Registered Veterinary Technician / Rehabilitation Lead
A Colorado native, Jamie always felt a connection to animals and healing others. She and her first pet, a big, orange fluffy cat named Popcorn, were inseparable from day one. At age three, she decided Popcorn needed to be “shaved” using toothpaste and a comb. Needless to say, Popcorn never fully recovered his luxurious coat, but even at her young age, Jamie’s destiny was emerging.
She explored several professional endeavors before pursuing a career as a certified veterinary technician (CVT), including acquiring her Certified Massage Therapist license in 2002 from the Healing Arts Institute. After a car accident forced her to retire from human massage, she reconsidered her options. A lifetime of connection to animals inspired her to apply to the Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology from which she graduated in 2008.
Ever since, Jamie has been working hard to combine her two passions of pets and healing. Two years after achieving her CVT, she completed her Canine Massage Certification with the Boulder College of Massage Therapy and acquired a specialty certification in animal rehabilitation therapy from the University of Tennessee. When Harmony Veterinary Center opened their doors in the summer of 2010, Jamie was one of their very first staff members.
“I always wanted to work with animals and learning that they can receive and benefit from massage work just as humans can was eye-opening. Bringing my two passions together was incredibly rewarding.”
Jamie specializes in working with pets to improve their physical function and mobility. By administering full body massage, she is able to increase range of motion and blood flow, often decreasing the need for prescription pain medications or NSAIDs. She even provides tips for pet owners to keep some of that massage benefit going at home. Jamie is also the vet tech dedicated to working with Dr. Gaynor, one of the leading pet pain specialists in Colorado who sees patients at Harmony on a regular basis.
“I’m thrilled to be working at a clinic that truly looks at every aspect of pet health and wellness,” said Jamie. “Nothing makes me happier than getting animals back on their feet and living as active of a lifestyle as possible.”
Jamie lives with her husband and one very large, adopted cat who dwarfs both of her two dogs, Mr. Wallie Pickles and Wrigley Pants, combined. She thinks of Popcorn every time she grooms them, but leaves the toothpaste behind.