Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic
Our Hospital
Head Veterinary Technician
Dawn Currey
Dawn has been a veterinary technician for several years. She has four wonderful pets that keep her busy when she is at home. She has lived in Houston for the past 20 years, and her lifelong passion has been taking care of sick and injured animals.
Veterinary Technicians
Chava Septien
Chava is from Queretaro City, Mexico. He has a doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of Queretaro. From 1991 to 1994 he worked as a veterinarian in Mexico, focusing on reproduction in dairy cows. He moved to the United States in 1994. Since then he has been working with small animals. His work has ranged from kennel attendant to technician/technician manager to administrator. Outside of work he enjoys mountain biking, lifting weights, running, cycling, tennis, soccer, hiking, reading, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, and watching movies.
Janine Herrero
Janine has been with us since March, 2010. She graduated from the vet tech institute ֠Bradford on February 27, 2009. Janine likes to spend her leisure time with her husband, church family and 3 pit bulls named Juicy, King, and Chinchilla (Chilla). She has an unconditional love for the bully breeds! She also has experience as an accredited pet trainer and a groomer. Janine has grown up with the dream of saving animals lives, and she continues to fulfill that dream here at Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic.
Veterinary Assistants
Jennifer Bijarro
Jennifer has been working in the veterinary industry since 2005. However, her love of animals began when she was just a young child. Jennifer's father was in the Air Force for 20 years, and throughout that time -- when moving was a frequent occurrence -- their family cats were some of her best friends. She graduated high school in Eielson AFB, Alaska, where she was highly involved with the theatre department, student government and student newspaper. Jennifer attended the University of St. Thomas and Houston Community College and earned her Associate of Arts Degree in 2008. Jennifer lives in the Heights with her husband, who is a musician, and their growing pride of feline friends. They currently claim four cats as theirs - Thessaly, Illyria, Lyla, and Chomsky. Her favorite dog in the world- Pebbles (a pomeranian) currently lives with her parents in Texas City, but Jennifer is allowed visitation rights. Along with caring for animals, Jennifer's hobbies include reading, listening to music, taking long drives in her car, hanging out with her husband, keeping her cats entertained, following the Houston Rockets, and traveling (which she wishes she had the opportunity to do more often).
Michael Hernandez
Michael joined our team in September 2009. He moved to Houston in 2008 to attend the University of Houston, where he is an Accounting/Finance major at the Bauer College of Business Administration. Michael's animal experience includes pet sitting and dog walking for friends and family. Michael has a dog named Vince, a handsome mixed breed whom he rescued. In his spare time, Michael enjoys listening to classical music, playing competitive volleyball, and torturing Talia, our head receptionist.
Katherine Kolar
Kat was born and raised in Houston, TX. She has worked in the animal field for quite a while. She enjoys what she does and hopes to continue her journey to someday become a veterinary technician. Kat also enjoys photography.
Samantha Abbott
Samantha has lived in Texas all her life. She wanted to work with animals since she was little and her passion for them just keeps growing. Samantha started volunteering at vet offices when she was 12. She has 2 dogs of her own, one of them she got from the ASPCA and the other she found running around a neighborhood. She is always picking up every animal she sees trying to help. In her free time she stays by the water either fishing or just enjoying the view. She attended a private Christian High School and plans on becoming a technician when she can afford to continue her schooling. Dogs: Jake-Chihuahua, Marilyn-mixed lab.
Head Receptionist
Talia Dutra
Talia grew up in Long Beach, California. She's been in Texas for a few years and it's slowly becoming her home. She is currently in school as a biology major/psychology minor, studying to eventually be a cardiothoracic/vascular surgeon (one day!). She has three dogs that she admittedly spoils rotten, and she wouldn't have it any other way. She is very passionate about placing animal welfare in extremely high importance. In her spare time she enjoys quality time with her best friends, reading, independent music and film, vegan baking, and all sorts of outdoorsy things!
Receptionists
Susan R. Knapp
Susan grew up on an Arabian horse farm, in Jacksonville, Texas, a small town nestled in the heart of East Texas. In 1995, she decided to make the life-changing transition into the United States Air Force where she trained and worked as a K-9 police officer for several years. In 2000, after her service in the military, she married and moved to Illinois where she worked as a civilian K-9 police officer and EMT. Now back in her home state of Texas, she has retired her K-9 Partner and her badge and enjoys spending time mountain biking, sailing, and horseback riding with her husband and their two children, Savanah and Garrett. The Knapp family are proud owners of three awesome pets; Tytan (7 yo. Weimaraner), Crickett (5 yo Dachshund) and Penster (1 yo. Kitty cat)……… and FYI, this family bleeds MAROON !! GIG’EM AGGIES !
Nicole Gonzalez
Nicole has recently moved from Denton, TX after completing her first year of a Master's program in Counseling Psychology. After discovering that her love for animals was greater than her affinity for psychology she joined our veterinary reception staff. Nicole and her husband Richard have two loveable puppies named Ruby and June, as well as two beautiful cats named Pumpkin and Monroe. Nicole aspires to live on a farm one day, own numerous animals, and eventually open her own rescue organization or cat sanctuary. Nicole's hobbies include singing karaoke, reading murder-mystery novels, eating Thai food, and attending Texas Rangers baseball games, playing with her puppies at the dog park, and cuddling with her cats at home.
Lisa Heathcote
Lisa started with us in April of 2011. She moved to Houston in February of 2010 from South Carolina with her husband, Ti,' 2 dogs, Duke and Luna; and cat, Izzy. Lisa also has a 19 year old daughter, Carly, who is attending college in Atlanta, Georgia. Lisa grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, of course, is a Steeler fan but loves living in Houston! In her spare time she enjoys traveling, bicycling, rollerblading, and is currently attempting to be able to jog a 5K.