Shari
Practice Manager
Shari joined the PAWS family in July 2015. Her first job after retiring from the USAF was CSR/vet assistant at a small vet practice. She also worked as a shelter manager for about 13 years, before getting back into the vet tech role. From there, she worked her way into the role of practice manager. Shari loves the people she works with each day, and getting to see our patients and clients. Her role is a challenging one, but it is ultimately rewarding and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Outside of work, Shari has a wonderful family, with her daughter, grandson, and 2 granddaughters that she loves spending time with. She also has a Chihuahua named Mr. Glass, and a domestic shorthair named Nightmare. When she isn’t at work, Shari enjoys deck gardening with her granddaughter and playing cards with her friends and family.
Claire
Marketing & Well-Being Coordinator
Franklin
Floor Manager
Franklin entered the veterinary field in 2013. He started at the local humane society where he learned to work in the spay and neuter department, before later helping adoptable dogs and cats find loving homes. Franklin moved on to join the PAWS team as a technician shortly after its inception in 2015 and has enjoyed working here ever since.
As a child, Franklin spent much of his time outdoors, exploring the nearby woods and studying all manner of wildlife. His parents instilled and encouraged in him a love for animals, along with the desire to learn more and care for new and interesting pets. Franklin’s role at PAWS gives him the opportunity to see families reunited with pets that had serious medical journeys, which highlights the impact of his position and provides an emotional reward that makes all the hard work worth it.
Franklin shares his life with a Shih Tzu named Seymour (voted Most Handsome Face by PAWS Monthly). Outside of work, his hobbies include kayaking, hiking, and exploring (he hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2018).
Gwyn
Client Service Representative
When she was little, Gwyneth was told she was better with animals than she was people. Naturally, she gravitated toward veterinary medicine, becoming a veterinary technician in 2003. She has worked with both general and emergency practices and is interested in surgery and pharmaceutical management. She has been with PAWS since 2018. One of her favorite things about being at PAWS is feeling like an essential part of a team with an excellent message. She loves helping to educate our clients and seeing them take what they learn to heart for the benefit of their pets.
Gwyneth and her husband share their home with 5 cats (Sophie, Callie, and Callie’s offspring, Jimmy, Peeler, and Snook), and 2 dogs, Joe Cool (Jack Russell) and Artie (Border Collie mix). Outside of work, Gwyneth enjoys spending time with her family, and playing with her pets.
Jenn
Client Service Representative
Jennifer joined our team in 2020. She grew up working with horses, then moved from California to Maryland in early 2015. Since there were no working horse barns nearby, she applied to PAWS and the rest is history. She enjoys interacting with people and their pets each day, assisting clients to the best of her ability and getting to see our pet regulars.
Jennifer has a four-legged family member of her own, a goofball German Shepherd named Ryker. Her hobbies include AKC scent work training, trailing with Ryker, reading, and watching Marvel movies.
Leea
Client Service Representative
Leea graduated from North Carolina A & T State University with a BS in animal science, and she joined our team in 2021. She has always loved animals, but never had the chance to have a pet of her own. Leea started volunteering at the Humane Society and has been working with animals ever since; she loves greeting people and their pets when they walk in the door and helping to make their experience at PAWS as welcoming as possible.
Outside of work, Leea loves doing makeup, shopping, and traveling inside and outside the country when she has the opportunity.
Heather
Client Service Representative & Veterinary Technician Assistant
Anya
Veterinary Technician
Anya joined PAWS in June 2020. Towards the end of high school, she became interested in animal care and veterinary medicine. As soon as she graduated, she began her journey in vet med and got the chance to fall in love with working with animals. Her favorite aspect of working at PAWS is practicing empathy and respect with anxious pets, and watching sick patients regain their strength and energy. She also finds it rewarding to build meaningful relationships with people and their pets.
Anya shares her life with Chip, a 12-year-old black German Shepherd who enjoys peace and quiet and butt scratches. In her free time, she loves exploring new places in the DMV area, painting, and shopping.
