Dr. John Arnold was born in Seal Beach California and has practiced as a veterinarian in Nevada, California, Oregon, and Colorado. John is a proud CSU Ram, he attended Colorado State University for his BS in Zoology, MBA, and DVM. While attending the CSU School of Veterinary Medicine he met his future wife who is now a Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon and Surgical Oncology Fellow. Both Dr. Arnold and his wife graduated with the class of 2006.

John’s proudest accomplishment is being a father to his daughter Rylee Rose, who was born in May of 2015 and is quickly turning out to be an avid rock climber and hiker like her dad. In addition to enjoying rock climbing and hiking with his family and border collie mix, Lucy, he also enjoys playing ice hockey, soccer, and traveling. Dr. Arnold first joined the Raintree family in 2008 and in addition to practicing traditional veterinary medicine is also AAVMA Certified in Veterinary Acupuncture.

Some of his professional interests include cancer management, pain management, surgery, anesthesia, dermatology, and strengthening the human-animal bond. You may see John climbing or biking around Horsetooth or up Poudre Canyon… or enjoying his favorite meal (Brunch) with his daughter downtown. John is still actively involved at CSU. You may see him on campus giving presentations to the Pre-vet club or meeting with graduate students on what life is like as a practicing veterinarian. John also started a mentoring program at Raintree that gives future veterinarians an idea of what life is like at the hospital.

Dr. Kathryn Touran is a native of Petoskey, Michigan and grew up roaming the wild lakes and forests, developing a close bond with all the animals of the land. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she also competed at the national level with their Division I Track and Cross Country teams. She continued her education at Ross University of Veterinary Medicine, and Colorado State University-College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in January, 2009. Prior to becoming a member of the Raintree team, Dr. Touran worked in both ER and general practice for over ten years in Northern Colorado. Dr. Touran’s professional interests include surgery, dentistry, and multi-modal pain management, and she is particularly excited about keeping our older companions active and comfortable long into their twilight years. In her free time, Dr. Touran can usually be found working on her property with her husband, Pedro. She also continues her lifelong running passion, raises Thoroughbred horses, and loves to spoil her four dogs, three cats, macaw, and little flock of chickens.

Dr. Holwegner is a Colorado native, growing up in the Denver Metro Area. She attended Colorado State University for her undergraduate degree, studying Zoology and Music.

Upon graduation, she remained in Fort Collins where she met her husband, Steve, worked as a veterinary technician and continued on to attend veterinary school at Colorado State University. Dr. Holwegner has worked in small animal private practices in northern Colorado and Thornton prior to joining the Raintree team. Her interests include internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, and the human-animal bond.

Blair and her husband share their home with their dog Evie, their cat Griz, and their parakeet Charlie. She enjoys singing, gardening, being outdoors, and is an avid bird watcher.

Dr. Amanda Lor was born and raised in Duluth, Georgia and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!). She then continued her education at the University of Georgia for her doctorate degree in veterinary medicine and graduated in 2019. After graduation, Dr. Lor moved to Fort Collins and worked in a small animal practice in Milliken before joining the Raintree team this year. She has a strong interest in soft tissue surgery, dentistry, caring for our senior patients, and preventative medicine.

Dr. Lor currently lives in Fort Collins with her husband Jacob, two dogs Lilly and Harper, and cat Gus. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, hiking, gardening, and reading.

Originally from western Montana, Dr. Barrera received her undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and her DVM degree from Colorado State University in 2006. She then completed a rotating internship at Animal Surgical and Emergency Center in Los Angeles, CA, followed by a surgical internship at Oregon State University. Dr. Barrera then returned to Colorado State University to complete a residency in small animal surgery in 2011, followed by a one-year fellowship in Surgical Oncology at Colorado State University’s Animal Cancer Center in 2012. Dr. Barrera has presented and published articles in the areas of endocrine and minimally-invasive surgery and loves showing how fun surgery can be to general practitioners, lecturing at conferences, and teaching surgery continuing education laboratories multiple times a year. Dr. Barrera enjoys all aspects of small animal surgery, with particular interests being surgical oncology, soft tissue and orthopedic minimally-invasive surgery, and endocrine surgery. Dr. Barrera is very excited to partner with her amazing technicians, Michaela and Megan, to bring specialty surgery to Raintree Animal Hospital.

Outside of veterinary medicine (and most importantly!), Dr. Barrera enjoys spending time with her husband John, daughter Rylee, cat Mango, and mountain mutt Lucy Goose. As a family, they love to travel, do road trips in their family camper van Huckleberry, hike, go backpacking, cook, and read.

