Our Scotts Valley Veterinary Team

Tamara Abraham, DVM

Dr. Abraham is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. She moved to Santa Cruz immediately after graduation where she completed a 1 year small animal medicine and surgery internship at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital. She then joined Pacific Veterinary Emergency Service at its inception in 1998 and provided emergency care and surgery to the community for 7 years. Since then, she has been a small animal general practitioner in Santa Cruz county. Dr. Abraham enjoys all aspects of veterinary care but has a particular interest in geriatric feline medicine, dentistry, and pain management. She has built a family consisting of 3 children, her dog and cats. In her spare time, she enjoys running, heated yoga practice, and reading.

Cheryl Dembner, DVM

Dr. Dembner obtained her DVM from Tufts University in 1990 and then completed a small animal internship in New York. She has been practicing in the Santa Cruz area since then. She enjoys building long term relationships with her clients and patients. She truly loves her profession and has special interests in internal medicine and wellness care for all life stages.

Dr. Dembner and her husband call Scotts Valley home. They have raised their two daughters in our community. When not at work she enjoys road biking, enjoying the outdoors and spending time with her animal family.

Blake Douglas, DVM

Dr. Blake Douglas was born in Monterey and moved to Santa Cruz in 1989 to attend UC Santa Cruz to study Marine Biology. His passion for animals flourished while studying elephant seals in the field at Ano Nuevo State Park, which gave rise to his career in veterinary medicine. After completing UC Davis Veterinary School in 1999 he completed an intense 1yr Internship in Surgery and Internal Medicine in Ventura, then moved back to Santa Cruz to raise a family in this special place. At work he has a special interest in preventative care, surgery, and dentistry. When not working he enjoys spending time in Lake Tahoe, traveling, as well as numerous outdoor activities including surfing, snowboarding, hiking, and riding around on his beach cruiser in search of the best sunset views.

Dana Gleason, DVM

Dr. Dana Gleason grew up in the SF Bay Area. She attended UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She began her career in private practice but soon found her passion working in shelter medicine. At Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter she developed her expertise in surgery. She has performed countless spays and neuter procedures, as well as many other surgical procedures. She recently retired from full-time work and has joined our team part-time to perform surgery. Her other retirement activities include participating in spay and neuter clinics, motorsports, tennis and gardening. She enjoys time with her husband, cats, snake and her horse. All her animals are rescues, of course!

Michellé Mac, DVM

Dr. Michellé Mac grew up in the Bay Area and found her love for animals in her early childhood. She volunteered at various shelters to gain experience in animal care. She attended UC Santa Cruz where she obtained her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in General Biology. She worked at a local veterinary clinic as a vet assistant before being accepted to St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her clinical rotations at Oregon State University and graduated in 2020 before moving back to the Bay Area to practice medicine. Dr. Mac worked in San Jose where she gained experience working with dogs, cats, and exotic animals. Now, she has found her way back to the Santa Cruz area to join the team at Mt. Hermon Vet Clinic! Dr. Mac pursued veterinary medicine because she is passionate about healing those without a voice and advocating for those who cannot care for themselves. She has a special interest in dentistry and soft tissue surgery. She enjoys bonding with her patients while taking a Fear-Free approach to practicing medicine. In her free time, Dr. Mac likes to workout, spend time outdoors with her dogs, and try new restaurants with her wife, who is also a fellow foodie. Dr. Mac loves checking out dogs on the street and makes it a goal to pet every dog she sees.

Cori Phinn, DVM, Founder

Dr. Cori Phinn is a Veterinarian and proud founder of Coast Veterinary Services. She is a Santa Cruz native who grew up riding and being involved in Pony Club. She graduated with Honors from California State University, Chico and went on to Ross University to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. She completed clinical rotations at Texas A & M and an internship at Triangle Equine Clinic.

She founded Coast Veterinary Services first as a mobile equine practice in 2008 and later in 2019 as a small animal clinic. She acquired Mt Hermon Veterinary Clinic in 2020. In 2023 she moved both practices into a beautiful stand alone clinic.

