Veterinarians
in San Diego, CA

Dr. Erin O'Donnell grew up in Orange, CT where she lived until starting college. She received her undergraduate degree in pathobiology from University of Connecticut in 2002 and her veterinary degree from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She has worked at Banfield Pet Hospital since graduation and is now Chief of Staff at the Pacific Beach location. Dr. O'Donnell has a special interest in dermatology and surgery, and she lives in Ocean Beach with her husband and senior cat, Reagan. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, eating vegan food, running, cycling, swimming, scuba diving, playing ping-pong and singing karaoke. More Details >>

Dr. Woods was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology and German from Iowa State University in 2012. His passion for helping both animals and people inspired him to pursue a dual degree program where he received his doctorate of veterinary medicine from Iowa State University as well as a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Iowa in 2016. During college, he learned about wildlife conservation studying abroad in Tasmania and conducted a research project on orangutans in Borneo. Prior to working at Banfield, he investigated risk factors for food-borne illness and disease outbreaks for San Diego County. Outside of work, Dr. Woods likes to travel, play volleyball, perform in a community choir, and be active outdoors. More Details >>

Dr. Elden is a San Diego native. She received her bachelor of science in genetics and doctorate of veterinary medicine both from University of California, Davis. Upon graduation, Dr. Elden worked as an equine veterinarian first in Littleton, Colorado then in Malibu, California where she worked on horses of the rich and famous. In 2015 she moved back to her home town of San Diego and joined Banfield Pet Hospitals. In addition to working with Banfield, Dr. Elden has also filled in at private practices in the area as well as worked at a specialty animal acupuncture and rehabilitation center. She has special interests in ophthalmology, surgery, acupuncture, and senior dogs. She has a beloved senior of her own named Cody, a 15 year old Golden Retriever/Labrador mix. When she's not at work, you can find her surfing, horse and mule packing in the back country, rock climbing or spending time with her family. More Details >>

Jen started working at Banfield in April of 2017 but has over 15 years of experience in the veterinary field as an RVT. While she has a special interest in anesthesia, dentistry and operations management, she has worked in many area of veterinary medicine including emergency and critical care, internal medicine, specialty surgery, and operations management of a large AAHA accredited general practice. When not at work, Jen is active in the local vegan community doing animal advocacy work and also stays very busy with her family and animals at home. More Details >>

Tara earned her BA in managerial & organizational communications in 2011 from Point Loma Nazarene University. She then went on to pursue her veterinary technician career and graduated from Pima Medical Institute. She earned her Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) license in 2019 and is excited about opportunities to further her work experience at Banfield in Pacific Beach. In her spare time, Tara enjoys spending time with her girlfriend and playing with her Poodle Schnauzer mix, "Pele." She also enjoys hiking and being outdoors. Her favorite place to go camping in the summer is Mammoth. Working with animals has been a lifelong dream, and she is proud to be an associate with Banfield. More Details >>

Briana completed the veterinary assistant program at Pima in 2019, and is very excited to work for Banfield and eager to expand her technical skills. She has a great love and passion for wildlife, and hopes to one day work with wildlife conservation programs. She has a young pitbull named Bella and a guinea pig named Sassy. When not working, Briana enjoys spending time with family, playing basketball, and going to the beach. More Details >>

Brooke is an animal loving veterinary assistant who has been with Banfield for about a year. Prior to Banfield, she completed 2 degrees in political science and biology at Sonoma State University. When not working, she enjoys going to the beach, hiking, swimming, and practicing yoga. At home, Brooke has a 1-year-old beagle/bulldog mix named Chunk and a 3-year-old calico cat named Pearl. She is very excited and can't wait to help take care of your pets in Pacific Beach! More Details >>

Nikki has been with Banfield since 2016. She graduated from San Diego State University in the summer of 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She has always been interested in the veterinary field and hopes to pursue her goal of going to vet school in the near future. Besides English, she is fluent in Tagalog and can understand/speak some Spanish. Nikki has two pets, Bella KitKat and Beanjamin (aka Bean), and two scaly friends, Nirah (a Kenyan sand boa) and LeoKoa (a leopard gecko). Away from work, you can find her tending to her succulent garden, walking around the beach, running, hiking, swimming, or going to yoga. She also enjoys reading, crocheting, and playing video games. More Details >>

Lori has been in the veterinary field for over 12 years, previously working with killer whales, sea lions, otters and elephants, but she truly enjoys working with small animals. She especially loves to educate clients on vaccines, medication, overall medical care, and the bond formed with clients and their pets. In her spare time, Lori likes being outdoors, SCUBA diving, biking, hiking, and doing anything with her 8-year-old corgi mix named Miss Molly. She looks forward to helping guide you and your pets at Banfield Pacific Beach! More Details >>

Rusia has been with Banfield since December 2019 but has lots of enthusiasm to learn the ins and outs of veterinary medicine. She is currently a client service coordinator here at the Pacific Beach location, although she enjoys learning about all the great ways our veterinarian assistants and nurses help your pets. She enjoys reading, writing, and hanging out with her dogs in her spare time. Rusia has 2 pups at the moment; Coconut, a lively and sweet pug/beagle, and Sasha, a lovely and spirited husky terrier, but she is always looking to expand her furry family! More Details >>