About Our Staff

Dr. Ducoté graduated from Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. She completed an internship at Michigan State University and then completed a three year residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery at Texas A & M. She achieved her board certification in neurology in 2001. She has worked in the Dallas area since 2000. Dr. Ducoté has 12 years of experience in neurosurgery and treating many neurological problems. Her special interests include pediatric neurosurgery, congenital neurological diseases, and neuroimaging.

Outside of work, she enjoys reading, relaxing, flying, and rock climbing. Dr. Ducoté lives with 2 dogs and 3 cats.

Dr Davis is a 1993 graduate of the Oklahoma State College of Veterinary Medicine. He then completed a 1 year internship in companion animal medicine and surgery at Louisiana State University before completing a 3 year small animal surgery residency at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr Davis became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999. Dr Davis has worked in large referral practices in Seattle, San Francisco and Houston. He has spoken locally, nationally and internationally. His professional interests include arthroscopic surgery of the elbow and shoulder, minimally invasive surgery of the abdomen and thorax, fracture repair, ACL repair, surgical oncology and reconstruction.

Outside of work, he enjoys biking, running, flying and spending time with his family.

Dr. Katheryn Wolfe is originally from the midwest, however, she has made Texas her home. She graduated from Texas A&M Veterinary School in 2005 after a stint in the US Air Force. She completed a rotating internship at Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Charlotte, North Carolina and a neurology/neurosurgery internship at the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center. She then completed a residency in neurology/neurosurgery at the Ontario Veterinary College, in Guelph Ontario. Her special interests include neurosurgery, syringomyelia, and physical therapy.

Outside of work, Dr. Wolfe enjoys running in local triathlons, wakeboarding on area lakes, scuba diving, photography and traveling.

Dr Gulikers received a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998 and completed a private practice internship in 1999 in south Florida. From 1999 to 2002 he completed a residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine and earned a Master of Science degree in Veterinary Medical Sciences at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. After his residency he worked in Phoenix for four years before moving to Dallas. Dr Gulikers has been the recipient of numerous honors, awards and grants, and has instructed and published on various subjects in his field. He is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and his interests include gastroenterology / nutrition, liver disease, endocrinology (especially thyroid-related diseases) and diagnostic procedures such as abdominal ultrasonography, endoscopy and laparoscopy. When not practicing medicine, Dr Gulikers enjoys playing soccer and tennis, traveling and working on his new house.

Dr. Jeff Weinstein is originally from Austin, Texas and graduated from The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. He completed an internship at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialists in Tucson, Arizona and has recently completed a three year residency in Surgery at Cheshire Veterinary Hospital in Cheshire, Connecticut. His surgical interests include minimally invasive surgeries, fracture repair, oncological surgery, and reconstructive surgery.

Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family, grilling, and starting a garden.

Dr. Lisa Thompson graduated from University of Tennessee in 2004 with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Her 1 year internship was at Sonora Veterinary Specialty in Pheonix Arizona, and completed a three residency in emergency and critical care in 2008 at Advanced Critical Care in Tustin, California. Board Certification was completed October of 2008. After in which practiced in Basalt Colorado for 1 year prior to moving to Dallas. She has a special interest in pancreatitis, continuous renal replacement therapy, septic abdomens, and ventilator management. She has published a paper on canine pancreatitis and surgical intervention as well as coauthored a paper on feline pancreatitis and surgical intervention.

Outside of work, Dr. Thompson enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, swimming, and hiking with husband and son as well as their dog. There are also two cats that made the move with them.

Dr. Robert Rushing spent several years as an environmental consultant. He then returned to school to pursue a doctorate in veterinary medicine. In 2008 he graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary medicine. He spent the last year in College Station at the Texas A&M Small Animal Clinic as a rotating small animal intern instructor.

Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Trey joined our family in August 2006. He has worked in the veterinary industry since 1994 and has worked in all aspects of veterinary medicine; including General Medicine Practice, Emergency and Critical Care, Ophthalmology, Internal Medicine, and Neurology Specialty Practices. Trey is working on completing his bachelor’s degree in business management and intends to complete training and pursue his CVPM (Certified Veterinary Practice Manger) certification.

