Meet the Team at Bristol Animal Hospital

Dr. Shara Ripp

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Shara Ripp has been a part of BCVH since 2006. She received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2004 from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, after graduating magna cum laude from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a B.S. in Biology in 2000.

Dr. Ripp has been living in Rhode Island since 2005 and enjoys being outdoors in the woods and on the ocean, as well as heading up to Vermont in the winter to take advantage of the snow. You can usually find her outdoors with her husband and two kids, or curled up inside with a book.

She is presently owned by one cat and two dogs- a Tibetan Terrier and a hound mix. Her goal at work is to help people take the best care of their pets possible, by educating and providing options for care.

Dr. Samantha Schenck

Associate Veterinarian

After growing up in Fall River, Dr. Schenck attended UMass Dartmouth and received a Bachelor’s in biochemistry. She graduated from Tufts University in 2014. She moved back to Southeastern Massachusetts to start her career in general practice. She has a passion for community medicine and long-term care. When not working, Dr. Schenck enjoys hiking and spending time with her husband and two cats, Nyx and Buddy.

Dr. Laura Sims

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Laura Sims was raised in Owensboro, KY, where she attended Daviess County High School and then went on to attend Kentucky Wesleyan College. She is a 2019 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Sims has always loved animals; thus, veterinary medicine has always been her goal and aspiration. Currently, she has two cats (Caspian and Lucy), two dogs (Zelda and Fish), a bearded dragon (Alex), and a goldfish (T-swizz) as well. Her absolute favorite dog breed is the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. She still explores all aspects of veterinary medicine but enjoys internal medicine and higher imaging like ultrasound. Her hobbies include gaming, crafting, hiking, and trail walks. She enjoys spending time with her family, both human and animal.

Michelle, CVT

Certified Veterinary Technician and Practice Manager 

Michelle joined BCVH in April 2013 as a technician. She earned her Associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology in December 2009 and her Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science in May 2011, both degrees from Becker College which was an accredited technician school. She went on to receive her CVT license in July 2013.

From there, she has worked her way up through the company from technician to CVT to Lead Tech to now Practice Manager in December 2021. As much as she enjoys her new role responsibilities – her true love lies interacting with her patients and clients in the exam room and in surgery.

Outside of BCVH, Michelle loves baking delicious goodies and specialty cakes. She also enjoys arts and crafts time with her kids. She lives with her husband Kris, and their kids Logan and Hailey. She has 3 cats named Frankie, Lovey, and Chocolate.

Kathy

Inventory Specialist / Office Administrator

Kathy has been with our practice since 1996! Starting as a vet tech, she now focuses on receiving inventory and record keeping. Intuitive and detail-oriented, Kathy keeps us running on a smooth track with her knowledge of this business and is always there to lend a hand. In her free time, Kathy operates a successful wedding/entertainment photobooth company and greatly enjoys photography, traveling, and spending time with her husband and cats.

Abby, CVT

Veterinary Technician

Abby graduated from New England Tech in 2015 as a certified veterinary technician. During her internship at Bristol County Veterinary Hospital in 2014, her technical skills and winning personality did not go unnoticed, and she quickly became a valued team member. Abby officially joined our staff in July 2015. Patients and clients receive only the best care from Abby, a wonderfully dedicated care professional.

Outside of work, Abby enjoys spending quality time with her husband, two sons, and her cat Luna, a black domestic short hair. She enjoys binge-watching tv shows, reading thrilling novels, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Laura, CVT

Veterinary Technician

I graduated from Roger Williams University in 2006 with a degree in biology. I started in the veterinary field shortly after that and later earned my CVT. I joined the BCVH team in 2018. While my passion has always been in the veterinary field I have an interest in laboratory medicine as well. Along with working at BVCH, I have my medical laboratory Technology (MLT) license and also work in a local hospital laboratory. I’m glad to be able to work in both fields I enjoy. Outside of work I have a house full of critters to keep me company – I love hiking with my pups and I’m currently in the process of turning my entire front yard into a perennial garden.

