Neilsa was born and raised in Monterey, California, where she grew up with a number of Beagles and a few guinea pigs. She’s always adored spending time with the earth’s creatures, and she started to develop a fascination with the medical side of their care needs as she got older. One choice of career started to make more and more sense: veterinary care. Now, Neilsa gets to help pets daily as a member of Chico Creek Animal Hospital’s team!
Neilsa was only in high school when she secured her first internship at a local veterinary hospital in Monterey. Next, she moved to Chico to attend Chico State University and study animal science and biology. During her last semester, Neilsa signed on for an internship at a busy 24-hour emergency hospital—on the last day of her internship, she was hired as an employee. She remained there for two years before transferring to a smaller general practice setting in 2018. When the time came for a new opportunity, Neilsa came across an opening here at Chico Creek Animal Hospital. She joined the clinic family in the fall of 2020 and hasn’t looked back since.
As an Assistant, Neilsa enjoys diagnostic work and is especially fond of collecting samples to study under the microscope. She’s also passionate about educating the area’s pet parents about their animal companions’ needs, especially first-time owners.
Neilsa’s interests outside of work include crafting, painting, journaling, fostering and rehabilitating wild animals in need (she’s even fostered possums and squirrels!), and doting on her own pets at home. She and her husband, Ryan, have a menagerie of animal companions, including Nova, a Husky/Shepherd mix who is the most loving, smart, and happy dog Neilsa has ever known; a tabby cat named Nala who loves to cuddle on the couch; and a pair of playful guinea pigs named Cotton and Delilah. Neilsa also has several reptile pets: two crested geckos named Ash and Ember, Cleo the leopard gecko, a goofy albino corn snake named Cornelius, and a Western Hognose snake named Hermes.