Sonni goes above and beyond for her clients. She brings her sense of humor, empathy, and efficiency to Firehouse Kyle. Her favorite part of the day is sharing the 100 Little Things that sets Firehouse apart from a normal vet clinic.

She makes each client interaction count to enhance the lives of pets. She enjoys educating her clients and community on all pet matters including health care, becoming a better pet parent, and pet anxiety. Having a background in animal welfare helps her better understand an animal’s behavioral needs. She can quickly spot signs of stress and anxiety and then steps to ease a pet’s fear.

Despite growing up on a farm with llamas and mini ponies, her greatest fear is frogs. Now she owns three outdoor cats named Thomas, Princess, and Freaky, who came with the house! She also owns a rabbit named Sushi and a Border Collie mix named Yari. On weekends, Sonni and her husband, Russell, enjoy time at the lake or on the river. They join other Jeep lovers in several offroading events each year. You’ll also find Sonni gardening, hiking, and reading nonfiction books.

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.

Dr McCann revolves her pet care philosophy around clear communication with her clients and preventive medicine for pets so they can live long and healthy lives. Her easy-going, thoughtful, and warm personality enable her to build strong relationships. Dr McCann is a big believer in using Fear Free techniques with cats and dogs, taking things at a comfortable pace for pets while she learns their personalities.

To stay current on medical issues and techniques, she reads medical research and literature. Dr McCann has a special interest in soft tissue surgery and ophthalmology.

Dr McCann is a Texas A&M graduate through and through — she earned her bachelor’s, masters, and DVM degrees from the university. She loves to hike, paddleboard, and bake (especially cakes!) during her downtime. Her pet is Rhett, a six-year-old border collie.

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.

Jennica’s passion for animals and veterinary medicine shines through during her interactions with clients and her desire to continue learning every day. Clients and patients alike are drawn to her friendly, helpful, and caring nature. Plus, clients appreciate Jennica’s helpful tips for preventive healthcare and that she also ensures they feel comfortable with next steps before leaving their appointments.

In her spare time, she loves to read and spend time with her family. Jennica has two dogs: a six-year-old Great Dane named Clifford and a five-year-old Pomeranian named Poppers.

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.

Amberly has great instincts coupled with lifelong compassion for animals that makes her an excellent advocate for pets. Each day she brings clients peace of mind with her attentive listening skills, ensuring her clients feel understood when they leave the hospital, and that they’re comfortable with their pet’s health care plan. She helps patients live happy and healthy lives by educating clients on preventive care for their pets.

She is Fear Free certified and stays current on her skills through industry magazines, books, and on-the-job training. A unique veterinary skill is her ability to adapt to the specific needs of exotic pets.

Amberly’s hobbies include spending quality time with her husband and two dogs, hiking and being in nature, singing and playing guitar, and anything true crime. Her pets are Ariel, a six-year-old Chihuahua, and Quest, a four-year-old lab/pit mix.

Brandy has worked in the veterinary field since 2007, helping care for Central Texas pets and educate their humans.

Since joining Firehouse in 2014, Brandy has developed a passion for helping coach and guide team members.

When Brandy is not at work, she spends her time with her two sons and three dogs, preferably at the river in San Marcos. You’ll also find Brandy volunteering at PALS of Central Texas every month to help with their spay and neuter clinic.

Shakkal Ware was born and raised in Dallas, TX. She moved to San Marcos, TX in 2012, to attend Texas State University, with her fiancé, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture: Animal Science. She has always had a special love for animals but did not realize that taking care of animals was her passion until she graduated from high school. She has 2+ years of experience as a vet technician and joined our team at Firehouse Animal Health Center in October 2017. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé and their beautiful daughter, Eliyah, hanging out with family and friends, eating out, dancing, watching movies, and volunteering to give back in her community.

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.