In his spare time; Trey enjoys playing softball, attending sporting events and spending time with family and friends. His household includes his four-legged kids; Dakota a Labrador Mix, MacKenzie, a Shi Tzu and three cats (Forrest, Jenny, and Tuxedo).

Kristine began working with animals at the age of 13, where she was able to volunteer at the local animal shelter. In 2001, she entered into veterinary field as a kennel assistant in a small animal general practice. There she was able to gain experience in all aspects of the hospital and moved her way up to lead technician. In 2006, she joined Dr. Davis's team at his surgery practice in Houston. She was able to gain involvement in surgery and practice development and became a level II certified veterinary assistant through the Texas Veterinary Medical Association program. Currently, she is working on continuing her education for a degree in business and pursuing qualifications as a certified veterinary practice manager (CVPM).

Outside of work, Kristine enjoys spending time with her husband and their new baby. She has a full house with her four-legged kiddos, Ginger, Sage, Luna, Brodie, and Miki the fish.

Sara has been in the veterinary field for about 10 years. She graduated from Sul Ross University in Alpine, Texas in 2001, with her Associates Degree in Veterinary Technology and then completed her Bachelors of Science degree with emphasis in Animal Health Management in 2002. After graduation, Sara moved back to Flower Mound where she worked in general practice for a couple years. Since then she has worked with a Veterinary Dentist, an Internal Medicine Specialist and in advanced animal imaging. She then decided to try another side of veterinary medicine and joined our team in May 2008.

Sara enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her husband, son, English Bulldog Alexus, and two boxers, Hope and Mugsy. In her spare time she likes to get together with her friends, go roller skating and volunteer for the Legacy Boxer Rescue.

Dawn has years of experience and background in child care and administration. Dawn’s love of animals equals her love for the children she cared for. When Dawn was offered the chance to work for our family, she welcomed the challenge. The nurturing and tender care she has provided to children for years, has easily transitioned to the patients she sees everyday.

Dawn also has numerous pets of her own. She has three dogs Target, D. D., and Goofey Girl. Three cats Katawna, Prowler and Lucky and two white doves named Buffy and Bonnie.

In her spare time she likes to read, C&W dance, bowl and spend time with her family.

Adrian has worked in the veterinary field since 2002. Initially Adrian started out in general practice, and then moved on to Internal Medicine. After several years in an Internal Medicine Practice, Adrian wanted to explore other venues. Adrian joined our family in February of 2007.

Adrian enjoys spending time with family, friends, writing poetry, and SPA-ing as a BeautiControl Consultant. She has 2 dogs and 1 cat. Cooper, a 6yr old Border Collie, Domino, a 6yr old Pitt Bull, and Chance an 11 yr old Shorthaired Cat.

Sandie originated from London, England. She has been working in the veterinary field for 2 1/2 years, in small animal and emergency medicine. Outside of work, Sandie enjoys spending time with her family and her 3 1/2 year old kitty, Marlie.

Amanda has been a veterinary technician for 7 1/2 years. She started in a general practice for a couple years and moved onward to emergency medicine. She finds working with pets and their people to be a rewarding experience as she continues to learn and grow as a veterinary technician.

In her spare time she enjoys yoga, video gaming and reading. She shares a home with a husband and four furry dependents - a great dane, a hound mutt and two cats.

Amy graduated in 1990 from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science. After two years working research in Boston, she took an interest in Veterinary Technology. She worked in a general practice for the following two years and attended classes through Mt Ida College. She then accepted an ICU nursing position at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston where she continued to work for twelve years. Amy advanced to head nurse, then moved to into the Emergency/Critical Care department as a specialized technician. In 1997, she passed the National Boards to become certified as a Veterinary Technician in Massachusetts. Since moving to Texas three years ago, she has worked exclusively in emergency medicine through the North Texas Emergency Pet Clinic.

Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her two cats, Trevi and Midge and her Miniature Pinscher, Decker. She also enjoys cooking, gardening and is a member of the local roller derby.

