Hospital Staff - Veterinary Technicians and Assistants

The in-patient coordinator and lead veterinary technician at Brookfield Veterinary Hospital since 2007, Audrey Hamilton is proud to be part of the friendly, caring staff at the hospital and enjoys providing high-quality care for pets.

While her spare time is devoted to her son, she also enjoys boating, skiing, going on vacations and being a car enthusiast with her husband. The family also includes two cats, Squishy and Pacino.

Susan Tharp, LVT is a licensed veterinary technician, an in-patient nurse, and the OSHA Safety Director for Brookfield Veterinary Hospital. She began her veterinary nursing career caring for penguins, parrots, and waterfowl at Sea World of San Diego. Susan holds a degree in biology and has studied at the Veterinary Technology Program at Cedar Valley College of Dallas, Texas. She is skilled at dentistry and is certified by the American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians. Susan is proud to be part of the professional, compassionate team and she takes pride in getting to know each client and each pet on an individual basis.

At home, Susan enjoys the companionship of a Westie named Tessie, a bunny named Attila the Bun, and an aquatic frog who doesn't answer to any name. Reading, playing tennis, and sewing quilts are among her many hobbies. She loves being in the mountains where she marvels at the splendor of a winter snowfall.

Aimee Hood has cared for pet guests as a nurse and kennel assistant at Brookfield Veterinary Hospital since August 2008. She loves learning new things about animal care and enjoys working with the friendly staff.

When she's not at work, Aimee is studying and filling out college applications. She is the president of her school's 4-H club and the captain of the Redmond High School swim team. At home, she enjoys the companionship of her three dogs, Donnie, Maggie and Kazu, and a gecko named Jake. Donnie received her International Championship in October 2007 and Aimee shows him through 4-H and the American Kennel Club. She also volunteers with Donnie at a retirement home through the Delta Society's Pet Partner Program.

Janelle Palmer joined the staff here at Brookfield Veterinary Hospital in June of 2010 after earning her Associate's degree in Agriculture-Veterinary Technician in May of 2010. She is currently working toward earning her Washington State Veterinary Technician license. In addition to her education, she has been working in the animal care field since 2005.

"I love to come to work every day to smiling faces and I love going home at night knowing that I helped make a difference," Janelle says of her work with us. "I most enjoy working with the surgery team to monitor animals during procedures and making them confortable while they are here with us."

Janelle has a rather large--108 pounds--mixed breed dog named Rugar Brutus that she rescued from animal shelter. Her interests include being with her family, taking Rugar to the park from some flinging, camping, fishing, and watching her nieces and nephew.

Ava Randal joined the staff of Brookfield Veterinary Hospital in late 2010 after moving to Redmond from Michigan with her two cats named Kevin and Gambit, rabbit named Hazel and lizard named Willow in-tow. She works primarily as an Inpatient Nurse assisting with surgeries and other aspects of inpatient care and is training to also perform outpatient nursing duties as well.

As a new employee at Brookfield, Ava says she feels lucky to be part of a staff that is so focused on teaching and sharing their knowledge. She adds that she has learned quite a bit and continues to learn new and interesting skills and pet care knowledge each day.

Beyond the pets she moved to Redmond with her, Ava has adopted a Cocker Spaniel named Lola from the Seattle Humane Society. In her free time, she enjoys taking Lola on long walks, rollerblading, and exploring the Seattle area.