Dr. Nicole Taylor, DVM

Veterinarian

Veterinary medicine has always held a place in my heart because it allows me to not only help animals, but strengthen the bond between pets and their human family members. Being a veterinarian means providing support for clients during the stressful times of having a sick pet, and through the exciting times of adding a new furry member to the family. Creating bonds not only with my patients, but with the people who love them most brings me great joy.

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I am new to the state of Washington and have lived in Indiana for the majority of my life. I attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana for my bachelor’s degree. I then moved to the island of Grenada to attend St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine. From there, I completed my clinical training at The Ohio State University.

I have a strong interest in preventative medicine, dermatology, feline medicine, and behavior. I am certified in both Low Stress Handling and Fear Free medicine which allows me to improve the often scary veterinary experience for your pet by creating a more comfortable environment. A visit to the veterinarian does not have to be a fearful experience. My aim is to reduce stress for both you and your pet when they visit.

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Grenada left me with a sense of adventure and love for the outdoors – which ultimately brought me to the Pacific Northwest. Outside of hiking, camping, and sailing, I thoroughly enjoy cooking, film photography, and have recently taken up watercolor painting. I have two wonderful cats named Ceviche and Merlot and we are all beyond excited to be a part of the team at Cascade Pet Hospital!

Dr. Sanjuana Zaragoza

Veterinarian

I moved to Washington with my two cats (King and Harry) right out of school in 2019 and haven’t looked back. For the majority of my life, I lived in Georgia where I attended the University of Georgia for my bachelor’s degree. My love for veterinary medicine was solidified in my small apartment where I helped deliver my roommate’s dog’s litter of puppies (one which lives with my parents in Atlanta). I moved to Romania shortly after graduation to teach English for a year which was cut short when I was accepted and attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts. I completed my clinical training at the University of Missouri.

My strongest passions are preventative medicine, oncology, and surgery. My favorite part of being a veterinarian is being able to help patients to have a good quality of life and owners to enjoy that time with their beloved pets.

I am ecstatic to be working at Cascade Pet Hospital!

Dr. Alexandra Medina

Veterinarian

I’ve known I’ve wanted to become a veterinarian since I was 10 years old. Growing up in a small town in southeastern Ohio, I owned a variety of pets including hermit crabs, snakes, fish, four cats, and two dogs. I continually worked hard towards that goal, volunteering in animal shelters, wildlife centers, and working for a small animal clinic in Delaware, OH. It was at this clinic that I truly fell in love with the human-animal bond, and decided to pursue a career in general practice. I loved forming lasting relationships with my clients, and getting to strengthen their bond with their furry family member.

I graduated with departmental honors from Ohio Wesleyan University with a bachelors degree in Zoology and a minor in Spanish. I then attended the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine to obtain my doctorate.

I have a variety of passions within the veterinary field including internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, behavior, and preventative medicine. Additionally, I’m certified in Fear Free Handling, giving me the additional knowledge to provide the best experience possible for you and your animal.

I recently moved to Seattle with my partner, Andrew; our dog, Evie; and my 19 year-old snake, Mr. Snake. Outside of the office, I enjoy hiking, camping, and kayaking when I have the time. However, you can usually find me curled up with a good book, cuddling with my dog, and surrounded by my large collection of plants.

Natasha

Hospital Manager

Natasha has been in the veterinary field, working as an assistant for over 13 years. In the past 2 years she has worked her way up as Hospital Manager, and recently joined the great team at Cascade Pet Hospital. She moved up to the Seattle area 5 years ago from the Eastern part of WA looking to further her career in animal medicine and seeking better job opportunities here in the Seattle are. She holds true to her core values within the veterinary field- Integrity, Compassion, Dedication and Communication towards all clients and staff members. Creating a fun and safe work environment where everyone is heard and giving the best client and pet experience here at Cascade. She has 2 grey tabby cats name Skeeter and Triscuit. She also has a 2-year-old Labrador, Kronk. Natasha has also acquired fish and learning the ropes of taking care of them.

Celina

Assistant

Animals and animal welfare have been passions of mine for as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to grow up with three dogs and a forest for a backyard, both of which I believe played a major role in who I am today. In the past seven years I have been able to turn my passion into more than that by studying biology and animal medicine in an educational setting, volunteering at shelters and at a wildlife rehabilitation center, and now in the work that I do at Cascade Pet Hospital.

Considering where I am now, it would be surprising to most that I started my undergraduate years at the University of Washington as a pre-business major. This is what my father wanted my siblings and I to do. As we all entered our freshman year together, we began on the same path. However, we are all going in completely different directions now. My sister is completing a master’s in elementary education, while my brother has a job doing digital marketing for a company in downtown Seattle. Then here I am, about to complete a master’s degree in conservation biology and working in veterinary medicine. It has been truly amazing to do what I love while also being able to make my father proud, despite not following in his footsteps.

One bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, conservation expedition to Brazil, and veterinary assistant program later, I am happy to say that I have truly found myself. I have learned who I am on my own which, as a triplet, proved difficult. This unique field has allowed me to challenge myself and was the first step for me in becoming independent of my siblings. I have learned so much while pursuing veterinary medicine and will take what I have learned with me every step of the way as I prepare for the next big step in my life.

