A Culture of Passion
Because that’s what your pet deserves
Meet the Village Veterinary Hospital Team in Bellingham, WA
We believe that great care starts with great people. Every team member brings unique expertise, warmth, and dedication to every visit — because it takes a team that truly cares to provide care that truly matters.
Find Your Purpose.
At Village Veterinary Hospital, we’re always looking for dedicated, compassionate individuals to join our growing team.
Matt Van Winkle, DVM
Veterinary Medical Director
Dr. Matt Van Winkle has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Skagit Valley for the last 5 years. Originally a Californian, he completed his undergraduate degree in Genetics at UC Davis before moving to the Pacific Northwest for the cooler weather and green outdoors. He attended Washington State University for his DVM. Dr. Matt was a big fan of all pets, from cats and dogs all the way to exotic animal medicine, and is dedicated to the dynamic bond between people and their pets. Dr. Matt enjoys camping and all forms of outdoor activities. He is an avid movie-watcher and enjoys any catchy pop-culture reference. He shares his home with a bird and three spoiled cats. Please come down and say hi; he would love to meet you!
Callie Foote, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Foote grew up in Bellingham, WA, and has always had a passion for helping animals. Before becoming a veterinarian, she volunteered at Whatcom Humane Society and its wildlife center in Everson. She graduated with a degree in biology from Western Washington University in 2009 and obtained her veterinary degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University in 2021. Dr. Foote joined Village Vet in 2021 and is a Fear Free certified professional. Her special interests are behavior, internal medicine, and exotics, and Dr. Foote loves helping the community and cannot wait to meet more of the pets who call Bellingham home. She shares her home with Sophie, a terrier/chihuahua mix; Archimedes, a ball python; and Remy, a domestic medium-haired kitty who is in charge of the whole crew. In her free time, Dr. Foote enjoys painting in pastels, baking (her specialties are chocolate cream pie and lemon bars), and watching Disney movies.
Niko Baron, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Niko is originally from Denmark, where her family still resides. She first discovered her passion for animals while working on a dairy in Israel following high school, and further confirmed her passion while serving as a combat soldier in the K9 unit with her bomb sniffing dog, Kita. She decided to move stateside to begin her education at Cleveland State University in 2015. She obtained her undergraduate degree in biology in 2019. With her background in biology and passion for working with animals, she was set on her pursuit of veterinary medicine. She attended The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in May 2023. During vet school, Dr. Niko decided she wanted to migrate further West, and, while spending two weeks in Whatcom County, she fell in love with it. In Dr. Niko’s free time, she enjoys the great outdoors, audiobooks, and lifting weights at the gym. Her favorite thing to do is spending time with her partner, Blake, and their two dogs, Dylan and Ellie.
Cassna LaCount
Hospital Director
Bio coming soon!
Dolores
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Ryan O’Leary
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Josh
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Natalie
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Leander Webber
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Annie Muller
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Brontë Schmidt-Wells
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Alyssa Meister
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Emily Gross
Customer Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Heather Burford
Customer Service Representative
Another familiar face, Heather has been a lifetime resident of Whatcom County. She was raised to approach life logically, using diplomacy and a calm demeanor, and she brings this same approach at Village every day. She is also a very proud generation X member and will gladly bridge the gap between the younger and older generations.
Heather’s family moved 20 times before she turned 18, and she attended 7 different schools. She worked in the human health field for many years before taking her love for pets, and her excellent communication skills, and came to Village Veterinary Hospital.
Heather shares her home with a host of furry and feathered pets. These include, Nani, a 13 year old cat, Shadow, a 12 year old cat, Hugh, an 8 year old Bearded Dragon, Koda, a 7 year old cat, Calcifer, a 1 year old cat, and Tank, the baby kitty of the family.
Karen Jans
Customer Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Grace
Customer Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Jonnica Royal
Shift Lead
Born and raised in Burien, Jonnica is a proud member of the Duwamish Tribe of Seattle. Those of us who get to work with her love learning about her endeavors in cedar bark weaving, bead work, and her families yearly canoe trips in both Washington and British Columbia.
Jonnica attended both Shoreline Community College and Montana State University. She found her love of animals as a teen when she worked at several horse stables and after college she went to work at a sister clinic of Village, Mercer Street Animal Hospital. After getting to know the veterinary industry, Jonnica made a goal of managing a clinic some day and came to work at Village to hone her knowledge.
When not working Jonnica is being bossed around by her two Welsh Corgi’s, Josie and Oliver. Josie can be seen under Jonnica’s desk and is the official staff greeter each day.
[Employee 18 Name]
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Bio coming soon!
[Employee 19 Name]
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Bio coming soon!
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Bio coming soon!