Dr. Sara Rice Smith

​Dr. Sara Rice Smith received her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania after getting her BA in European History from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Dr. Rice moved to Northern California after graduation in 1978. During her tenure, Mendocino Animal Hospital has added doctors, gained AAHA accreditation and Feline Friendly certification, added Registered Veterinary Technicians and moved into our new, up-to-date facility in 2003.

At work, Dr. Rice Smith's interests are wellness care, senior care and oncology. When not at work she seeks out anything in or on the water (swimming, sailing, kayaking, diving), travelling, gardening, cooking and entertaining her Boston Terriers, her Labrador and her kitties.

Dr. Katy Sommers

​Dr. Katy Sommers graduated from University of California Davis in 1981 with a Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Science and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). She joined Mendocino Animal Hospital in 1981. In 1997, Dr. Sommers decided to pursue her interest in the specialty of Holistic Veterinary Medicine. She became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist in 1997 and served as a Teaching Assistant for the Teaching Assistant for the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 1998.

She continues to study veterinary acupuncture, herbal medicine, integrative pain management, nutritional therapies and a host of other holistic modalities to be able to provide comprehensive holistic care to all patients. Dr. Sommers is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, the Veterinary Botanical Medical Association, and the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. Dr. Sommers is also co-author of The Complete Holistic Dog Book.

In her spare time, Dr. Sommers travels, reads, writes, and enjoys a host of equestrian activities with her Spanish horses.

Dr. Charlotte Burns

​ Dr. Charlotte Burns began her career at Mendocino Animal Hospital as Registered Veterinary Technician in 1994. In 2002 she decided to become a veterinarian, and in 2006 she received her DVM from University of California, Davis. She returned to Mendocino Animal Hospital in that same year. Dr. Burns' professional interests are soft tissue surgery, acupuncture/integrative medicine and "spay and neuter"/population control. Dr. Burns is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist through the Chi Institute in Florida.

She spends her vacation time traveling down to Sayulita, Mexico, to do volunteer work spaying and neutering dogs and cats for a local group called "Sayulitaanimals". When not working, she can be found kayaking, walking Norman, reading, Zumba-ing, fire dancing, or performing weddings.

Dr. Bethany Powers

​Dr. Bethany Powers graduated from Tuskegee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004 and moved to Roseburg, Oregon to join Bailey Veterinary Clinic. The staff and many of the clients became like family to her, but over time she developed a strong desire to learn more about holistically oriented integrative medicine. Combined with the realization that the physical demands of large animal medicine were going to become more and more difficult as the years passed, she left after nearly 10 years of practice. She was thrilled to join Mendocino Animal Hospital in 2014. Some of her interests are surgery, behavior, and nutrition. Learning herbal medicine and a whole body approach to veterinary care is her next professional goal. She also looks forward to working with the Mendocino County Animal Care Service in their spay and neuter efforts.

She and her husband Randall are happy to be in Ukiah. They both like to travel, play tennis and golf, and be taken for walks by their dog, Millie. They enjoy visiting local and regional vineyards, browsing thrift stores and working in the garden. Dr. Powers loves to cook and has been exploring her new passion of fermentation. Miso, anyone?

Dr. Emily Nietrzeba

​Dr. Emily Nietrzeba received her DVM from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 with emphasis in small animal and equine/camelid medicine. She joined Mendocino Animal Hospital in 2016. She grew up in Las Vegas, NV and wandered to western Pennsylvania to complete her BS in Molecular Biology at Haverford College. She pursued an MPH in Epidemiology and Infectious Disease at UC Berkeley School of Public Health before starting veterinary school. She has a strong interest in preventive medicine, oncology, infectious disease management, and the One Health Initiative. Other special interests include camelid medicine and herd health, and she plans to pursue her certificate in veterinary acupuncture in the near future.

Dr. Nietrzeba and her very patient husband share their home with three dogs, an ever-fluctuating number of permanent and foster felines, and a small forest of bonsai trees. She loves riding her own horses, Cooper and Guinness, and borrowing llamas to show in her downtime.