Who is Penny Paws?

Dr. Cynthia Garrett

Title: Lead Veterinarian for Richland Hills Animal Clinic

School:  Texas A&M- undergraduate and doctoral (1987 graduate) 

What I do at Penny Paws: Everything, but primarily diagnose and treat all Penny Paws patients and perform all surgeries

Hometown: Victoria, TX

First Pet: My first pet was any lizard I could catch

Current Pets: Radar-(Pappion/Poodle), Cash, Pepper, Katara-(Pomeranians), Krissy- (Begian Shepherd), Happy Dog- (Catahoula mix), multiple cats and 40 horses

What I like best about helping animals: Playing with all of the puppies, kittens and new additions to the Penny Paws family.

Dr. Stephanie Arnold-Galan

Title: Lead Veterinarian for Basswood Crossing Animal Clinic

What I do at Penny Paws:  Treat medical cases and perform surgeries.  I also give lots of love to all the fabulous pets we see!

Hometown: Saline, MI

First Pet: Snowy, a Persian cat.

Current Pets: Perry, Moscow, Oliver, Trouble, Sabrina, Basil and Lechuga - my fat cats; Vincent is my fat pug and Spot is my fat mouse.

What I like best about helping animals: I enjoy being able to speak for animals that can’t speak for themselves. I also love being able to speak with owners about how the services we are doing will impact their pet and help to keep them healthy. Of course, seeing the joy that animals bring their families is a huge plus too!

Dr. Jeanie Presler, R.T, D.V.M

Title: Veterinarian

What I do at Penny Paws: 

Hometown: Nokomis, FL

First Pet: Bunny the Rabbit

Current Pets: 4 Horses (Clint, Littlebit, Remmie, and Scrappy), 5 dogs (Aggie, McGhee, Kai, OZ, Jessie), Brownie the heifer, Thor the hedgehog, and Sherri the turtle.

What I like best about helping animals: The satisfaction of providing the utmost care for my patients; including surgery, preventative medicine, internal medicine, trauma, etc.

Adam J. Blackler

Title: Chief Operations Officer

What I do at Penny Paws:  I am blessed with the opportunity to lead the operations of both our animal clinics and our mobile vaccination clinics in Texas.  My responsibilities include ensuring Penny Paws provides our clients and their four-legged family members the quality of care and value they have come to expect from Penny Paws.  I also love venturing into the community to cultivate new business relationships that allow us to help more people, help their pets through our Veterinary Community Outreach program.

Hometown:  Grand Rapids, MI  - If you are wondering, I do not miss the cold and snow!

First Pet:  Sadie – Golden Retriever

Current Pets:  Barkley – Miniature Poodle & Gus – Yellow Lab (both of our “boys” are rescue animals)

What I like best about helping animals: When I look at the number of pets we help each week, I can’t help but feel fulfilled.  Helping so many pets get healthy or stay healthy is rewarding and to top it all off, it brings me even more joy knowing those pets can continue to provide happiness and comfort to their families.

Kat Basye

Title: Practice Manager

What I do at Penny Paws: Provide leadership to our teams at Richland Hills and Basswood and ensure that the daily operations of the clinics offer a positive client experience.

Hometown: Lisburn, Northern Ireland (Yes, I do still have a wee bit of an accent).

First Pet: Tibbs ( black and white kitty)

Current Pets: Kes and Zen, (Border Collies), Ashley, (Blue Calico kitty)

What I like best about helping animals: I love to see the happiness that pets bring to people. It is so rewarding helping clients to keep their beloved fur-babies fit and healthy.

Allison Wilson

Title: Receptionist

What I do at Penny Paws:   I greet Clients, make appointments, answer calls, Team helper.

Hometown: Akron, Ohio 

First Pet: Layla, German Shepherd Mix

Current Pets:  Asia, Border Collie mix, and Jax the Cat.

What I like best about helping animals: It brings me joy being able to help animals stay happy and healthy so they can continue to love their people.

Anna Fultz

Title: Veterinary Technician

What I do at Penny Paws:   I assist the doctors to help diagnose and treat all patients.

Hometown: Keller, Texas

First Pet: Santana - boxer

Current Pets:  Typhon the Python - yellow pastel ball python & Binx - Domestic short hair.

What I like best about helping animals: I love being able to be a voice for innocent creatures that can't do so for themselves. Helping animals is a passion and dream of mine that I plan to continue my entire life. Seeing patients feel better and regain a good quality of life because of my help is the most rewarding feeling in the world and it never fails to leave a smile on my face. 

Ashley Nixon

Title: Vet Tech

What I do at Penny Paws:  I assist the doctor during exams and procedures 

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

First Pet: Pit bull named lizard

Current Pets: 2 dogs now and their names are Kaia and Kobe

What I like best about helping animals: Helping animals makes me feel like I'm making a positive difference in the world. 