Dr. Joyce Thompson is a Colorado native and attended Colorado State University for BS in Microbiology, MS eligible in Anatomy/Neurobiology, and DVM in 2004. She became certified in medical acupuncture in 2013.

Prior to her veterinary career, she was a certified pet dog trainer and Head of Behavior and Training at the Longmont Humane Society for 10 years. Behavior and training are still integral facets of her veterinary practice today. She practiced at a high-quality, small animal general practice in Arvada for the majority of her career and moved to Windsor in 2017. In 2019, she became the veterinarian at the Wild Animal Sanctuary and Refuge where she cared for nearly 700 wild animals from lions and bears to coyotes and camels. While these amazing exotic animals held a special place for her, she missed working closely with clients and their furry families, which prompted her return to small animal general practice. She joined Raintree Animal Hospital in November 2022 and will be at the Timnath location. Her special interests are pain management including acupuncture and laser therapy, dental care, behavior, and wellness medicine for all life stages, and emphasizes gentle low-stress handling.

In her time away from work, she enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, reading, and knitting. She shares her life with her husband Brad, step-daughter Madi, and their furry crew, Labrador Dallas and black kitty Daisy. She looks forward to working with you and your furry family!

Dr. Leigh Browning grew up in the Boston area and completed her undergraduate degree in Comparative Literature at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. A career change to veterinary medicine brought her west to Fort Collins, where she received her DVM from Colorado State University in 2017. After completing a small animal rotating internship at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center, she returned to settle in Fort Collins, where she has been working in both ER and general practice ever since. Dr. Browning is the newest addition to the Raintree Timnath Location and is so happy to be a part of this new community and team. As a Fear Free Certified practitioner she loves working with clients and patients to make visits low stress. Her other professional interests include internal medicine, urgent/emergency care, dentistry, and preventative care.

Dr. Browning lives in Fort Collins with her husband Dan, children Ari and Annette, dog Birdie, and three babydoll sheep (Cinnamon, Sugar and Nutmeg). She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, cooking, being outside, and dreaming up home improvement projects.

Dr Sarah Nelson moved down to Northern Colorado to attend veterinary school, and fell in love with the area! She graduated from Colorado State University in 2014, and has been practicing medicine for dogs and cats in the area since. She particularly enjoys dentistry, dermatology, and helping keep senior pets healthy and moving!

She and her husband Cody enjoy road trips, trying to cook new dishes, and slowly renovating their 1930’s house! Dr Nelson has 2 lovely ragdoll cats, Ivy and Piper, and a small flock of very spoiled hens.

Susan was born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. In the summer of ’97, she moved to the wonderful state of Colorado to attend Colorado State University. In 2001, she graduated with a BS in Wildlife Biology. Susan wanted to broaden her animal education, so she completed the Veterinary Technician Program at Front Range Community College and in 2004 become a certified veterinary technician. Since then she has had the pleasure of working at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in various small animal services, such as Community Practice, Internal Medicine, and Dentistry and Oral Surgery.

In July 2013, she joined the RAH team as practice manager. Outside of work Susan stays busy with her family, loves to dabble with photography, gardening, and enjoys every opportunity she gets going to the mountains.

Sarah was born and raised in Denver Colorado. She moved to Fort Collins in 2000 to attend Colorado State University. In 2005 she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and in Animal Sciences. She joined the Raintree staff in January 2006. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband Ryan and sons Brendan and Ryder. She also enjoys sewing, reading, playing music, hiking, and 4-wheeling in the mountains.

Jaime graduated from Front Range Community College in 2012 with a Veterinary Tech Assistant Certificate and loves working here at Raintree Animal Hospital. Aside from helping clients and loving on the patients, Jaime truly enjoys obsessively cleaning everything and unpacking the weekly order. Outside of work, you’ll find Jaime hanging out with her family and friends, singing in the car, or taking a little mid-day snooze on the couch. She shares her house with her sister Jessie, three dogs (Princess Adelaide Victoria Peach III, Louie, and Dylan), two cats (Bella and Buttonlicious), and two rats (Beethoven and Socrates).

Megan was born in Wisconsin and moved out to Fort Collins to attend CSU where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. She has always had a love for animals and has been volunteering/working in the veterinary field since high school. She has continued to expand her knowledge in the field and found a love for anesthesia and surgery. Megan made the transition from general practice to specialty where she is able to focus on her passion for surgery. When she is not working, she likes to take her Golden Retriever Kevin for long walks or hikes, and then grab a beer at one of the local breweries.