She truly loves veterinary medicine and being a part of her large and small patients lives. She especially enjoys helping dogs and cats (and their owners) with urgent care and preventative medicine as well as being in the field with her equine patients.

Dr Phinn is passionate about creating a personalized health care approach where clients receive excellent care and the patients are offered compassionate modern medicine. She highly values her veterinary team and prioritizes creating a work environment where top professionals in the industry are fulfilled and supported in their mission to care for pets.

Dr. Phinn lives in Santa Cruz County with her husband, son, and daughter. They share their lives with horses, rescue dogs, cats, chickens and potbelly pig. She enjoys spending time with her family and watching her children grow, laugh, and discover the world. When not at work she can be found trail riding her horse, traveling or snowboarding in Tahoe.

Taina Power, DVM

Dr. Taína Power spent her early childhood in rural Alaska and Puerto Rico. In middle school, her family moved to the US mainland and settled in Northern California – Mendocino county. She attended university at UC Berkeley graduating with a BA in anthropology. She eventually moved to the Santa Cruz area and worked as a veterinary technician at a local veterinary practice while attending UCSC and Cabrillo College to fulfill her vet school prerequisites. She attended Western University to obtain her DVM degree in 2009 and went on to complete a rotating small animal internship at Bay Area Veterinary Specialists the next year. She then returned to the central coast to start her practice as a veterinarian and has been working a combination of general practice and emergency medicine for the past decade. She is very excited to join the MHVH team and looks forward to getting to know her clients and their pets, collaborating together to achieve the best individualized patient care. She shares her home with her daughter Xenia, her dog Herbie and hamster Agnes. She enjoys spending time in nature, reading, dancing, music, and quality time with friends and family.

Haleh Siahpolo, DVM, CCRT, CVA

Dr. Haleh Siahpolo enjoys integrating Eastern and Western medicine to provide the best possible treatment for her patients. She obtained her veterinary degree from the University of California Davis. During veterinary school she became interested in holistic medicine and trained with a third generation traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to learn acupuncture, herbal and food therapy for animals. She completed a one year internship at the University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine in Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine. During her internship she became certified as a canine rehabilitation therapist by the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. She then entered private practice and has been caring for patients locally for over a decade. She enjoys caring for pets medical needs in all life stages and in the past few years has developed a special interest in dentistry.

Dr Siahpolo grew up in Campbell and now calls Santa Cruz home. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. You might find them playing with their dogs at the beach.

Erika Sullenberger, DVM, CCRT, CVA

Dr. Erika Sullenberger is a Bay Area native. She became a UC Santa Cruz Slug and obtained a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Becoming a Veterinarian was always her childhood dream and that dream was realized in 2008 upon graduating from the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine. She then furthered her education by completing an Internal Medicine and Surgery Internship at Bay Area Veterinary Specialists. After completion of her internship she returned to Santa Cruz to work in small animal general medicine.

Dr. Sullenberger’s passion in veterinary medicine originated in Internal Medicine and soft tissue surgery. This grew to include a special interest in pain management and in improving the quality of life in her geriatric patients. Thus she has dedicated her veterinary career to specializing in Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine. She obtained her canine rehabilitation therapist certification at the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in 2015 and certification in Veterinary Acupuncture through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2019. She shares her home with her husband, Bill Sullenberger (also a veterinarian in the Monterey area), their two children, and a menagerie of animals.

Jeralyn Terry, DVM

Dr. Jeralyn Terry was born in Southern California, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a BS in biology and a minor in Biotechnology. She attended UC Davis and earned her DVM in 2008, and following graduation finished an internship at a busy specialty practice outside of Sacramento at Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic. She comes to us after practicing at a specialty hospital in the peninsula for the last 12 years. Never feeling like the East Bay was home, she and her family recently and excitedly relocated to Santa Cruz County.

Dr. Terry thrives on building relationships with both the animals and their owners. Medically, she finds fulfillment in managing complicated cases with multiple illnesses, with a particular interest in veterinary ophthalmology, infectious diseases, and chronic endocrinopathies.

