Providing excellent care to the pets in the Willis community takes a village—a veterinary village, to be exact. The village members include veterinarians, client service representatives, kennel attendants, veterinary assistants, and veterinary technicians. These devoted team members are passionate about the pets and clients they serve, and we couldn’t care for so many without their skills and knowledge. 

Any veterinary practice worth its salt relies heavily on its veterinary technicians to provide top-notch care to not only its patients, but also its clients. A skilled, compassionate veterinary technician alternates between providing nursing care for pets and empathetic support to pet owners. Here at Stone Ridge Veterinary Medical Center of Willis, we couldn’t take such good care of our clientele without the expertise and dedication of our veterinary technicians, so to highlight their importance, we introduce Gabrielle Dives, one of those talented technicians. Read on to learn how Gabrielle made her way into veterinary medicine and became a core part of the Stone Ridge VMC of Willis team. 

Gabrielle’s late start in veterinary medicine

Gabrielle Dives, who goes by Gabby, grew up in Spring, Texas, before slowly making her way up to the Huntsville area. Unlike many veterinary professionals, Gabby didn’t dream of working with animals from childhood—she didn’t reach this realization until she was a 17-year-old in high school. 

Friends and family knew of her passion for animals at this point, and when a friend from school knew that Stone Ridge VMC of Willis was hiring, they let Gabby know. As soon as Gabby learned about our job opening, she applied. She was offered the position a few weeks later. One of Gabby’s favorite parts of the job is helping and educating our clients. She also enjoys being part of a truly incredible team, and considers herself lucky to learn and grow beside such talented mentors. 

To further her veterinary medicine career, Gabby is working her way through classes at Sam Houston State University, aiming for a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences, with a minor in equine sciences. With this education under her belt, Gabby resolves to be a part of the change to make veterinary medicine better each and every day. In the next five years, Gabby hopes to be in veterinary school, or to have completed school and be actively practicing as a licensed veterinarian. 

Gabrielle’s home life

At home, Gabby cares for two cats, Scarlett, her 2-year-old calico, and Butter Pecan, her 5-year-old rescue cat. As an adopted kitty, Butter Pecan came with a serious health issue—she is FIV-positive, but Gabby manages her condition well.

In terms of her human family, Gabby’s parents are both in the greater Houston area, and have pets of their own. She also has a younger brother who recently turned 18, while her two older step-brothers are starting families of their own. Gabby and her boyfriend have been together for almost three years, and they enjoy being around animals.  

A few of Gabrielle’s favorite things

One of Gabby’s treasured pastimes is relaxing with a comic book. The Marvel comic superheroes are her favorite characters, despite the fact that not many people see her as a comic fan. Another preferred pastime is hiking, and she’ll hit the trails whenever she has free time. This activity suits her well, considering she’d choose the mountains over the ocean any day. As an outdoorsy woman, it’s a no-brainer that Gabby chose a camping weekend when presented with the choice between a camping getaway or a spa weekend. 

When it comes to food, Gabby will devour anything with cheese. And, to go with her dairy dishes, she’d pick Coke over Pepsi. She has learned how to bake, and takes an interest in baking foods like pumpkin bread and cheesecake to round out her culinary tastes. 

If you’re lucky, you may schedule an appointment at Stone Ridge of Willis on a day that Gabby brings in her baked goods. However, she will always provide gold-standard care for your pet, whether or not she has sweet treats to share.