Casey Patriarche

Title: Lead Veterinary Technician

What I do at Penny Paws:  Lead the team to success in treating our clients and their furry family members like they were our own.

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

First Pet: Shotsie - Dachshund

Current Pets: Tootsie Roll - Dachshund and Roxy - Pitbull

What I like best about helping animals:  Being able to put a smile on our clients faces, and the “wag” back in our patients tails.

Cassidy Furkin

Title: Receptionist/Customer Support

What I do at Penny Paws: Welcome clients with friendly smiles, answer calls and make appointments, also try and make each Owner and their babies feel at home.

Hometown: Cresson, TX

First Pet: I liked Worms.....

Current Pets: Reeces.....more to come

What I like best about helping animals: Truthfully...ALL THE WET KISSES!! I also love knowing we are making a difference in not only the babies future, but for their human best friends too. I am blessed to get to work with such amazing babies daily!

Candra Fannon

Title: Lead Customer Support Specialist

What I do at Penny Paws: I do my very best to help serve every client and their fur-baby in every way possible.

Hometown: Kennedale, TX

First Pet: Bear, a poodle mix

Current Pets: Braunx an American Pit bull, Tyrone a Boxer and Freya the cat.

What I like best about helping animals: Helping Animals has truly become a passion for me. Going home everyday, and knowing that I've helped a Fur-baby who can not help themselves is the most rewarding and meaningful  feeling in the entire world.

Chabre Smith

Title: Vet Tech Assistant

What I do at Penny Paws:  l assist the Vet Techs and Doctors in taking care of the animals that come in.

Hometown: Moved around my whole life so I don't have one necessarily.

First Pet: Fish

Current Pets: 2 terriers

What I like best about helping animals: I love helping those that can't help themselves.

Crystal Hall

Title: Veterinary Technician

What I do at Penny Paws: Assist the doctor with getting information about pets and their ailments and try to be an advocate for them in trying to get them well and keep them well.  

Hometown: River Oaks, TX

First Pet: German Shepherd named Dutchess

Current Pets: Canine Mix named Patches; Chihuahua/Dachshund named Rugrat; Husky named Skye

What I like best about helping animals: Being able to help them and make them feel better and seeing the process of pets getting better and staying healthy and growing.

Elizabeth King

Title: Veterinary Assistant

What I do at Penny Paws: Assist the veterinary technicians with their appointments and surgeries..

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX

First Pet: Sugar, a Smooth Fox Terrier.

Current Pets: Brandy, a Shar-Pei/Chow mix and Daisy, a brown tabby DSH.

What I like best about helping animals: Giving owners the right tools to keep their pets healthy, and can't forget giving pets their hugs!

Evan Strickland

Title: Animal Tech/ Intern

What I do at Penny Paws: I assist the technicians and veterinarians in daily procedures.

Hometown: Lampasas, TX

First Pet: Sammy Sosa

Current Pets: Paisley (Daschund), June (Boxer)

What I like best about helping animals: It brightens my day and gives me great satisfaction to see the the smiling faces of the owners and the wagging tales of the animals that come through our clinic.  

Jessica Howard

Title: Veterinary Technician

What I do at Penny Paws:  I assist the veterinarian in all appointments and with surgeries.

Hometown: Arlington,TX

First Pet:  Rat Terrier named Dino

Current Pets:  basset hound/beagle mix, named Barkleigh, a Chinese crested named Simone, a long-haired dachshund named Penny, a chinchilla named Morpheus, and a betta named Max

What I like best about helping animals:  Is seeing the joy in the client's face when we have helped their fur-babies. There is nothing like the bond between a pet and their humans!

 Katie Fay

Title: Veterinary Assistant 

What I do at Penny Paws:  I assist the Doctors and technicians in the care and keeping of animals.

Hometown: Saginaw TX

First Pet: Daisy the Rat terrier 

Current Pets: Gracie Mae (Great Dane, 1yr old.), Sampson (Shepard Mix, 15 yrs old), Oakley (Beagle Mix, 2 yrs old), Delilah (Domestic medium hair, 10 months old), Rascal (Domestic short hair, 2 yrs old), and two gold fish.

What I like best about helping animals:  The best part about helping animals is the love and appreciation we get from our patient after treatment.

Kirsty Allen

Title: Receptionist/ Customer Support/ Vet Assistant

What I do at Penny Paws:  Greet Clients with warm welcomes, and help when our team needs assistance with anything. 

Hometown: Ft.Worth, Texas

First Pet: Bear, A poodle mix.

Current Pets: Beta, a fish.