Michaela first began working with animals while fostering pets in high school. She continued gaining experience in the field by working in shelters and veterinary clinics while attending Towson University. In 2016, she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Organismal Biology and Ecology. She then moved to Fort Collins, where she worked in general practice before discovering a passion for anesthesia and surgery. Since then, Michaela has dedicated herself to the surgery specialty and enjoys expanding her anesthesia knowledge and skills. Her interests outside of work include fitness and nutrition.

Alison is a Colorado native that has lived in the front range her whole life.  She completed a Bachelors of Science in Biology with a Chemistry Minor in 2020, and decided that her passions resided in veterinary medicine.  She jumped right into the Veterinary Technology program at Front Range Community college in 2021, and graduated from the program in December of 2022.  She became licensed in April of 2023 to gain her title as a registered veterinary technician.  She has always had a love of animals since she was a little girl, and her love of animals only grew with adopting 3 of her own.  She currently has 2 kitties (Loki and Smokey) and a dog (Maslow) at home who keep her busy.  Alison also enjoys camping, paddle boarding, concerts, reading, and road trips.

Carter was born and raised in Colorado and has lived in Fort Collins most of his life. He is incredibly avid about the outdoors and, more specifically, winter. By far, winter is his favorite time of year. His interests include snowboarding any chance he can get, and you can always catch him watching anything Star Wars. Carter has two rescued animals; a calico cat named Appa and a Pit Bull named Pebbles.

Born in a small town in west Florida, Devyn was always surrounded by animals. She grew up watching Steve Irwin on tv and spent most of her time playing with her pets and critters in her backyard. It was at that young age that she decided her passion was animals. Devyn spent the rest of her life dedicated to helping them and learning more about what she could do. In high school, she became a Certified Veterinary Assistant and later decided to move to Colorado to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. It was here that she began working her first job as a veterinary technician, and fell in love with it. What Devyn loves most about her job is getting to know more people and their pets, and making sure they know their pets are in good hands. In her free time, Devyn enjoys writing and spending time with her boys; her corgi Tyrion, her cat Jet, and her boyfriend River. The four of them all like to go on walks and enjoy group cuddles while watching movies. For her future goals, Devyn hopes to pursue a veterinary technician degree and begin working as a technician at a wildlife zoo or reserve, so she can work on larger, more exotic animals. As a kid, she always dreamt of holding her hand up to a lion’s paw, and she still insists on making that dream a reality.

Emily is no stranger when it comes to caring for pets. She started fostering dogs and cats for Animal Rescue of the Rockies, when she moved to Fort Collins in 2012, making sure every animal feels all the love they need. She realized she wanted to work with animals at a very young age and found Raintree to be the best place to kick start her forever career of helping animals in need. When Emily is not at work, you can find her being a dog mom to her puppy, Nala, hanging out with her friends, and enjoying music. 

Bio Coming Soon!

Jessi is finishing up her undergraduate at CSU and getting a bachelor’s degree in both Biology and History. She is an aspiring veterinarian and loves to constantly learn, especially in the medical field, which is why she loves her job as a veterinary assistant and working with patients at Raintree. In her free time, Jessi loves to hike with her two dogs and husband, read, and horseback ride. She is part of a group called Knights of the Tempest where she does medieval horseback riding and even jousts!

Kari is a Colorado native born and raised in Colorado Springs. From a young age she has always had a strong desire to help those in need; four-legged or two-legged, while being surrounded by animals large and small for the majority of her life as a former 4-H member. She recently graduated from Colorado Mountain College in 2022 with her Associates of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology and received her CVT in July. Kari’s career goals consist of orthopedic medicine, radiology, and zoo/wildlife conservation. In her free time, you’ll find Kari painting/drawing, doing yoga, tending to her house plants, and adventuring the outdoors with her boyfriend, Grayson. Although she currently has one rabbit named Krylon, there is a long list of many pets she strives to own and care for in the near future.

Lucy is a Colorado native, but new to the Fort Collins area. In 2023, she began pursuing her career in veterinary medicine after completing an associate’s in veterinary assistance to accompany her lifetime love for animals. She loves animals of all shapes, sizes, and personalities, but is particularly fond of large dog breeds. She lives with her sweet senior lab, Izze, and enjoys visiting her family dogs, Darla (Greyhound) and Archer (Dane mix). Outside of work, she enjoys reading nonfiction books, drawing, and playing jazz piano. She is thrilled to be a member of the Raintree team and looks forward to continuing her career as an animal caregiver.  

