Our Team in Ames, IA

Somerset Veterinary Hospital is a small animal hospital with a dedicated team that loves animals and is committed to our clients. We are proud to introduce you to a team of employees who sincerely enjoys what they do. To book an appointment with our team call (515) 292-0400 or use the online form!

Chase Office Manager Veterinary Nurse

Chase, RVT

Office Manager and Veterinary Nurse

Chase started her veterinary career at Somerset in 2012 and attended Cedar Valley College where she obtained her degree in Veterinary Technology and became a Registered Veterinary Technician. She has enjoyed being an integral part of the practice’s growth and enjoys interacting with clients and their fur children. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She is the resident “frenchie” lady and an avid shark enthusiast. Chase also has a soft spot for geriatric adoptees that are in need of a home to spend their last few years. Chase, her husband, their daughter Ryan, and their son Ledger share their home with 2 dogs, a cat, and 2 horses.

Somerset Veterinary Hospital

Eryn, UW-AAB

Team Leadership and Patient Services Coordinator and Veterinary Assistant

Eryn first joined the Somerset family as a Veterinary Assistant in February 2019, after graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in animal ecology and a minor in learning and leadership sciences. Recently, Eryn and her husband bought a house in Ankeny where they live with two cats, Mini and Kit-Kat. Fun Fact: Eryn and her husband fostered Kit through the Ames Animal Shelter in the fall of 2020 while she awaited an eye enucleation. They ended up falling in love with her and adopted Kit in early 2021; she has been a wonderful addition to the family. Eryn’s favorite part of working at Somerset is developing bonds with clients and their pets while helping people learn how to keep their pets happy and healthy. She also loves being involved in the medical care of patients. In her free time, Eryn loves reading in her hammock when it’s nice outside, spending time cuddling with her cats, and attending Iowa State football games with her husband and their friends and family.

Ashley Vrce Lead Client Care Services Representative Social Media Coordinator

Ashley, VRCE

Community Outreach and Social Media Coordinator and Client Care Services Representative

Ashley joined the Somerset family as a Client Service Representative in August of 2020. Within the first two years with the team, she has become the Social Media & Community Outreach Coordinator and completed the Veterinary Reception Certification of Excellence Program through Ignite, graduating with the title VRCE. Ashley plans to continue taking opportunities to expand her experience and knowledge in the veterinary field and within the community. She enjoys building relationships with clients and their pets through both personal interaction and social platforms! Ashley and her boyfriend Bryon are new homeowners enjoying life with their three pets, Moose, BoJack, and Red. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, yard game tournaments, and spending time with family and friends!

Micaela Lead Veterinary Nurse

Micaela, RVT

Veterinary Nurse, Team Lead

Micaela graduated from DMACC with a degree in veterinary technology in 2021. She passed her board exams in spring of 2022. Micaela has one cat, Dobby, and two gerbils, Sesame and Chia. When she’s not working, she enjoys knitting, reading, and hiking. Fun Fact: Micaela has been on three mission trips to Haiti, and she looks forward to going back in the future! Micaela says the best part of her job is getting to know the patients and their owners. She really enjoys being a part of the healing process with sick pets, and watching them become happy and healthy again!

Paige Rvt

Paige, RVT

Veterinary Nurse

Paige is from Northwest, Iowa. She received her veterinary technician degree from Ridgewater College in Minnesota, and joined the Somerset family in October 2018. Paige enjoys working with both cats and dogs! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Paige is the proud parent of a cat named Zoey!

Dilshi

Dilshi, RVT

Veterinary Nurse

Dilshi was born in Sri Lanka. At the age of 5 y/o she and her family moved to the U.S. She has lived in Texas, New York and is currently living in Ames, Iowa. She graduated from SUNY Canton in 2023 with her A.A.S in Veterinary Science Technology, three months later she joined the Somerset family. Though she never had pets growing up, she has always adored animals. She enjoys being able to provide love and care for each and every patient she gets to see. Dilshi has a tuxedo cat named Oreo whom she loves dearly.

Ceondra

Ceondra, RVT

Veterinary Nurse

Ceondra grew up in Dubuque, Iowa where she started out her veterinary career by getting her very first job as a kennel attendant. She graduated from NICC in Calmar in 2019 as a Veterinary Technician and later passed her VTNE to become registered. She has since worked as an RVT in a few small animal practices and joined the Somerset team in September of 2023! She is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at ISU, with hopes of being accepted into veterinary school in the near future. She is very passionate about emergency and critical care medicine.  She has four kitties of her own at home and has a soft spot for all of our feline patients.

