Veterinary Technicians: The Superheroes of Veterinary Medicine

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive!

Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!

While Superman can perform neat stunts, we think our veterinary technicians accomplish much more. We have our own clinic superheroes—five veterinary technicians with incredible healing powers. From placing an IV catheter in a tiny, dehydrated kitten’s vein, to successfully getting a pill down the most stubborn dog’s throat, to soothing the spiciest of kitties, our team of superheroes can handle anything that comes their way.

Capable of any task we ask of them, our vet techs are truly invaluable. Let’s share some facts about each team member to see what makes him or her tick.

Joshua Fleming, CVA II, was born in The Woodlands and raised in New Waverly. Growing up, he participated in 4-H and FFA, raising show pigs and goats. In high school, he built on his passion for animals and their well-being by undergoing his school’s program to become a certified veterinary assistant. Joshua is continuing to grow in his animal-industry career and is now pursuing an animal science degree at Sam Houston State University. While he shares his home with five cats—in addition to six dogs and one tortoise—Joshua is Team Dog.
Kelsey Hooks has worked her way up to the role of vet tech through her years at Stone Ridge. Kelsey started as a volunteer in 2013, and completed a high school program to become a certified veterinary assistant. She is currently pursuing a degree in elementary education. Because of her love for animals, she was actively involved with her local 4-H and FFA groups while growing up, and is still interested in agriculture. When not caring for animals, Kelsey enjoys Texas country music concerts, camping, or enjoying the outdoors with her other half. Frogs and lizards are some of her favorite creatures, but she shares her home with two dogs, placing her firmly on Team Dog.
Christy DuVall, who has been a vet tech since 1999, joined our team in 2019. Christy’s cat started her along her career path—an overwhelming desire to give him the best possible care influenced her to turn her passion into a veterinary career. We are grateful for her many years of knowledge, and our patients—especially our naughty cats—appreciate the experience and care she brings to our hospital every day. While Christy loves her husband of 23 years and her daughter and son-in-law tremendously, she also has a vast love of ichthyology. Not the easiest “-ology” to spell, ichthyology is the zoological branch that deals with fish and, naturally, Christy has a few fishy friends at home, as well as her furred companions. Fortunately, there have been no mishaps between Christy’s two cats and her fish. Christy is a proud member of Team Cat.
Rebecca Allen, LVT, better known as Becky, joined our team in January. Building on her compassion for animals, Becky has achieved degrees in applied science, veterinary technology, and wildlife and fisheries, with an emphasis on vertebrate zoology. Now she doesn’t have to hit the books so hard, Becky is content to hang with her pooches at home, ride her horses, or snuggle her kitties. Although her home pack doesn’t include any feathered friends, birds are Becky’s favorite, and she will come running if we have an exotic patient. When asked whether she would prefer reading a book or running a 5K, Becky said she would rather throw on a pair of running shoes than crack open a book. If no exotic creatures are around, Becky places herself on Team Dog.
Carrie Scheib, BMS, comes to our hospital from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, but she took a far-off way to get her bachelor’s degree in biomedical science—Carrie graduated with honors from the University of the West of Scotland in Paisley, Scotland. Fortunately for our patients and our hospital, Carrie made her way back and began working at Stone Ridge in 2015. She has more than 20 years’ experience in various aspects of the animal industry, and says her favorite part of veterinary medicine is being able to improve the lives of her patients by educating their owners. Carrie loves all animals, and her home pack has grown over the years to five dogs, six cats, and a guinea pig, who welcome her home after work each day. Her eyeless shih tzu, Willie, who can’t see her, comes running to greet her, as well. Carrie is unable to choose between Team Cat or Team Dog.