Mei has always had a passion for medicine and has found herself working in many corners of veterinary medicine, from shelters to emergency and specialty clinics. She continues to take every possible chance to learn something new, both at work and off the clock. She is often tinkering on random projects in the workshop or simply spending some time with her menagerie of pets, all nestled in a jungle of plants peacefully at home.

Natalie was born and raised in North Carolina but has also lived in Texas, New Mexico, and Nebraska. Now she lives here in Fort Collins, where she recently graduated with her Associate Degree of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. Natalie loves learning more and more about the veterinary field and aspires to go to Vet school in the near future. In her free time, she loves exploring the outdoors, being with friends, or snuggled up with her cat named Mouse!

Nicole is originally from Chicago, Illinois and is currently a junior attending Colorado State University with a major in Zoology and a minor in Conservation Biology on the pre-vet track. Nicole will be applying to CSU’s veterinary school in just a few years with large hopes to specialize in neurology, specifically in cats and dogs. She recently rescued a 6-year-old cat named Eevee who has been attached to her hip ever since. Nicole also has a 17-year-old family cat named Scamper and a 7-year-old Labrador named Macy! In Nicole’s free time, she loves painting, hanging out with family and friends, and playing tennis.

Rylee is a Colorado native and graduated with a degree in Equine Science from CSU. When she isn’t working she loves to shred the mountains, go running with her exuberant German shepherd, and hang out with her ducks. Her favorite type of weather is a balmy 72, with the sun shining down on her so she can ride her horse. Although she is newer to the veterinary field, she strives to fine-tune her technician skills and expand her ability to help animals large and small. Here at Raintree, when she isn’t taking care of our furry patients, Rylee is our resident sharpie thief.

Shayla was born in San Diego, California but mostly raised in Northern Colorado. Avid animal lover and crazy cat lady, she is always looking forward to learning new things, loving every animal she can, and pursuing her career in veterinary medicine. When Shayla is not working, you can find her pet sitting, enjoying concerts, the Colorado sunshine, and spending time at home with her 5 cats (Kenneth, Barn Cat, Jameson, Johnny, and Salem) salamander (Chubburt) and partner, Victor.

Alex was born and raised in Fort Collins. He graduated from Poudre High School and got a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in German language at Colorado State University in 2020. Alex found a passion for helping animals and their families after joining the vet field and Raintree in 2021. He spent a year in Washington before returning to Raintree Animal Hospital in June 2023. When not at Raintree, you can find Alex enjoying Star Wars or Formula 1!

When not working, you can find her in the outdoors golfing, hiking and skiing. She loves to visit her kids, travel with her husband and spend time with her friends or chilling at home with her dog, Sadie and her cat, Phoebe.

Although Rachel has always had a passion for working with animals, she got a late start in the field. She studied Architecture and Interior Design for several years before starting her first animal related job at the Larimer Humane Society, where she fell in love. After a short break from working with animals, she realized how much she missed it and joined the team at Raintree. She also enjoys spending time hiking and camping, rock climbing, baking, and cuddling the lights of her life: her two cats Mango and Olive

Rowan was born and raised in Denver, CO, and now attends CSU in Fort Collins, where she is studying anthropology and zoology. She began working with animals first as a volunteer at a pet rescue, then as a wrangler at a horse ranch, and finally as a supervisor at a boarding facility before starting at Raintree. In her free time, Rowan enjoys watching scary movies with her brother, cooking with her parents, and horseback riding in the mountains.

Alysa was born in Northern California, but relocated to Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University, and in May, 2024, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Zoology and minoring in Conservation Biology. From a young age, Alysa has always had a passion for animals and, in particular, has developed a close affinity with dogs. Even though she’s new to the field, she is hoping to gain more knowledge and experience to launch her career in veterinary medicine. She recently began pursuing an Associates of Applied Science degree to become a Certified Veterinary Technician. Her ultimate goal is to become a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Specialist in order to build experience and expertise in this field.
In her free time, Alysa enjoys spending time with friends and family, painting, drawing, and exploring nature. She does not currently have any pets, but is looking forward to having dog companions in the future!

Born and raised in Michigan, Brook moved to Colorado in 2019 where she first discovered her passion for working with animals through volunteering at a local shelter. From there, she has continued to work in animal care and welfare with hopes to learn and grow within the field. She currently attends CSU majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Nonprofit Studies. When Brook is not working, she is usually cuddling with her cat Lucas, at the thrift store, or on an adventure. You can also find her hanging out with her foster animals!