cats.

With over ten years of experience in the veterinary field, Jen brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to Firehouse. A thorough advocate for patients’ needs, Jen strives to make each visit as stress-free as possible. Clients appreciate her easy-to-understand approach to care, and how she takes time to educate pet owners on the importance of lab work and prevention. She also gives home care suggestions and advice for clients so that they can continue to ensure their pets’ best care outside of Firehouse, such as how to administer medications and other helpful tips.

Jen utilizes Fear Free techniques to keep patients comfortable while in her care. She tries to learn something new each day, and shares her knowledge with her coworkers. Jen is quick and efficient with her patients, and she has experience working with a variety of animals, including: livestock, birds, snakes, rodents, and fish, among others.

When not working, Jen enjoys relaxing at home with her pets: Nero, a Siberian Husky/Irish Wolfhound mix; Legacy’s Untamed Kilo (Kilo), an AKC registered Siberian Husky (who is related to “Dewey” from the movie 8 Below); and her two cats, Zorro, a black domestic short hair, and Mustachio, who has half a mustache.

ReeAnn’s motivation to assist every patient’s needs comes from the connections she makes with clients and a desire to ensure that every pet feels safe and comfortable. She utilizes Fear Free techniques and adjusts her techniques based on patients’ body language and individual needs. Her strong work ethic and dedication makes her an intricate part of the Firehouse team. Clients appreciate her welcoming demeanor and thorough approach to patient care.

ReeAnn recently received her Bachelor’s in Animal Science with a concentration in pre-vet from Texas State University. She plans to follow her passion for animal health and safety by attending vet school. As a technician assistant, she hopes to learn more about animal welfare and facilitate the needs of patients at Firehouse while continuing to grow within the veterinary field.

When not working, ReeAnn enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking with her Poodle mix Remi and her rescue dog Molly. She has a passion for nature and exotics pets; she has owned a Ball Python and hopes to own another soon.