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About Alternatives for Animals

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Karen Rettig Graduated from Melbourne University School of Veterinary Medicine with Honors in 2001. After two years of practicing as a traditional western veterinarian, she decided to pursue her passion for preventative and holistic veterinary medicine. In 2003 she gained additional education from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and became a Veterinary Acupuncturist. In 2004-2007 she studied Chinese Herbal Medicine at the Chi Institute and in 2006-2007 studied Bioresonance Therapy. She is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association. For those that don't know me, I am proud to be an Aussie and according to my American friends, I have not lost much of my accent. Although if you ask my Mum (mom) I have developed a slight American "twang." I have been married eight years to my loving and supportive husband Scott. We have been blessed with two children, Jack who is our spirited, intuitive and colorful 5 year old and Will, our centered, serious and straightforward 2 year old. They are the loves of my life. We also share our house with two dogs, Rajah a 7 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback and Emma a 6 year old English Setter and our hilarious rabbit, Midnight. I am very lucky that my work is my passion. Ever since I was a little girl, animals were my "thing." If there were animals around, that's where you would find me. I rode horses competitively in my teens and 20's. I am most centered and content when I am riding. Riding is like Yoga to me. I can tune out the world and be at one with the horse. So when I do find a spare second, which is rare these days, you will find me on or near a horse. In my early 20's, I graduated in Australia with a degree in Finance, spent 3 years working in the financial arena and decided this was not for me. I had always wanted to be a vet and loved Science so thought, why not give it a go. For those that know me, I just worked on this until it was a reality and in 1998 was accepted in the Melbourne University School of Veterinary Medicine. I was so excited to go to school and learn and of course loved being with the animals. It was a match made in heaven. I had found my place in life and everyday was a great day. I graduated in December of 2001, and moved to the USA two days later, sat board exams and started working in Reno, Nevada, in a small animal hospital. I quickly learned that while I loved being a vet, it needed some "tweaking." I wanted to heal the animals and not just send them away with quick fixes. I had been exposed to acupuncture and chiropractic through my horses back in Australia so I understood the concepts and how beneficial it can be for animals to help them find balance. So within 1.5 years of graduating vet school, I started the IVAS course to become a veterinary acupuncturist. I remember sitting in the room on the first day and them saying "your life is about to change." Boy, they could not have been more right. It opened up my eyes to a whole different way of looking at medicine and healing. So I became a convert. And since then I have thrown myself into holistic medicine with all of my heart. I am grateful to have found a form of medicine that provides true healing rather than masking symptoms. All of us and our animals have an ability to heal with the right tools. Wellness comes from balance and harmony in the mind and body. It is with true excitement and commitment that I come to work every day. My patients are my teachers and I am grateful for all that they teach me every day. Thank you for allowing me to practice my passion and for trusting me with your care.   Jennifer Luna Jennifer Luna-Repose Graduated from Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She completed a one year rotating small animal medicine internship and a six month small animal oncology internship at Bay Area Veterinary Specialists. She is currently studying Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine through the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies and is under the mentorship of Dr. Rettig. She is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. I was raised in Lafayette, California and love the Bay Area. After high school I spent some time soul searching and volunteered for Dr. Birute Galdikas in Borneo studying wild Orangutans and Brenda Salgado in Belize studying wild Howler Monkeys. During these amazing experiences I was inspired to study veterinary medicine so I could help animals on a more personal level. When I was a student at Cornell I was given the opportunity to help animals in Louisiana after hurricane Katrina. I went with a group of fellow students to assist dogs and cats that had been separated from their families and needed medical attention. It was by far one of the most devastating and eye opening experiences of my life. I have always been interested in alternative medicine and found myself frustrated with the limited treatment modalities of western medicine. Fortunately I found a great friend and mentor in Karen Rettig who encouraged me to follow my heart. I am so excited every day by all the possibilities that are offered with alternative therapies and their supportive role in encouraging the body to heal itself. I can’t wait to share with you and your pets all that I continue to learn so that together we can improve their health and quality of life.     