Jessie
Veterinary Technician
Lisa
Veterinary Technician
Lisa has a master’s in wildlife rehabilitation and is certified to work with migratory birds, fawns, and other mammals. She enjoys working with a variety of domestic and wild animals, and has grown up with many types of animals since childhood. Lisa appreciates her fellow team members here at PAWS and loves getting to help both people and pets. Every day brings something interesting.
Lisa has 5 children, along with several dogs and cats, a horse, and a pigeon. She continues to be passionate about wildlife and educating others about wildlife, and spends much of her spare time helping at the local nature center, rehabilitating animals. She also trains dogs.
Mariah
Veterinary Technician
Mariah has been with us since 2018. She has always been interested in caring for animals, and enjoyed helping her grandfather on his farm when she was a child. Mariah loves the caring and collaborative environment we have here at PAWS, and particularly enjoys helping senior pets and seeing critical cases make a recovery here at our hospital.
At home, Mariah has 3 pets: a Siberian Husky named Piper, a Golden Retriever named Lucy, and a tabby cat named Preston. Her favorite things to do when she’s not at work include spending time outside, gardening, and rock climbing.
Sabrina
Veterinary Technician
Sabrina has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Maryland global campus and is currently enrolled in PennFoster’s veterinary technology program. Sabrina is also registered with the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists as an animal scientist in beef cattle and equines. She grew up in 4-H and loved animal science, especially horses and livestock. As a member of the PAWS team, Sabrina enjoys the small practice atmosphere and working with animals of all shapes and sizes. She also enjoys educating clients and helping them build healthy relationships with their pets.
Sabrina lives with all kinds of animals. She has a Border Collie named Ollie, a Chincoteague pony named Blessing, a Thoroughbred named Rani, several cats, a small herd of 8 la mancha dairy goats, and a sheep named Felicity. Outside of work, Sabrina enjoys riding horses (polocrosse with Rani and eventing with Blessing), and making and selling soap made from her goats’ milk.
Danielle
Veterinary Technician
Danielle joined the PAWS team in October 2019. Her favorite aspect of working at the practice is helping pets with emergency medical problems, and watching pets grow and enjoy healthy lives with their owners. An especially rewarding part of Danielle’s position is helping first-time pet owners understand the importance of veterinary care and answering their questions to set them up for success with their new family members. Danielle has lots of pets at home, including 25 chickens, 3 turkeys, 3 pot belly pigs, 4 dogs, and one snake. In her free time, she enjoys hunting, fishing, and cooking.
Shylah
Veterinary Technician/Marketing Liaison
Shylah has been with PAWS since March 2015. Her first pet was a snake her dad brought home. After that, she started working at the pet store, where she took care of a variety of exotic animals. While still working at the pet store, Shylah also began working in veterinary medicine. She has been in the veterinary field since 2000. Her favorite aspect of the job is getting to educate our clients on disease prevention so their pets can stay happy and healthy. At home, she has pets of her own: an exotic bully named Destiny, who was rescued by the vets at PAWS and presented with multiple genetic problems, including rectal prolapse, hip dysplasia and brachycephalic syndrome, and 2 rescued bearded dragons. Destiny has undergone several surgical procedures to improve her quality of life. Shylah also fosters kittens through St. Mary’s Animal Welfare League, and dogs through the Humane Society of Charles County.
In her spare time, Shylah loves going to the local parks with her 2 sons, and visiting the Humane Society to take pictures of adoptable pets to help them find homes.
Katera
Inventory Manager/VTA
Katera joined PAWS in July 2019. She chose the veterinary field because she has always been passionate about animals and growing up, she has always owned dogs, cats, rodents, reptiles, and farm animals. She started out as a kennel technician at our practice, then worked her way up to kennel manager. As time went on, Katera started learning the reception and VTA side of things, and now she is our inventory manager. Still, she occasionally wears different hats at our practice, grooming dogs and doing sanitary trims on cats from time to time.
Katera is the proud mom of a beautiful son, and she shares her home with 2 Boxers, Bandit and Dodger, and a domestic shorthair cat named Bonzai Rafiki. In her free time, she enjoys photography, four wheeling, baking, and visiting the racetrack.