What I like best about helping animals:  Seeing their tails wagging and lick our faces with joy from a pain free healthy life.

Martin Brown

Title: Veterinarian  Technician

What I do at Penny Paws:  I assist the doctors in their exams and help out our clients.

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX

First Pet: Terrier mix

Current Pets: Wired hair fox terrier

What I like best about helping animals:  I honestly can't tell you I just love animals and what better way to show my love for them

Melanie Benson

Title: Receptionist/ Customer Support Specialist 

What I do at Penny Paws:  Greet Clients, Answer calls, and make appointments. 

Hometown: Selby, England

First Pet: Tiny, a dog.

Current Pets: Bella a Dog, and Furguson, a rabbit.

What I like best about helping animals:  Seeing a happy animal and owner leave the clinic after getting the treatment they need.

Nicole Hellman

Title: Assistant VCO Coordinator, Veterinary Technician

What I do at Penny Paws:  Assist in the coordination of the VCO clinics and assist the team in veterinary procedures.

Hometown: Brenham, TX

First Pet: Buffy - Cocker Spaniel

Current Pets: Dogs: Hank, Zeke, Ellie.  Cats: Blackie, Captain, Otis

What I like best about helping animals:  I have always loved being around animals and it makes me so happy to be part of a great team that has the goal of keeping pets healthy.  I love to help animals heal and I love educating pet owners on how to keep their pets healthy. 

 Sergio Castro

 Title: Receptionist

 What I do at Penny Paws: I welcome our wonderful clients, make appointments, answer calls and love on our patients when given the chance! :)

 Hometown: Fort Worth, TX

 First Pet: Ginger and Fred

 Current Pets: Alena, Remus, Romulus, Roxy, Khloe

What I like best about helping animals: Pets will love anyone who can treat them well and make them happy. While I enjoy helping pets, the love they show in return is priceless. 

Robin Adams

 Title: Accounting Manager/HR

 What I do at Penny Paws: I handle all of the bookkeeping and HR for Penny Paws.

 Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado

 First Pet: A Goat

 Current Pets: 6 Dogs – Wyatt, Sadie, Tucker, Turbo, Milo and Charlie and one Cat - Arejay

What I like best about helping animals: The love and appreciation they give in return.

Rachel Carroll

 Title: Director of Veterinary Community Outreach 

 What I do at Penny Paws:  I handle our Veterinary Community Outreach (mobile vaccine clinics). I Love working with a wonderful team like Penny Paws.

Hometown: New Orleans, La

 First Pet: Bandit - English Cocker Spaniel

 Current Pets: Boaz - German Rottweiler

 What I like best about helping animals: They don’t have a voice and I love to be able to help them in any way I can. They love you unconditionally, which makes it worth it every day.

Gina Barragan

Title: Order Fulfillment/Administrative Assistant

 What I do at Penny Paws:  I fulfill online, VCO, and animal clinic prescription requests that clients order for home delivery. I also provide administrative support to the central office staff.

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

First Pet: Two hamsters named Daisy and Donald.

What I like best about helping animals: Knowing I’m helping pet parents provide the comfort and attention that their fur babies give unconditionally.

Griselda Montante

Title: DFW VCO Team Leader

What I do at Penny Paws: Manage DFW office to ensure the teams are ready to go out every Saturday.

Hometown: Coahuila, Mexico

First Pet: Zamby

Current Pets: Chloe, Camila, Kibo and Scoots (Calico)

What I like best about helping animals: I have always loved animals. I'm blessed with the opportunity to lead the DFW clinics and being part of a team that works hard to keep pets healthy. 

 Laurie Trevino

Title: DFW Office Assistant

What I do at Penny Paws: Assist in the Arlington Office to keep things running smoothly. 

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX 

First Pet: Caleb (Sheltie)

Current Pets: Gabe, Reese, Baby Kole, Baylee, Piper and Oliver

What I like best about helping animals: They are heartwarming and they are sweet souls, and I treat them like my kids. 

 Julie Zaragoza

Title: Records Specialist

What I do at Penny Paws: Answer phones and assist our clients with all their pet needs. I do whatever it takes to make our clients happy. 

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX 

First Pet: Chica 

Current Pets: Cookie

What I like best about helping animals: The love they give us in return and being able to help keep our clients happy and smiling. 

 Kelley Garcia

Title: VCO DFW Auditor/Inventory Specialist

What I do at Penny Paws: Audit files, Prepare our mobile clinic kits and vaccines. 

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX 

First Pet: Taylor Joy

Current Pets: Fiona Lily, Ava Rose, Herschel James

What I like best about helping animals: Educating pets owners on their needs so they can live a long happy life. I love all animals and would go above and beyond to help them.