Dr. Terry and her husband Nate share their home with three cats, and a German Shorthaired Pointer rescue named Baxter. When not at work Dr. Terry is elbow deep in the garden, volunteering, hiking with the dog, or chasing her energetic two children.

Valerie Welch, DVM

Dr. Valerie Welch grew up in Maryland, and discovered her passion for animals at an early age. She earned her BS in Biotechnology from the University of Delaware. She attended UCSC and earned her MA in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. She decided to change gears and to pursue her original goal to work with animals. She worked as a veterinary assistant/technician in the Santa Cruz Mountains and loved every minute of it. She graduated from UC Davis Veterinary School in 2009, working primarily with dogs and cats. Although she has lived in Santa Cruz since 2009, she has done the majority of her veterinary work in Watsonville and Pacific Grove. She is so happy to be working in Scotts Valley and getting to be part of such a wonderful community. She shares her home with her husband, daughter, their cat Boo and their 3 chickens. In her free time, she tries to enjoy Santa Cruz County to its fullest with hiking, beach trips and working in her small vegetable garden.

Angie, Veterinary Assistant

Angie was born and raised in Santa Cruz. She started off in the human medical field but quickly followed her passion to veterinary medicine. She was worked as a client service representative and is now working with pets as a Veterinary Assistant. She is activaly pursuing her Registered Veterinary Technician degree through Pen Foster. She shares her life with two orange tabby cats. In her free time she enjoys cooking, spending time with her family and being ourdoors.

Anna, Registered Veterinary Technician

Anna has worked for over 20 years as a vet tech in the Santa Cruz Community. Her career working with animals began at the Santa Cruz Animal Shelter in the spay/neuter clinic. She has since worked in both General Practice and Specialty Medicine including Oncology and Internal Medicine. She feels honored to care for her patients and their humans.

Anna lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains with her 2 sons, 3 dogs and 2 cats. When she’s not working you might find her painting, gardening or hiking in the redwoods with her family.

Char, Veterinary Assistant

Char was born and raised in Santa Cruz. In the near future, she hopes to continue school to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. Char started working as a Veterinary Assistant in 2015 and has always loved animals. In her spare time, she enjoys playing sports and going to the beach with her dog Theo.

Christine, Veterinary Assistant

Since 2015 initially working at Mt Hermon Veterinary and later as a valued member of Coast. Christine has spent most her life loving and caring for animals including 27 years of experience as a veterinary assistant. She enjoys the relationships she has built with clients and patients over the last 15 years working at Mt Hermon Veterinary. She has been able to care for patients from puppy/kitten-hood to their geriatric years. She lives with her 18-year-old son, 12-year-old daughter, an lhasa Chihuahua mix and 2 indoor cats. When she is not at work her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and camp off the grid in forest.

Emily, Veterinary Assistant

Emily is one of our vet assistants and was born and raised in Santa Cruz County. She grew up on a horse ranch and has been a lifelong animal lover. She has worked in veterinary medicine since 2012 and has previous experience in surgery and anesthesia, emergency care, internal medicine, and ICU. After taking a hiatus to finish her college degrees, she is back in the clinic working as a veterinary assistant and client service representative. She is dedicated to making sure you and your pet have a positive experience here at Coast. Emily enjoys fostering great client and patient relationships as she understands how personal receiving medical care can be. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, surfing, yoga, hiking, mountain biking, and camping. She has a 3-legged dog Opie who she takes on many adventures and her cute but ferocious kitty Karma who would rather stay home and sleep in the sun all day. Emily has obtained degrees in Psychology and Nutrition and is currently pursuing entry into the field of Human Nursing. Emily loves all animals but has a special interest in Coonhounds and French Mastiffs.