Bailey

Bailey, RVT

Veterinary Nurse

Bailey graduated from DMACC’s Veterinary Technology program in May 2021. Later that summer she passed her board exams and became a registered veterinary technician. She enjoys reading and relaxing at home with her many reptiles, cats, and dogs. Bailey is excited to continue her vet med journey here at Somerset, especially with the urgent care team.

Alyssa Lead Client Care Services Representative

Alyssa

Client Care Services Representative, Team Lead

Alyssa grew up in Moingona, Iowa with a passion for rescuing animals at a very young age. After working as a Community Outreach Coordinator and Customer Experience Supervisor at a large rescue organization, she joined the Somerset team in 2018. Alyssa is extremely enthusiastic about helping people and their beloved pets. She enjoys traveling and spending time in nature with her husband, Spencer, and their three dogs, Queen, Oakley and Bella.

Emily Client Care Services Representative

Emily

Client Care Services Representative, Team Lead

Emily grew up in Story City, Iowa. After getting her first job in high school at a local veterinary clinic, she knew this was the perfect field for her. Since then she has expanded her knowledge, first getting her associate degree in science from Des Moines Area Community College and then going on to Iowa State University to complete her bachelor’s degree in animal science. Emily joined the Somerset team in January of 2019. What she has enjoyed most about her time here is the connections she’s made with the clients and getting to cuddle their adorable fur babies every day! Emily enjoys spending time with her family and close friends, and having a movie night in with her fiancé and their cat, Coda.

Mindy Client Care Services Representative

Mindy

Client Care Services Representative

Mindy grew up in Norwalk, Iowa and graduated from DMACC with a liberal arts degree, and then attended Iowa State University. She recently moved back to the Ames area from Sioux City where she has been a veterinary assistant for 16+ years. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her two dogs Mabel and Artie.

Hannah L Client Care Services Representative Veterinary Assistant

Hannah L

Client Care Services Representative and Veterinary Assistant

Hannah was raised on a farm where her passion for animals began. This passion extended into wildlife as she pursued a degree in animal ecology and wildlife care at Iowa State, graduating in 2020. Her favorite part of working at Somerset is greeting all the fur babies as they come through the door! When she’s not loving on all our patients, she enjoys taking her two dogs Bentley and Maisy on adventures, watching TV shows with her two cats Simon and Bear, and volunteering to help care for sick and injured wildlife.

Jen

Jennifer

Client Care Services Representative and Veterinary Assistant

Jennifer is from West Des Moines, Iowa and joined the Somerset staff after being a client for ten years.  She lives in Ames with her husband and three kids.  She has two pups who are regulars at Somerset!  Norma (a French Bulldog) and Pete (an English Bulldog) are always ready for cuddles and are quite comical.  Jennifer is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and volunteers with various organizations throughout the state that assist injured wildlife.

Katie M

Katie

Client Care Services Representative and Veterinary Assistant

Katie grew up in Ames, IA and had been a client of Somerset with her dog, Mickey, for 13 years prior to joining the Somerset team. She attended Iowa State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Animal Ecology and Biology. Katie pursued wildlife care through college and then did two internships at wildlife centers in Florida and Virginia. She enjoys painting, reading, hiking, and spending time outside. Katie enjoys working at Somerset because she loves working with animals and creating relationships with clients and their pets.

Default Profile Picture, Avatar, Photo Placeholder. Vector Illustration

Abby

Veterinary Assistant, Team Lead

Abby started her veterinary career with a background in shelter medicine and clinical experience over the course of 5 years in both fields. She is currently attending San Juan College to complete her degree in veterinary technology. Abby lives in Des Moines and has two pets; a cat named Sebastian, and a dog named Lucy.

Hannah B Veterinary Assistant

Hannah B

Veterinary Assistant

Hannah grew up in Indianola, Iowa, and moved to Ames in 2019. Here, she started her undergraduate degree and then was accepted into Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2025. Her primary focus is on small animal general practice as she enjoys getting to know her clients and patients every day. Hannah has two furry friends at home named Jinx and Lottie and they have her whole heart. Outside of the veterinary field she enjoys going to the gym, hanging out with friends, and snacking on anything with chocolate!