Linda, CVT

Veterinary Technician

Linda is a CVT and has her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Mount Ida College. She has been working in the veterinary field for over 17 years. She enjoys working with animals, especially pocket pets and wildlife. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, going to New Hampshire and listening to music. She has multiple pets including 3 axolotls, a blue-tongue skink named Aires, a bearded dragon named Chubbs, 2 guinea pigs named Oreo and Britt, a cat named Ernie, and a dog named Daisey Kate.

Theresa

Veterinary Technician

Theresa was born and raised in Wellsville, NY. She received her associate’s degree in data processing from Alfred State College in 1981. She has 40 years of experience in the information technology industry working for several different companies. After she retired from IBM in 2019 after nearly 36 years, Theresa completed her veterinary assistant program at Penn Foster in 2021. Her free time is mostly spent with her four dogs.

Riley

Veterinary Technician

Riley began working at BCVH in August of 2020 as a runner during Covid 19 to get a feel for the veterinary hospital environment. Riley has had a passion for working with and helping animals for as long as she can remember. She began volunteering at Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary, a rescue for large and small animals when she was 14, and now actively works part-time at BCVH and the sanctuary. Riley is a freshman at Bristol Community College with a major in Veterinary Health. In her free time, Riley enjoys going on nature walks with her dog Sawyer, painting, and writing poetry.

Jayde

Veterinary Technician

Jayde joined our team back in October of 2018. Before she joined us here at BCVH, she volunteered for Paws Watch and Save a Lab, taking care of cats and dogs before going to their forever homes. Jayde graduated from the New England Institute of Technology in 2019 with her associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology.

During her free time, Jayde enjoys hanging out with her family, going to the beach, shopping, painting, and traveling. Jayde also loves to stay home and relax with her two dogs, Mason and Minnie, and her two cats, Sabrina and Archie.

Megan

Veterinary Technician

Megan started working at BCVH in 2019 after moving back to Rhode Island from Hawaii. Megan graduated from Rhode Island College in 2021 with a biology and chemistry degree and researching fish biomechanics and locomotion. Megan enjoys watching horror movies and anime with her dog Bear and cat Kibby. During her free time, she hangs out with her other pets, including 3 chinchillas, chickens, a frog, and Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

Dawn

Customer Service Representative

Dawn started working at Bristol County Veterinary Hospital in 2013. Prior to that, she worked in retail for 19 years. Dawn is able to take her prior experience and use it to her advantage, diligently attending to all of our client’s needs and requests with a smile. Dawn shares her home with her husband and 4 year old Havana rabbit, Squirrel. When not at work, Dawn loves to read, bake, watch movies, focus on crafts and spend time with family and friends.

Katie

Customer Service Representative

Katie joined the BCVH team as a CSR in October of 2021. She started working in the field as an Animal Care Attendant in 2010 and quickly realized that her passion was in Veterinary Medicine. Throughout the years, she has been fortunate enough to grow within the field and gain valuable knowledge by working as a Veterinary Technician. Going forward, she hopes to attain her CVT and continue to expand upon her knowledge and skills as a Certified Veterinary Technician.

Katie shares her home with her husband and son, their cat Freya, and their Shiba Inu Holly. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, exploring new places, horseback riding, photography, baking, and going to the beach.

Kimberly

Customer Service Representative

Kimberly started working at BCVH in 2008. Before working at BCVH, she worked in the chiropractic field for 16 years. It may seem like two different worlds, but they are very much the same. Helping people is what she enjoys, it’s her passion.

Kimberly shares her home with her husband, daughter, and 2 fun-loving labs named Abbey & Grace. When not at work she enjoys relaxing at home, spending time with family and friends, gardening, going to concerts, and binge-watching shows on Netflix & Hulu

Kimberly is proud to work at BCVH, “It is a top-notch hospital, and the care is exceptional. We strive to do our best and more.”

Shelley

Customer Service Representative

Shelley started in July 2020 as a CSR at BCVH which has been crazy because of Covid. Working here during this crisis has made her realize how much everyone needs each other. We are all in this together. Prior to this, she worked at an animal hospital in Rhode Island. Adding to the love of the field she has over 20 years of customer service as a Hair Stylist. She strives to do her best and be as helpful as she can on a daily basis.

When she is not working, she is enjoying time with her grandkids and family, cuddling with her 10 year old Boston Terrier named Bettis and her husband of 28 years. Her hobbies include going on walks and shopping on Amazon.