Our Care Team

Your pet’s emotional and physical well-being is prioritized with every visit. We put the patients first!

Dr. David Bell, DVM

Owner, Veterinarian

Dr. David Bell was always attracted to the diversity of the veterinary profession. He loves being able to apply multiple fields of science when helping to change the lives of furry family members for the better. In short, it combines two of his favorite things: science and helping others! Dr. Bell is the proud owner and operator of Olympia Veterinary Hospital.

Dr. Bell hails from northern Idaho and attended Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine to earn his Doctorate. He’s been helping pets as a veterinarian ever since! Dr. Bell and his wife purchased Olympia Veterinary Hospital in September of 2017, and they couldn’t be happier to continue serving the area’s pets and animal parents.

As a veterinarian, Dr. Bell enjoys internal medicine cases, dermatological work, and senior animal care. He’s also interested in wild animal conservation—he used to work as a wolf biologist!—and is also passionate about volunteering veterinary services in rural, underdeveloped areas of the world whenever he gets the chance. Above all, Dr. Bell likes meeting and greeting pet owners and getting to know them and their four-legged companions.

Outside of the office, Dr. Bell’s hobbies include golfing, mountain biking, surfing, snowboarding, and smoking barbecue.

Lisa

Practice Manager

For Lisa, veterinary medicine is truly a family affair. She’s married to Dr. David Bell, Olympia Veterinary Hospital’s co-owner and operator! Lisa gets to put her background in accounting and administration to good use every day—she keeps things running like a well-oiled machine as the clinic’s Practice Manager.

Lisa is originally from Seattle and lived with Dr. Bell in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho before moving to Olympia and purchasing the hospital in the fall of 2017. Before joining the veterinary profession, she worked as an accountant in the engineering, research, and manufacturing fields. Her skillset served her well when it came to running a veterinary practice. Lisa couldn’t be happier with her choice!

When she’s not helping pet owners and their animal companions here at the hospital, Lisa enjoys gardening, completing home improvement projects, hiking—she’s hiked all over Washington State since she was a little girl!—and cooking. She and Dr. Bell have a son, Graham, and a daughter named Daphne. The family shares their lives with one pet: Cortes, a Boxer who spends most of the day chasing birds from bird feeder to bird feeder.

Rissa

Hospital Manager

Ever since seventh grade, Rissa has been obsessed with the idea of working in a vet’s office. Little did she know it wouldn’t mean becoming a vet herself, but rather learning the ins and outs of running the show – from managing staff to setting up new gear and even handling reception duties. And while life may have taken her in a different direction, the fulfillment she gets from being in this field is like nothing else, and she wouldn’t want it any other way!

Growing up in the island territory, American Samoa, Rissa’s family didn’t have access to veterinary care like the people in more urban areas do. Instead, their backyard was filled with chickens, dogs, cats, and the occasional injured bird that needed some TLC. One memory that stands out vividly is when Rissa’s grandpa took in a myna bird that needed rehabilitation. He nursed the bird back to health, and during her recovery, he taught her to fly to his finger whenever he whistled. One day, he told Rissa to whistle. She did, and to her amazement, the bird swooped right over to perch on her finger. It was a magical experience that deepened Rissa’s love and admiration for animals.

Rissa’s journey into the veterinary industry was a bit unplanned. Following high school, she attended Evergreen State College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in cultural studies. She then decided to obtain her certificate in office technology. While completing that coursework, Rissa joined the OVH team. A few years later, she went back to earn her master’s degree in business administration with a focus on leadership. Shortly after graduating, Rissa was officially named hospital manager, and the rest is history!

Professionally, Rissa enjoys fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and motivated. It’s incredibly rewarding to see individuals grow and flourish under supportive leadership. She also relishes the challenge of problem-solving and strategizing to optimize operations and enhance patient care. Every day presents new opportunities to innovate and streamline processes, which keeps things dynamic and exciting. Lastly, Rissa finds fulfillment in building strong relationships with both her team and the community. Establishing trust and rapport not only improves workplace morale but also strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality healthcare services.

Outside of work, Rissa lives with her high school sweetheart and their newly adopted domestic shorthair who they named Cabbage Lamar. In her free time, Rissa plays competitive volleyball as a setter/defensive specialist. She also enjoys hosting board game nights, barbecues, beach days, field days at the park, and movie nights with friends. Now that she’s finished with school, her next goal is to get caught up on all the books she’s been wanting to read. At the top of the list are the Twisted Tale (Disney) series, Court of Thorns series, Bridgerton series, and Forth Wing series.

Debbie

Client Care Specialist

Debbie grew up on a farm in Idaho, where raising and caring for animals was a part of life from day one. She’s been helping to better the lives of the earth’s creatures her entire life! Debbie is proud to serve the pets and animal parents of the area as Olympia Veterinary Hospital’s Office Manager.

Debbie started her career as a front-office receptionist in the optometry world in 1976. She worked for a pair of optometry clinics in Nampa and Pocatello, Idaho, before taking a job at an animal hospital in Roseburg. Debbie moved to Olympia and began working for Olympia Veterinary Hospital’s previous owner in 2012 until he retired. She remained on when Dr. Bell purchased the practice in the fall of 2017, and has been helping clients and patients here ever since.