Ryan

Assistant

The only thing I remember wanting to be when I grew up is an animal chiropractor because you’d get to work with animals and help them feel their best. However, life had other plans for me. I grew up in northern California and only after receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Film and Television Arts from CSU, Fullerton in 2016 I found myself in the PNW, no longer interested in pursuing the film work I went to school for. I began my foray into vet med as a receptionist at an animal hospital and I didn’t look back. After working as a receptionist and getting a feel for the field for about a year, I moved into the Assistant side of veterinary medicine for more hands-on time with helping our patients. I have been an Assistant for several years now and I’ve found it is the place where it’s easy to truly care about your work.

I grew up exclusively with large breed dogs and adore them, but as of now, I have three kit kats at home with my fiancee, including 2 newly adopted formerly-feral kitten siblings, General Grievous(male, grey, shorthair) and Steve(female, grey, shorthair). Ham Sandwich (12y/o male, grey and white, long hair) and the kittens enjoy spending time with us human-folk out on the balcony of our apartment where we can watch the neighbor dogs from up high and watch the birds demolishing the bird feeder. The humans of the family also enjoy hiking the beautiful PNW, reading the best fantasy novels, gaming Overwatch, and buying new feather toys for the kittens to eagerly destroy. I look forward to meeting and treating your pets to make their doctor visit as low-stress as possible!

Ashlee

Assistant

I was born and raised in Seattle. I have had a great amount of love and passion for animals my whole life. We mostly had cats until I got my first puppy, Freyja the husky/lab, at age 6. She was the best Christmas gift I ever got as a kid. Then I got my first bunny and grew fond of them. I have a huge spot in my heart for bully breeds and have and amazing American Bully of my own. I have an American staffy/shepherd/super mutt as well and he was my first dog as an adult that I got right after high school graduation. I’ve always been interested in learning more about veterinary rehabilitation. I like being in the veterinary field not only for the animals but being able to continuously learn from different people of all levels in the field.

Annika

Veterinary Assistant

I have always had a love for animals. Growing up in California we had bunnies, chickens, cats and dogs. I grew up with Rottweilers and have always had a special place in my heart for them and other large breed dogs. When I first moved to Washington 6 years ago I wasn’t able to have any pets of my own so I became the designated pet sitter for anyone who did which allowed me the opportunity me to pursue my love of animals. I received a degree in Environmental studies from Western Washington University with the intention of pursuing disaster risk reduction. My education coupled with my desire for helping animals led me to Cascade Pet Hospital where I have learned so much about what it means to work in the veterinary field. Being new to veterinary medicine, I quickly realized how challenging yet rewarding it can be.

Sarah

Assistant

I recently moved to Washington from Boise, ID and I’m loving my new home! Growing up we always had lots of animals around and when I was 9 years old my family became volunteer puppy raisers for an organization called Guide Dogs for the Blind and that is where my true love for working with animals took off, as I was nearing the end of high school and trying to decide the best path to get to my dream job of becoming a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor I decided to follow in my older sister’s footsteps and enter the vet med field and have fallen more and more in love with the field since. I started working as a receptionist and worked my way through several positions at general practices and emergency hospitals before coming to Cascade as an assistant. I have a 9 year old yellow lab named Fountain-Joy who was the 3rd puppy I raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind and when it was decided the service dog life was not for her she became my forever girl and is my whole heart, I am also currently training puppy number 9 a yellow lab named Bliss. When I am not at work I love exploring my new home with my partner, watching Marvel movies, and taking pictures of my dogs.

Brittany

Veterinary Assistant

I became interested in veterinary medicine when I worked at Petsmart in South Carolina as a small animal caretaker. Working with small animal medicine was the highlight of my day. I moved on to work with mobile vaccine clinics in rural areas. After moving to Washington, I started to work as an assistant in general practice and just fell deeper in love with this career. I love having the chance to improve my skills and learn something new every day.

In my free time I like to play with my cats, watch scary movies and sing in the shower. I have 4 cats (Steve, Charlotte, Bonnie and Mr. Bits) that take up a lot of my time but they make it worth all the trouble with the love they show me.

Michelle

Veterinary Assistant

Working with animals has always been my passion. It started when I was young, my grandfather took me to see Clydesdale draft horses. Ever since then I have wanted to dedicate my time to taking care of animals. Growing up I participated in 4-H showing dogs and horses as well as volunteering at the local animal shelter. This gave me the opportunity to work with animals ad veterinary staff to understand what it would be like working in a clinic. I have worked in the veterinary field for 6 years and wouldn’t choose any other career. I am currently in school to obtain my Veterinary Technician License so I can further my knowledge and help patients in more ways. The most rewarding part of this job is seeing pets leave happier and healthier than when they came in. I love participating in treatments and getting to know not only all the wonderful pets, but the owners as well. I own a 3 year old Australian Shepherd and a 17 year old Appaloosa. On my days off you will find me at the barn riding and taking care of my horse.