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 pics coming soon.

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Our

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Shelby E. Baker, DVM
Veterinarian/Practice Owner

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 Centurion 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
Associate Veterinarian

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
Practice Manager

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 and raises Nigerian dwarf goats and chickens. 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!

Our Veterinary

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Alyssa
Veterinary Technician

Bio Coming Soon!

 

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Tracy
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Bio Coming Soon!

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Jeremy
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Bio Coming Soon!

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Briana
Veterinary Technician

Bio Coming Soon!

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Grace
Veterinary Technician

Bio Coming Soon!

Our Veterinary

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Ashton
Veterinary Assistant

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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Rachel
Veterinary Assistant

Bio Coming Soon!

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Sami
Veterinary Assistant

Bio Coming Soon!

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Emilee
Veterinary Assistant

Bio Coming Soon!

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Ryan
Receptionist

Ryan is one of our Receptionists and was new to Vet Med when he joined the DRAH team. Ryan loves seeing all the dog and cat patients we see everyday and has recently adopted his own kitten, Birdy! Birdy is a beautiful gray, long-haired kitten that chirps like a bird and loves to climb on everything! Bridy enjoys the finer things in life and prefers pate wet food. When Ryan is not at work or playing with Birdy, he enjoys playing guitar and hanging out with his 4 siblings. A fun fact about Ryan is that he is distantly related to the Wright Brothers!

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Kiley
Receptionist

Bio Coming Soon!

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Abbey
Receptionist

Bio Coming Soon!