Eva, Veterinary Assistant

Eva was born in San Anselmo, California and moved to Santa Cruz in 2018 where she got her Bachelors in Social and Behavioral Sciences from CSU Monterey Bay. She is currently a Veterinary Assistant while attending Carrington College and working towards becoming a RVT. Her love and passion for helping animals started at a very young age. She began volunteering at shelters and soon learned she wanted to be a RVT. In her free time Eva is at the beach or camping with her dog, Winnie.

Hannah, Veterinary Assistant

Hannah has been in the veterinary field since 2019. Ever since she was young she has had such a strong passion for helping animals. When she decided to make it her career she earned her degree as a certified Vet Assistant from Central Coast College. She is currently working toward becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician. Some of her favorite parts of veterinary medicine are seeing sick animals regain their health, as well as the joy the human and animal bond creates. When she is not working she is out traveling to new places and taking her dogs out for fun adventures.

Jocelyn, Registered Veterinary Technician

Jocelyn has been working in the veterinary field since 2019. She grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which had a large influence on her love and fascination with nature. She graduated from San Francisco State with Bachelor’s of Science degree in Zoology in 2019. Soon after, she continued her education at Foothill College to become a Registered Veterinary Technician, while working overnight shifts in emergency medicine. She graduated and became licensed in 2022. Her passions include surgery, analgesia, and radiology. She is currently considering specializing in Anesthesia. Jocelyn is also very passionate about environment conservation and animal rehabilitation. She has spent months doing rehabilitation work in various regions of Africa, caring for every animal you can think of, including being a surrogate mom to a baby zebra. Outside of work Jocelyn enjoys hiking, spending time at the beach, and paddleboarding, with her dog Bear always by her side.

Jojo, Veterinary Assistant

Jojo has been a passionate animal lover since early childhood. She was born and raised in Santa Cruz. Jojo grew up taking care of the family’s pets with warmth and dedication. Those same traits are evident in her daily connection and interaction with our patients at the clinic. Her passion for animal welfare and rights lead her to working with animals as a career. She studied at Ashworth University and obtained an Animal Science degree and has been caring for animals professionally since 2006. When not working Jojo can be found hiking, camping, sketching, swimming, plant-based cooking and going to see live music. She cares for 5 dogs at home and is always a supernova of positive energy in and out of the practice.

Katie, Veterinary Assistant, Floor Lead

Katie has had an interest in animals since she was very young. She has lived in Santa Cruz her entire life and has been in the veterinary field since 2013. Katie enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine and strives to provide compassionate care to each patient she meets. She is a self-proclaimed pug addict. She lives with her fiance, their two dogs and a cat. In her free time, she can be found hiking, walking her dogs on the beach, and hanging with friends watching the sunset.

Katie M., Pharmacy Technician

Katie was born in England, raised and educated in Santa Cruz. After graduating from Cabrillo College with an Associate in Arts degree, Katie decided to move into the Veterinary field embracing her lifelong love for animals. After nearly 20 years in the veterinary field Katie has a wide-ranging knowledge of veterinary procedures and has developed lasting professional relationships and has developed lasting professional relationships with many clients and their pets, veterinary doctors, veterinary staff, and veterinary service providers in the local area. Katie prides herself in getting to know clients and their pets. With this knowledge, together with her close working relationships with doctors and staff plus her understanding of clinic procedures, Katie strives to create a friendly, informed, efficient, and professional interaction with every client. During her spare time, Katie enjoys walks with her family, often exploring West Cliff Drive or Henry Cowell Redwoods, two of her favorite local spots. Katie lovingly cares for Charlie, her cat. As a kitten, he was severely injured by a wild animal. Katie and her family adopted him, ensuring that he received life-saving treatment and plenty of TLC. Charlie is now a thriving 16-year-old.

Kelly B., Veterinary Assistant

Kelly grew up in Santa Cruz and has a degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara. She traveled the world working as a farm hand and focusing on artistic pursuits until crossing paths with veterinary medicine in 2019. She is now working through Penn Foster towards an RVT license and enjoys assisting and providing client services. She has experience in emergency and surgical nursing and is excited to learn about preventative medicine. Kelly can be found outside the clinic playing music and hanging out with pugs. She has one of her own and two feisty house cats. She likes to garden and lounge at the beach and still uses a flip phone.

