Our Team in Reno, NV

Our Team in Reno, NV

At Damonte Ranch Animal Hospital, our love for animals runs deep. Seeing them walk out the door healthy and bright-eyed is our highest priority! Get to know our veterinarian and her outstanding team below, and call (775) 852-8522 if you’d like to meet us all in person! We look forward to seeing you and your pet, and partnering with you to provide them with the best possible care for a lifetime.

Bios coming soon.

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Shelby E. Baker, DVM

Shelby E. Baker, DVM is a small animal veterinarian and owner of Damonte Ranch Animal Hospital. In her younger years, Dr. Baker grew up on the East Coast in Rockville, Maryland, a suburb outside of Washington, D.C., and her parents still live there today in the same house where she grew up. Dr. Baker has always been a die-hard animal lover, with a strong interest in the sciences and medicine. She decided at a very early age during nursery school that the only thing she ever wanted to be in life was a veterinarian. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, class of 1994, then attended the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine where she graduated in the class of 2000.

While attending veterinary school, Dr. Baker cultivated her love of skiing and became a PSIA level 2 certified ski instructor at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Baker looked for new adventures and decided to explore West Coast living. She took a position as an associate veterinarian at a small animal practice in Northwest Reno, as well as a job continuing teaching skiing at Alpine Meadows at beautiful lake Tahoe. It was there she met a fellow ski instructor, who later became her husband. Now, Dr. Baker is the proud mother of two wonderful children, as well as two awesome Golden Retrievers, one adorable cat, and one charismatic bearded dragon, all while working with passion and dedication as the owner of Damonte Ranch Animal Hospital, founded in June 2011.

Dr. Baker loves EVERYTHING about working at Damonte Ranch Animal Hospital! She has a fabulous clientele that puts their trust in her to provide the very best care for their beloved family members each and every day. At the hospital, every single day is incredibly busy, challenging, exciting, and no two days are ever the same. Dr. Baker wakes up every morning looking forward to making her patients and clients her top priority.

Ever since veterinary school, Dr. Baker has had some pretty amazing pets! Chloe, a Heinz 57 mystery shelter adoptee, and Peekaboo, a one-eyed calico cat, were her first two faithful companions she acquired in her first year of veterinary school. They each lived to be in excess of 15 years of age! Then there was her wonderful dog Madeline, whom she adopted when she was brought into the ER by a good Samaritan on a night when Dr. Baker happened to be doing relief work. And, of course, who could forget her wonderful Labrador, Sugar. Dr. Baker adopted Sugar from a terminally ill client who thought their dog would not  be a good candidate for adoption, due to her having diabetes, but she became a valued part of the family.

Currently, Dr. Baker's family is blessed with their loyal, cool, calm, and collected English Cream Golden Retriever, Trevor--who is balanced out by their ridiculously silly, part-beaver English Cream Golden Retriever, Biscuit! And last but not least, is Dr. Baker's tripod kitty, Snuggles, who is always there at the foot of her bed, faithfully keeping her company while she writes charts late at night. Dr. Baker believes pets help to shape who we are, and it is a scientific fact that pets make us smile more each day, making our lives happier, less stressful, and more enriched. Dr. Baker's four-legged clan is a true testimony to that fact!

Dr. Baker is a diehard believer in the philosophy of life that one should always work hard and play hard. When she is not giving 100% to her clients, patients, and her family, you can find her behind her Mastercraft wakeboard boat, wakeboarding for hours, trying to learn some new trick (because wherever she is with her skills is never good enough), or possibly doing Yoga--“I am my best self on my mat!”  Unless, of course, it is the middle of winter, and under those circumstances, she is likely skiing the bumps or in the trees singing Disney tunes super loud for all to enjoy!

