Back Row: Rachel; Michelle; Nicole J., LVT
Front Row: Kari, LVT; Stephanie; Nicole F.; Krista
Not pictured: Kelsie, Shawntay, Sarah, Chanel, Jen

Dr. Sargent grew up in the foothills of Southwest Reno where he enjoyed exploring the outdoors with family, friends and his dogs.

He graduated from the University of Nevada with a B.A. in Zoology, and then attended veterinary school at Colorado State University. Dr. Sargent enjoyed a successful 30-year career with the team at Klaich Animal Hospital before retiring in 2008 to pursue new challenges in owning and operating a small animal veterinary practice with Dr. Erin Rasmusson.

Dr. Sargent's professional interests include small animal internal medicine, soft-tissue surgery, dermatology, oncology and dentistry. His personal interests seek a balance between year-round outdoor fitness and academic interests in veterinary continuing education, current affairs, economics, foreign language, and diverse non-fiction reading.
Dr. Sargent is married to Elaine (Pappas), also a native of Reno. Their son, Patrick, graduated from Annapolis in 2006 and is currently serving as a U.S. Navy pilot. Finally, there is Moe, the golden retriever who is loving and trusting in his efforts to join them in many adventures.

Dr. Erin Rasmusson was born in Bozeman, Montana, but spent her childhood in northwest Ohio, where animals were part of her life from an early age.

She graduated from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, with a double major in chemistry and biology, and then attended the Ohio State University's School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2003. After completing her internship, she spent four years working with and learning from the team at Klaich Animal Hospital.

Dr. Rasmusson is proud to have accomplished her dream of owning and operating a veterinary hospital. Special interests include abdominal ultrasound and orthopedic surgery, for which she has attended special training and continuing education.

Outside office, Dr. Rasmusson enjoys hiking, running, camping, snowboarding and other outdoor activities with her husband, Brent Ryman, and their two dogs, Ellie Mae and Pacino. Dr. Gonzo, the feline, prefers to remain at home and enjoy the Truckee Meadows' ample sunbeams.

Krista was born and raised in Nevada. She came into the veterinary field accidentally but has always had a love for working with people and pets were an added bonus! She is very involved in the arts and Burning Man each year. Her hobbies include reading, and taking in the art and music scene as much as possible in Reno. She is owned by a Pomeranian, "Chicken" and new addition Chihuahua, "Pearl".

Nicole has been with SWVH since September 2009. She grew up in Las Vegas and moved to Reno in 2005 to attend UNR. She has a BS in Animal Science and passed her Licensed Veterinary Technician exam in 2012. In her free time, Nicole enjoys dancing, skiing, singing (not very well), and playing with her 2 dogs, a shih tzu mix named "Remy" and a Cavalier King Charles named "Cheyenne". Her orange tabby cat, "Charlie", prefers to stay indoors and wait until his next mealtime.

Stephanie graduated from the University of Vermont with her Bachelor's degree in Animal Science. She began working for SWVH when it opened in 2008, took a mini-hiatus to try out Colorado with her husband but decided to return back to us in Reno! Stephanie has lived in the U.A.E, England and now the U.S but enjoys the sunny weather of Reno the most! She spends her time outdoors year round, hiking with her husband and Doberman pinscher, "Moose" in the summer months and skiing in the winter. Her hobbies include showing "Moose" in AKC rally, horse riding and doing projects on their new house.

Nicole has been working in the veterinary field since 2004. She took the year off when she had her daughter, Kyra, who is now 3 years old. She will be attending TMCC in the fall to obtain her degree in Veterinary Technology. In her free time she enjoys outdoor sports, horse riding, chasing her daughter, and playing with her Guinea Pig, "Lenny".

Originally from Somerset, CA, Kari moved to sparks, NV after marrying her husband, Ken, in June 2009. Kari graduated with as Associates degree in Animal Science in 2008 and received her license as a Veterinary Technician shortly thereafter. Her favorite hobbies are camping, fishing, golfing and hunting (when she has the time!). Kari and Ken share their home with two wonderful dogs, "Mia" and "Maizy" along with one feline, "Tulip".

Rachel has been in the veterinary field for over 10 years. She has worked for both veterinary specialist and emergency medicine practices in California and Virginia. She recently moved back to the west coast to be closer to family, and joined the Southwest team in 2009. Rachel's passion is animals and she is joined in that passion by her husband Justin and son Dorian. They have two dogs Elmer and Charlie and a cat Mooch all of whom were rescues. Currently Rachel's passion for animals has lead her to pursue her license as a Veterinary Technician.

Born and raised in Fremont, California, Michelle moved to Reno to continue her college education in 2012. In 2011 she earned an AA in Human Developmental Sciences and she is now studying Nursing at UNR. Although pursuing a career in human medicine, Michelle has a passion for animals and has been working in the veterinary field for over 6 years. In her free time, Michelle enjoys camping, hiking, snowboarding and many other outdoor activities often accompanied by her four legged daughter Mija.

Shawntay was born in Reno NV, and has lived in the area all of her life. She is currently earning a degree in Veterinary Science with the hopes of attending Veterinary school after graduating from UNR. She enjoys dancing, running, and pretty much anything outdoors. She recently lost her golden retriever, Max, who was 11 years old and although he is greatly missed Shawntay is looking forward to adopting a new dog in December. Shawntay has been with SWVH since 2012 and she is enjoying getting some experience before she applies to Veterinary school.

Kelsie was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, and currently lives in Sparks. She is currently studying Pre-Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno, and has a passion for small "exotic" critters. She currently lives with her rat “Kenji”, but has had guinea pigs and cats as well until recently. In her free time, she enjoys bowling with friends and family.

Sarah was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and moved to Reno in 2011 to attend the Pre-Veterinary program at UNR. Sarah hopes to attend veterinary school in the future and become a veterinarian to companion animals and small exotic creatures. She is enjoying getting some valuable experience at SWVH and joined the team in January 2013. Sarah has a dog, named Ginger, who stays with her family in Las Vegas.  In her free time Sarah enjoys watching movies, hanging out with her friends, and playing with her two guinea pigs, Nesquik and Nutella