Kiara, Veterinary Assistant

Kiara has always had a passion for caring for animals and has always found herself surrounded by them. She has lived in Santa Cruz her whole and has worked in the veterinary field since 2023. She started her journey as a kennel technician at a dog daycare and began to pet sit and dog walk all around Santa Cruz County. She has progressed in her field and now works as a Veterinary Assistant. In her free time she takes her dogs Pretzel and Peanut on walks at Land of the Medicine Buddha or Nisene Marks. At home she lives with her partner, their dogs, cat, Hazel, two snakes, and a bearded dragon. She loves her job and strives to give all of her patients the highest level of care.

Priya, Lead Rehabilitation Assistant, Floor Lead

Priya’s lifelong passion for working with animals stemmed from her childhood growing up on a mini-farm in Pahoa, Hawaii. She grew up with cows, goats, dogs, cats, and a variety of geese and ducks, creating a love for animals of all shapes and sizes. She first got her start in the animal care world as a dog groomer in addition to helping with a foster board and training program for the SPCA. Moving into the Veterinary care field in 2017, Priya is actively pursuing her RVT license at Penn Foster with an emphasis on rehabilitation. She has enjoyed focusing on the benefits of physical therapy through acupuncture, massage, laser, and hydrotherapy with Dr. Sullenberger. In her spare time, Priya enjoys hiking with her two rescue dogs Apollo and Loki and reading at home curled up with her two cats Frodo and Artemis.

Reina, Veterinary Assistant, Floor Lead

This is Reina, a Santa Cruz local. Her love for animals started at a very young age, which only grew as she got older. Being a certified vet assistant, Reina plans on furthering her knowledge in animal medicine in years to come. Most days, you can catch her and her 3 dogs cruising the coastlines chasing sunsets.

Tasha, Lead Veterinary Assistant, Floor Lead

Tasha has been a critical member of Coast Veterinary Services since 2008. She is a lifelong horse enthusiast and accomplished rider. Tasha has been involved in Santa Cruz County Pony Club as a C2 rated member. She has experience in handling, training, riding, showing horses and she has two of her own. Tasha has completed the Regional Occupational Program course as a Veterinary Assistant and completed her Veterinary Technician program at Veterinary Allied Staff Education. She practices low-stress handling techniques for dogs and cats. She has many years of experience in a small animal veterinary hospital caring for dogs and cats with compassion. She is an important lead assistant on surgery, dentistry, and anesthesia. She shares her life with two rescue dogs, Copper, and Ollie who are frequent blood donors for critical patients.

Tera, Veterinary Assistant

Tera was born in Grass Valley, California and developed a love of animals early in childhood starting with her family dog. She graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2012 with a major in biopsychology and a minor in applied psychology. Her career with animals began with a daycare/lodging position and transitioned to Veterinary Assistant. Currently balancing veterinary care and motherhood, Tera enjoys giving her all during her Saturday shifts.

Devon, Lead Client Service Representative

Devon has always had a deep-rooted passion for animals and connecting with people. She comes to us with over a decade of client service experience. Devon lives in the community with her husband, daughter and two fur babes Baxter and Gatsby. She enjoys spending her free time in the outdoors, hiking, camping, and exploring.

Emma, Practice Manager

Emma has been in veterinary medicine since 2006 and became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) in 2009. She has primarily worked as either a Practice Manager or Hospital Administrator in specialty and emergency clinics. In 2021, she decided to explore the world of general practice and is very excited about her new journey. Emma believes that her staff are the assets and if you take care of them, they will take care of the business. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management, with a minor in accounting. Emma has been the secretary of the local veterinary medical association (MBAVMA) for Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties since 2006. She was co-founder and sat on the board for a non-profit in Monterey that provides a financial lifeline to pet parents who need assistance with veterinary care. Emma continues to help animal welfare non-profits and small businesses that need her assistance and expertise in accounting, HR and business management. In her free time she has a house full of animals, loves anything brachycephalic and has a soft spot for kitties. Emma has been married since 2007, has three children and five grandchildren. In her free time she enjoys relaxing, swimming, cooking, music and writing poetry.