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Makensie Kraft, DVM

Makensie Kraft, DVM is our associate veterinarian. Dr. Kraft moved to Reno specifically to join the DRAH team, adding Nevada as the 8th state she has lived in. Dr. Kraft did most of her growing up outside of Phoenix, AZ, but she has moved twelve times in the last 13 years, all over the US, to pursue her dreams of becoming a veterinarian. She is hoping Reno may be just the place she can finally settle down!

Dr. Kraft is excited to be part of the DRAH family and for the mentorship she is getting from Dr. Baker. She has a nine-year-old cat named Willy, a former street kitten that got an upgrade during undergrad, and a seven-year-old purebred Beagle named Zeke, rescued from the woods of South Carolina. Dr. Kraft has a special interest in neurology and surgery; she also loves any type of travel from short road trips to international adventures!

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Katrina

Katrina is the practice manager at Damonte Ranch Animal Hospital. She is originally from the Bay Area in California, but has been residing in Nevada since 2018. She really enjoys working in the veterinary field and takes pride in being able to support Dr. Baker and the DRAH team every day. Client relations and staff development are two of Katrina’s main focuses in her role as practice manager. She says the amazing team and being able to form relationships with clients and their pets keep her motivated to start every day with her best foot forward!

As you can imagine, Katrina is a huge animal lover. She has two dogs named Mack and Mia. She also has four cats, six chickens, four Nigerian dwarf goats, and two turkeys. When Katrina is not working, she is tending to her livestock, DIY-ing, or doing home improvements with her husband. Her favorite hobbies are riding dirt bikes and jet skis!

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Hanna

Hanna is one of our VTITs. She started out as a veterinary assistant and learned a lot on the job. She earned her bachelor's degree in veterinary science in 2021, and received her VTIT license shortly after. Thanks to Dr.Baker and Dr.Kraft, Hanna has been able to further strengthen her skills and grow in this field! She enjoys the team effort everyone puts in to provide the best care possible for all of our patients! Hanna is currently in the process of pursuing her goal of becoming a veterinarian.

At home, Hanna has three dogs. Cookie, her first pet, is a toothless 14-year-old Shih Tzu. Bruno is a 6- year-old Lab mix and Cooper is a crazy, fun and energetic 3-year-old mutt. When Hanna is not at work, she loves being outside with her family and pets!

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Ashton

Ashton is one of our vet assistants. She was born and raised in San Jose, CA. She is an only child and was lucky to have been raised by her mom, grandparents, and uncle. Ashton loves learning different techniques and gaining more knowledge here at DRAH. She came to our practice with some previous VA experience, and is glad to be working with such kind and caring people.

Ashton enjoys hiking, loves sushi, and is a Disney fanatic! Her favorite princess is Ariel. She's also into the Harry Potter houses and is a Hufflepuff. She was in choir while in school, and played the flute for 10 years. At home, Ashton has a 6-year-old dog named Tinkerbell and a 1-year-old cat named Tigger.

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Colby

Colby is one of our receptionists. He enjoys being in an environment where he gets to work hands-on with animals. Colby is currently going to UNR where he is studying veterinary science. His goal is to become a large animal vet! Colby has lots of animals at home: six horses, two donkeys, two mini ponies, four goats, and five dogs! He grew up riding horses and enjoys barrel racing.

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Emma

Emma is one of our receptionists. Previously, she worked as a baker for six years. She believed it was her passion and would be her career. But one day she made the "crazy" decision to change course and follow her love of animals! This led her to DRAH, and Emma feels so lucky to have found a home here. She absolutely loves working with our amazing team and is happy to be able to spend her days with people who share the same passion for animals that she does!

At home, Emma has a 7-year-old Pitbull/Shar Pei mix named Whiskey. She recued Whiskey when she was surrendered by her abusive owners at 3 years of age. Whiskey is the love of Emma's life and she has been saving her every day since! Some fun facts about Emma are that she's been to China, and she studied martial arts for a year. She also has 19 tattoos, a fake tooth, went to an all-girls high school, and loves video games!