Nourah Veterinary Assistant

Nourah

Veterinary Assistant

Nourah grew up in Iowa City, Iowa and is starting her first year of vet school at Iowa State. She has a strong passion for animals and medicine. She has two huskies at home named Luna and Azul. She will argue that they are the cutest dogs in the world. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and playing with her huskies.

Courtney Veterinary Assistant

Courtney

Veterinary Assistant

Courtney grew up in Northern California and recently moved to Ames. She attended Northern Arizona University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology and minors in chemistry and business. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, Buddy. Courtney’s favorite part of working in the veterinary field is seeing the bond between people and their furry family members. She hopes to attend vet school in the future!

Chyenne Veterinary Assistant

Chyenne

Veterinary Assistant

Chyenne started with us in August 2022 and she has been a great addition to our Somerset Team. She grew up in Southwest Minnesota and moved to Iowa to peruse a degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. She graduated from ISU in 2020 and then went on to work at two clinics in her home area until she decided to go back to school. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at Iowa State University, and hopes to attend vet school in the near future. Her favorite part about being an assistant is being able to help animals in all stages of their lives as well as see the growing bonds between owners and their pets. She currently has two rambunctious cats of her own, Minnie and Dobby. In her free time outside of vet med she likes to volunteer and has several hobbies that include reading, crocheting, cross stitching, hiking, floriculture, and is a novice aquarist.

Madison Veterinary Assistant

Madison

Veterinary Assistant

Madison grew up in Waterloo, Iowa where she has worked in a veterinary hospital since high school. She joined the Somerset family in December of 2022. Madison is a student at Iowa State University majoring in animal science with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian in the future. She has two dogs, Mable and Willow. Mable is a pomsky and Willow is a great pyrenees/aussie mix. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going on walks, or taking the pups to the lake. In addition to hanging out with her pups, she enjoys being around friends and family. The relationships and connections Madison makes with each client, as well as getting to see the fur babies grow up, are her favorite aspects of working at Somerset.

Laura Veterinary Assistant

Laura

Veterinary Assistant

Laura grew up in Decorah, Ia, and moved to Ames in October of 2021. She attended Northeast Iowa Community College in 2017 for the Large Animal Veterinary Technician Program. Laura’s favorite part of the job is to meet and help all the cute animals! In her free time, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, her boyfriend, and her 2 dogs.

Rachel

Rachel

Veterinary Assistant

Rachel joined the Somerset team during the summer of 2023. She grew up in Arizona and moved to Iowa to attend college. She graduated from DMACC with an Associate’s in Criminal Justice, which is also where she decided to pursue her passion for animals. Rachel then graduated from ISU in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Animal Science. She is now pursuing her vet tech degree online. Rachel loves to spend time with her family, play with her dogs Louie and Piper, and spend time outdoors. Her favorite part about working at Somerset is developing relationships with clients and helping them give their pets a great quality of life.

Kassidy

Kassidy

Veterinary Assistant

Kassidy grew up in Malvern, Iowa where she raised and showed livestock. Kassidy grew her love for veterinary medicine when she started working at a vet clinic her freshman year of college. She graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Animal Science in 2023. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her pets, family, and friends.

Jade Veterinary Assistant Kennel Attendent

Jade

Veterinary Assistant - Kennel Attendent

Jade grew up in Evansdale, Iowa. She is currently a student at Iowa State University, getting a degree in animal science and a minor in animal ecology with the hopes of one day attending veterinary school. She enjoys playing soccer, reading, and being outside in her free time. Jade also has one furry friend named Simba, who is an orange kitty. Jade says the best part about working here is seeing how we can help sick patients get better and the human-to-animal bond when working at the clinic.

Jillian Veterinary Assistant Kennel Attendent

Jillian

Veterinary Assistant - Kennel Attendent

Jillian grew up in Oelwein, Iowa and is currently attending DMACC, majoring in Science. She also runs cross country at DMACC. After graduating from DMACC she plans to transfer to Iowa State to major in animal science and then apply for veterinary school. Her favorite part of working at Somerset is getting to watch patients throughout all stages of life and getting to know each pet’s personality. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family including her two corgis, Cora and Remi.