Away from work, Debbie loves to grow indoor and outdoor flowers, craft, paint, repurpose household items, and spend time with her family. She’s married and has two adult daughters as well as two teenage grandchildren. At home, Debbie and her husband have two sibling dogs—Andy and Ming, aging Shih Tzu/Maltese mixes—as well as a Tuxedo cat named Murray.

Cari

Client Care Specialist/Kennel Technician

With parents who both served in the Marines, Cari didn’t have the luxury of “growing up” anywhere in particular. Over the course of her childhood, the family lived in five different states, and Cari was the “new kid” 19 different times. While the scenery may have changed, the one thing that remained constant in Cari’s upbringing was her love of animals. This fondness only grew stronger over the years, and now Cari is able to share that passion for pets with the clients and patients of Olympia Veterinary Hospital!

Cari’s career journey began as a teenager at the Pierce County Skills Center, where she attended a pre-veterinary technology course and fell in love with the industry. Following high school, Cari became a professional groomer. When COVID hit and the salon closed down, Cari landed a receptionist job at a local vet clinic and quickly worked her way up to kennel tech and veterinary assistant. After relocating to Randle, she joined the Olympia Veterinary Hospital, and the rest is history!

Of her many duties as receptionist and kennel tech, Cari’s favorite is seeing the look of excitement on the faces of both the pets and their parents when they are reunited after a treatment or overnight stay. Clinically, she also enjoys assisting with X-rays and getting a closer glance at how everything looks from the inside.

At home, Cari and her husband, Cody, have two dogs: a pit bull named Chevy, who is a total scaredy cat and loves to play Tether ball; and Brewski, a red healer mix who can jump six feet in the air, is a literal garbage disposal, and carries her favorite toy Tire around with her everywhere. In her spare time, Cari enjoys working with her hands, crafting, reading, listening to podcasts, watching television, and hanging out with her fur-babies.

Rebecca

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Growing up with a nurse for a mom, Rebecca saw firsthand the impact medical care can have on the lives of others. Her love of animals drove her to follow a similar path, only caring for four-legged patients instead of two-legged ones. Experiencing the human-animal bond is something that truly inspires and motivates her.

Rebecca attended Arizona State, where she obtained her BA in French. At that point, she still didn’t know quite what she wanted to be when she grew up. At age 26, she made up her mind and enrolled in school to become a veterinary technician. She joined Olympia Veterinary Hospital in April 2022 after relocating from Maine.

Professionally, Rebecca enjoys veterinary technology – particularly as it relates to working in the lab. She also spent some time at a dermatology specialty practice and found the work to be very interesting. And, of course, there’s the simple pleasures of meeting new people and getting to know their pets on a personal basis.

Rebecca has been playing the violin for more than a decade, and recently started learning the banjo. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, especially if it involves growing carnivorous plants. Watching them catch and eat bugs is fascinating! Her favorite animal is a pug – she just loves those smushy faces!

Anika

Lead Veterinary Assistant

Anika was only a young girl when she vowed to one day care for pets professionally. That passion just never quit. Now, Anika gets to live her dream—she cares for pets hands-on as a Veterinary Assistant.

Anika’s family is originally from Oahu, Hawaii, but she lived in various areas growing up thanks to her father’s military career. After his retirement, the family settled in Washington, and Anika has been here ever since. Her animal-care journey started when she began pet-sitting for family and friends, and she quickly signed on for pre-Veterinary Technician classes. She applied here at Olympia Veterinary Hospital during her freshman year of college and joined the team in August of 2020.

As an Assistant, Anika particularly likes to watch young pets grow up over the years. She’s also fond of seeing patients make full recoveries and leave the clinic happier and healthier than they were when they arrived.

At home, Anika and her family share their lives with two Pit Bulls named after Flintstones characters. Wilma is an aging shelter rescue, and Pebbles is the misfit puppy of the bunch.

Kris

Veterinary Assistant

Growing up, Kris always had a fascination with animals. Instead of watching Barbie movies or reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid like other children her age, Kris could usually be found watching animal documentaries or reading the latest copy of National Geographic. At age seven, Kris and her grandmother discovered an abandoned baby bunny. Together, they nursed the tiny kit back to health and released it back into the wild. This experience inspired Kris to pursue a career in the veterinary field.

Over the years, Kris has worked with animals in a variety of different ways, from dog sitting and grooming to working at a boarding and daycare facility. Now, as a veterinary assistant here at Olympia Veterinary Hospital, Kris feels like she’s finally found her dream job and is loving every second of it. Professionally, Kris loves to learn and take advantage of every opportunity to advance her knowledge.

At home, Kris has three pets of her own: Apollo, a German Shepherd; Lilly, a long-haired tuxedo cat; and Gilbert, a turtle. Lilly acts more like a dog than a cat, can walk on a leash, and even knows some commands. Apollo goes everywhere with Kris. And Gilbert was a surprise gift from her father, because turtles are her favorite animal.

When she’s not busy at work or tending to her plethora of pets, Kris enjoys hiking, reading, cooking, attending concerts, and spending time with friends and family. Over the past few years, she has been able to cross a few things off her bucket list, including hiking God’s Thumb in Oregon and taking her little sister to her first Greta Van Fleet concert.

“One small cat changes coming home to an empty house to coming home.”

– Pam Brown

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