Melissa Romero Veterinary Assistant Melissa has been a veterinary technician since 2004. She specializes in giving liver treats before, during and after exams. Her interests revolve heavily in caring for geriatric companion animals, humane education and phlebotomy. In her spare time, Melissa is a foster parent for The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society. Her dog's name is Devin and he's a "Chihua-attle" (that's Chihuahua/Cattle Dog mix) with an exceptionally adorable underbite. She also has a Himalayan named Donovan, a very handsome cat that meows in a high A that bends to an A flat. My day is full of slobbery dog kisses and melodic cat meows. I enjoy every bit of animal care from fostering underage kittens to helping a senior dog walk. I am passionate about animal health and animal care, that is why I am here - I love what I do!     Susan Erwin Office Manager Susan has extensive experience in office support and management. She spent six years with a financial services firm in San Francisco supporting the day to day operation of a fifteen person office, including event planning and coordinating an office remodel and move. Most recently she was with a thoroughbred farm in the San Joaquin Valley which not only involved managing the office but also hands-on experience with the horses on the farm. Susan thought this was the best job ever, until she came to Alternatives for Animals. The environment is calm, soothing and serene and is reflected in the faces of the dogs, and, yes, some cats that come to see Dr. Rettig. Our team is a family and our patients are part of that family. For someone that has always been passionate about our four-legged companions, this is truly the perfect working environment and each morning I look forward to coming here. My dog's name is Flora (known around the office as Flor-adorable). She's a 10 yr. old spaniel/lab mix I recently rescued and a very sweet girl. She shares our home with two former feral kitties. Tomas is busy teaching Flora how to respectfully live with felines, and Raki spends his days re-decorating by moving area rugs from one room to another.     Additional Team Members   Victoria Tugwell My interest and love of animals started from an early age. I started by walking the neighborhood dogs at the age of 7. This progressed to voluntary work and work experience at local boarding kennels and veterinary practices. I continued to be involved with animals as my profession and became qualified from The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK) in 1990 as a Qualified Veterinary Nurse (VN). Over the years I have worked in Small Animal Veterinary Practices in a variety of roles, starting out as a Trainee VN, then progressing up to more senior roles and Practice Assessor. My curiosity of muscles and movement came from many years participating in athletics, triathlons and half marathons. It was after many injuries and frustrations that I started to appreciate the need for taking care of my body. I do this by using chiropractic care, acupuncture & bodywork as an integral part of my training program. Nowadays it also includes the grounding practices of Qi Gong and Yoga. When moving to California with my family in 2005 I was given an amazing opportunity to study Canine & Equine Body work. I felt that there was a real need to show owners the benefits of incorporating massage into their pets’ wellness programs. These animals would then be able to feel better in their bodies, play well and generally be happier and healthier. I have now successfully completed over 500 hours of training and believe that there are many more learning opportunities ahead.   Margaret Holiday Chiropractor Margaret Holiday D.C. was raised in California and graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 1976 with a degree in Immunology/Bacteriology. She went on to obtain a teaching credential and taught high school biology and French for six years before attending Palmer College of Chiropractic. Over the next 23 years she maintained a thriving chiropractic practice, first in Point Reyes Station and subsequently in Albany, California. Her lifelong interest in and love of animals led her to become nationally certified in animal chiropractic nine years ago. She is now employed at six small animal veterinary clinics in the Bay Area, all of which specialize in holistic and alternative veterinary care. She also works on horses in conjunction with numerous equine veterinarians. In addition to traditional chiropractic techniques, she specializes in cranio-sacral and trigger point therapies which have proven to be extremely effective in treating animals. She enjoys collaborating with other veterinary practitioners to offer complete holistic care.

 

 

 

 

 

telephone: (925) 283-6160        e-mail: alternativesforanimals@gmail.com