Meet Our Team

Dr. Franz grew up in Adel, IA where her love for animals started at the local humane society. She continued her interest in college by attending ISU and completed her veterinary degree in 2009.

Dr. Melendez joined our team in 2024 after moving from Mexico City, where she earned her degree in veterinary medicine. Since then, she has been working hard toward becoming a licensed DVM in the United States—and we’re proud to share that she recently passed her boards!

Desi moved to Cedar Falls in 2022. Since then, she has grown her fur-baby family up to 2 cats, Harlow and Layne, and her dog named Rip.

Katie was born in Waterloo, IA and moved to Duluth, MN, with her family. There she graduated and moved back to Cedar Falls to be close to extended family. She graduated with her degree in Animal Health and Behavior in 2021. Most of her animal experiences are in pet boarding.

Hailey is a New Hartford, IA native. When not at work, you'll often find her indulging in her favorite "grandma hobbies" like knitting, crocheting, sewing, and reading. She loves spending time in her garden, too—there's something so peaceful about watching things grow.

Taylor grew up in Aplington, IA, and attended Hawkeye Community College where she earned a degree in Veterinary Assisting in 2021. She has 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 bunnies, and 3 bearded dragons.

Makyla grew up in Summer, IA, and attended Hawkeye Community College where she earned a degree in Vet Assisting in 2018. She also attended NICC and was in the large animal veterinary technician program.

Emily grew up in the Cedar Valley, she lives in Waterloo with her son Aiden, & a plethora of critters! She has 5 dogs, Watson, Hunter, Boots, Ruby, and Sal. Emily also has a cat named Cas.

Originally from Applington, Iowa, Olivia began her college journey at Hawkeye Community College before transferring to Iowa State University.

Amanda, a proud Texan, grew up in Texas and pursued her passion for animals by studying Animal Science at Texas A&M University.

Amber is from Illinois and moved to Iowa in 2017. She has 2 children, her son is 12 and her daughter is 11. They have 1 dog, a Lab named Lightning, 2 cats named Spot & Domino & 4 chickens. She loves every animal but her favorite is a mini hiefer. She dreams of owning one, one day.

Allie grew up in West Union, Iowa, where she spent much of her childhood tagging along with her dad on the family dairy farm. Her passion for animals took root early—she began showing dairy cattle in 2006 and hasn’t looked back since.