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Our Careteam

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

Dr. Bell

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

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. 

Debbie

Debbie

Office Manager

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.

Rissa

Rissa

Front Desk Administrator, Veterinary Assistant

Rissa dreamed of working hands-on with pets ever since she was in the seventh grade. She’s always known that she wanted to do her part to better the lives of the earth’s creatures! When the opportunity arose for her to put her passion to use in a veterinary clinic, she knew it was too good of a chance to pass up. Rissa serves as a Front Desk Administrator and Veterinary Assistant here at Olympia Veterinary Hospital. 

Rissa is originally from the village of Faganeanea in American Samoa. She moved with her family to Lakewood, Washington, at the age of 15, and she’s lived in the area ever since. Rissa attended college to study education, and also earned a certificate in office technology through a two-year program. While searching for places to apply her skills in an office setting, she came across an opening here at Olympia Veterinary Hospital and joined the clinic family in the fall of 2020. 

Rissa lives with her boyfriend and enjoys visiting the beach, playing video and board games, hosting barbecues and other get-togethers, and spending time with family and friends when she’s not at work. 

Desaraye

Desaraye

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Desaraye understands the power of the human-animal bond better than many. At the age of 15, Des was battling a severe bout of depression and searching for something – anything – that might help. Turns out, adopting pygmy goats was exactly what she needed. Breeding, showing and caring for her goats was an incredibly healing experience for Des and it helped to shape her future career aspirations as well!

With finances tight, Des learned from her local vet how to work on her own animals. From there, she began working at the clinic as an assistant. Unable to afford college, Des was determined to find another way to earn her license. Through unwavering commitment, tremendous hard work and an unrelenting drive to learn, Des did just that. Today, she proudly boasts the title of Licensed Veterinary Technician.

Professionally, Des loves challenging cases – particularly those that involve dermatology, chronic pain, or weight issues. She also has a special interest in dentistry, which she describes as ‘very satisfying.’ Above all, Des takes great pleasure in witnessing the bond between a person and their pet. It’s the very same bond she has shared with her own furry family members over the years!

Rebecca

Rebecca

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

Anika

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.

April

April-Shayde

Veterinary Assistant

When April was nine years old, she found a litter of three kittens who had been abandoned by their mother. When nobody claimed them, her parents agreed to let her take them in. With time, patience, and love, April was able to get them healthy enough to find them homes (though she did keep one!). It was that experience that made her realize she wanted to work with animals one day.

April’s journey began in 2018, when she got a job as a kennel technician. She instantly fell in love and worked hard to learn the skills she needed to move up to the position of veterinary assistant. April knew right from the start she’d chosen the right career path. After moving to the area, she came across an opportunity at Olympia Veterinary Hospital and jumped at the chance to join the team.

Outside of work, April resides with her fur family, which includes a crazy tuxedo cat named Guinavere and a lazy dog named Roscoe. In her spare time, April enjoys building Legos. So far, she has about 15 sets in her growing collection. Her largest build was about 2500 pieces and took around nine hours to complete. An avid Disney fan, April has visited Disney World eight times (so far).

Willie

Willie

Paperweight

Willie is a Domestic Shorthair tabby cat who was found in a barn alongside his siblings and brought here to Olympia Veterinary Hospital. Now, he serves as the clinic’s official Paperweight and Clinic Cat! 

A spunky, adventurous 17-year-old, Willie’s favorite activities include laying in the middle of the clinic floor, checking on how well the staff folds laundry, and lounging in his top-tier suite. He is an essential key to the sanity of the staff—Willie is our unofficial support cat who boosts morale, gives the best kisses, and hugs the stress away. He’s been a crowd favorite for years, and clients often ask for him by name! Everyone who meets him agrees that the hospital is a better place thanks to his presence. 

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

 – Pam Brown