Hannah, Client Service Representative

Hannah’s love for animals started at a young age. She currently lives with her three bunnies, and three dogs, Roscoe, Leon, and Raya. Hannah and her OTTB (retired racehorse) can be seen in Henry Cowell riding along the river trail. If not spending time with her animals, Hannah enjoys volunteering at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter as a dog volunteer. She has also been known to foster dogs while they await finding their future adopters.

Karen, Client Service Representative

Karen was born and raised in Santa Cruz County. She has a variety of animals her entire life. She has always worked or volunteered in animal care and welfare. A self-proclaimed dog nerd, she has a special interest in behavior and enrichment. She is also a senior chihuahua enthusiast and has 4 dogs of her own that live with her in her Watsonville home.

Kayla, Client Service Representative

Kayla has lived in the Bay Area her whole life, and has grown up with a love for all animals. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology, and is passionate about working with clients and helping them with their furry friends. She is an active foster for Cats By the Tracks and frequently takes in kittens who need temporary homes. She also has a love for horses and has spent the past five years gaining riding experience. She enjoys going on adventures with her rescue pittie Ruby, and cuddling up with her 2 cats, Ray and Gavin.

Kelly N, Client Service Representative

Kelly moved to California from Arizona in 2017 inspired by her love for the ocean. Her previous experience at an emergency and speciality hospital provided her with invaluable skills in critical animal care. With a degree in Marine Biology, Kelly’s passion for animals extends to both land and sea. She currently volunteers at the Marine Mammal Center where she helps rescue and rehabilitate stranded seals and sea lions. This hands-on experience with marine wildlife fuels her commitment to animal welfare and conservation. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys spending time with her sweet rabbit, Milo. With a blend of compassion, expertise, and a love for all creatures, she is devoted to making a positive impact in the world of animal care.

Maddy, Client Service Representative

Maddy has always had a strong affinity for animals and has been proud CSR for Coast Veterinary since 2019. She lives in Scotts Valley with her daughter, fiance, and menagerie of pets; including 2 dogs, a cat, fish, a goose, chickens, and will soon be adding a pig to the chaos! While usually working remotely, client care is of her utmost importance and she strives to create a trusting and supportive relationship between herself, the clinic and our clients and their pets.

Montse, Client Service Representative

Montse has an extensive background in customer service and an immense love for animals. As a proud dog mom to her senior pup, Chumlee, Montse wanted to bring her skills to the veterinary field so she could help other pet parents through their fur babies’ most difficult times. Montse understands the stress associated with pet ownership and strives to bring the best quality care for pets like hers. Montse has been working in the veterinary field since 2022 but is always surrounded by animals. In her free time, Montse and her dog, Chumlee, like to take walks, crochet, and watch movies.

Natayla, Client Service Representative

Natalya was born and raised in Portland, OR and moved to California in 2017. She has worked in client service for over 12 years and enjoys creating a positive environment for those around her. She has been passionate about animals since she was a kid, sharing her house with multiple cats and 1 dog, and is excited to be surrounded by others who share the same passion. She enjoys going to the beach, hiking, camping, traveling, and play days at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with her husband and son. She recently relocated back to her hometown and continues as part of the team in a remote capacity.

Simon, Clinic Cat

Simon came to us as a rescue from Santa Cruz Animal Shelter. He was hit by a car and had to have his rear leg amputated. He is amazing agile and loved by all Coast staff and clients. You will commonly find him at the front desk greeting everyone and begging for treats.

Tig, Clinic Cat

Tig was a rescue from the Santa Cruz Animal Shelter. He is a very loved member of the Mt Hermon Vet Team. He is incredibly social and is the first to greet everyone at the door. He is constantly underfoot but makes up for it in cuteness.