Denise graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Cedar Valley College in 2000, earning her Associates Degree in Veterinary Technology. After successful completion of the state and national exams she became a Registered Veterinary Technician. Denise worked in a small animal and exotic clinic for 5 years, where she took an interest working with reptiles and discovered a love for critical care triage and nursing. To further her enjoyment of working with critical patients, she became an ICU nurse for a veterinary Internal Medicine specialty practice in Dallas, TX. For the next 5 years, Denise gained immense and invaluable experience in critical care nursing. In the summer of 2005, Denise joined Dr. Ducote and the neurology team. Denise has a strong interest in advanced diagnostic imaging of patients along with continuing to use her nursing skills with the critically ill patients. She is currently working on her internal medicine specialty certification and plans to pursue her neurology specialty certification as well.

In her spare time, Denise races mountain bikes throughout Texas and Oklahoma. She also enjoys camping, playing in the outdoors, along with relaxing and reading. Denise currently has 3 roommates; a 16 year old Chow Chow, named Trouble, a 3 year old cat that she rescued out a of tree, named Gilly, and Hobbs, a lab mix she recently adopted.

Angela’s passion for animals started at an early age. Being raised around working and service German Shepherds she knew a career with animals was in her future. She began working as a veterinary technician and receptionist in 1999. After a few years at a general practice she moved to emergency medicine. While working overnights and weekend shifts she completed a Bachelors of Political Science at the University of North Texas. Soon after graduation she realized she could not leave her passion of working with animals. Angela plays a split role at our office; Critical Care nurse and receptionist. Her focuses lie within customer service and compassionate care to our hospitalized patients.

In her free time Angela enjoys spending time with her fiancé, son and their Papillion, Teddy. Her passions include: environmental protection, animal rights, travel, Dallas Cowboys and reggae music.

Melissa graduated in 2000, from Wilson College with a B.S. in Veterinary Medical Technology. In 2001, she passed the VTNE National exam to become licensed technician in Pennsylvania. She has worked in a variety of practices over the past 9 years including general, orthopedic and emergency medicine. She is looking forward to being involved with the advanced care that CVSC is able to provide.

Outside of work, Melissa enjoys spending time with her 1 dog and 4 cats that moved with her to Texas.

Diann has been a veterinary technician for 18 years, 13 of which have been dedicated in emergency and critical care. In 2005, she became a CVA II through the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Program. Diann has been with Center for Veterinary Specialty Care since 2006, but became fulltime in 2009.

In her spare time, Diann enjoys cooking, gardening and spending time with her husband and two daughters. Her children also include her 3 dogs and a cat.

Jacob has been a veterinary technician since 1998. Initially, he started with a veterinary Internal Medicine specialty practice in Dallas, working on the overnight and daytime shifts. In 2000, Jacob joined a veterinary surgical specialty practice, where he worked nights for 3.5 years and worked with surgeons on orthopedic and soft tissue cases for 2 years, as well as working with neurologists on neurological cases. Since 2005, he has worked with Dr. Ducote solely in neurology and neurosurgery.

Jacob has a menagerie of animals including Homer the bloodhound, Chloe an Old English Sheepdog mix, Shorty the dachshund (he races in local wiener dog races), Stanley a terrier mix who Jacob nursed through a broken leg, parvo, and PTE, Happy and Mia are the resident cats, and no home would be complete without Sidney the 120 lb pot-belly pig!!!. And, yes, they all live inside the house. Jacob likes to spend his spare time cooking, cycling, reading, and adding to his body art.

Christie began working as a veterinary technician in 1994 at a veterinary surgical specialty practice. While working at this practice for several years, she completed a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology at the University of Texas at Dallas in 1998. Christie has since worked in Emergency and Critical Care and general practice. She has been working with Dr. Ducote since 2000.

Christie has two dogs: Ella a 3 yr old Irish Setter and Logan a 5 yr old Sheltie cross. She also has two cats, Gus and Pawsome.

Brandon has been working in the veterinary field since 2006 in emergency medicine. He joined Center for Veterinary Specialty Care the beginning of 2009, working all departments of the hospital, and residing in surgery. He enjoys the importance of patient care and compassion.

In his spare time, he attends college to further his education in the veterinary field to become a registered technician.

As a recent transplant from Houston, TX, Sonia joins the CVSC team with over 7 years of combined day practice and emergency clinic experience. A lifelong animal lover, Sonia chose veterinary medicine for her career after majoring in Zoology at Texas A&M.

In her free time, Sonia enjoys sharing the couch with her Golden Retriever mix, Sayla, and creating challenges for her Eclectus parrot, Fia. Her passions in the vet field lie in behavior modification, rehabilitation, and learning new methods of treatment.

Wendy Minor BS, RVT received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1998 with a major in biology and minor in chemistry. She began working in the veterinary field to gather the necessary experience to apply to the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. After three unsuccessful attempts to enter the veterinary program, she continued her interest in the veterinary field by working for several years in Texas as a veterinary technician. There she gained experience in a busy five-doctor practice as well as at an emergency veterinary hospital.

Wendy then moved to California and joined California Veterinary Specialists. Her emergency technician experience helped her gain their over-night technician position, which she held for a year and a half. She then joined Dr. Gregory Ogilvie at the California Veterinary Specialists Angel Care Cancer Center. Wendy worked her way up to Head Oncology Nurse and held that position for five years. Her responsibilities include case management, research project coordination, radiation therapy, chemotherapy administration, and client education. Additionally, the building of a new practice has given her still more exciting responsibilities. In June of 2005, Wendy received her veterinary technician certification and is looking forward to an oncology specialty certification in the future. She attended and spoke at the VCS/VTCS meeting each year 2004-2008, ACVIM in 2005, and spoke at NCSU in April 2006 and the Hawaii VMA in Dec 2007.

She recently welcomed a beautiful baby girl and relocated to Texas where she joined the Center for Veterinary Specialty Care in April 2009. She works in the Surgery and Internal Medicine services. She looks forward to further specialization in Internal Medicine and physical therapy.

Kristen has been working in the Small Animal Veterinary field, as a veterinary technician since 2004. She began her career in general practice, and then moved on to Emergency and Critical Care. Since then she has worked in an Emergency hospital for over 3 years. Kristin decided to join the Center for Veterinary Specialty Care in 2010, and is now working with our Internal Medicine department.

Outside of work, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and 4 dogs, Sonny a lab mix, Sky an American Pitbull, Terrance a Pitbull, and Rosty a Pitbull Dachshund mix. She also has fun going to the park with the dogs, going to the lake, and playing in her flowers.

An Oklahoma State Alum and Green Bay Packer fan, Kelly graduated with an AAS in Veterinary Technology from Tulsa Community College in 2003. She attained her internship through the Animal Medical Center in New York City and proceeded to the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital to become an anesthesia technician for large, small and exotic animals.

Her interests include art, photography, hiking and the music talent of the Dave Matthews Band. Kelly also enjoys spending time with her husband, their daughter, and yellow lab.

Rachelle has been in the veterinary field for 12 years. She worked for a specialty hospital in Florida for 6 of those years with a focus in surgery, oncology, and emergency medicine. Previous to that she was in a small animal general practice in Texas. She joined our team in October 2009 after moving back to Texas. She has a college background focused on nursing.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and family, which includes her cats Tango and Cash. Her hobbies include watching sports, exercise and photography.

Ron has been in the veterinary field since 1992. He has worked in all areas of small animal medicine and emergency practice.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his son. They are involved in cub scouts, and enjoy camping, hiking, sports and cooking. Ron shares his household with his dog JD, a 6 year old yellow lab mix, Leigha a 2 year old tabby and a 9 year old Ball Python named Monte.

Jennifer has been working as a veterinary technician since 1999 in small animal general practice. Having a passion to pursue the specialty aspect of animal medicine, she has recently joined our team as a Surgery Assistant.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her newly-wed husband and their two dogs, Hailey and Stormy.

Tatum has been passionate about animals since she was little. She grew up with two yellow labs that molded her passion into determination to work with animals as her future carreer. Tatum has recently joined Center for Veterinary Specialty Care to learn what happens behind the scenes to prepare her for college. Tatum plans to attend Texas A&M University in 2010 to major in Wildlife and Fisheries.

Outside of work Tatum enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Jim is a newer member in the field of veterinary medicine. Having retired in 2002 from another line of business, he began to work part time as a Vet Tech Assistant in an Emergency Clinic. He enjoys working with animals, but dogs in particular are a big part of his life. His motto is " I have never met a dog I did not like".

During his off time, Jim volunteers for a local Greyhound rescue organization and fosters retired greyhounds until they can be placed in a permanent home. He shares his life with his four personal dogs and his foster greyhounds.