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Our Veterinary Family

It’s so nice to meet you! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets! Please call us at 831-475-1479 to speak to one of our caring veterinary family members!

Dr. Jennifer Barton

Medical Director

Jennifer Barton was born and raised in southern Illinois and obtained her doctorate in veterinary medicine at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Dr. Barton worked as a mixed-animal practitioner for five years, then decided to focus her talents on small animal medicine and surgery exclusively. She takes special interest in performance dog management, geriatric feline care, and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Barton also shares her Santa Cruz home with her spouse, Justin and their happy Retrievers. In her spare time, Dr. Barton enjoys attending field trials, fishing, gardening, and is a published waterfowl photographer.

Dr. Rhiannon Sullivan

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Rhiannon Sullivan has been in veterinary medicine since 2011. Believe it or not she started out as a receptionist at Chanticleer, quickly moving up to kennel tech, veterinary assistant, and even getting a letter of recommendation for vet school from Dr. Clay, the former owner of CVH.

Dr. Sullivan grew up in Aptos and graduated from Ross University in 2020. She loves being an advocate for clients and pets, while building strong connections, and of course all the snuggles from the puppies and kittens! When she’s not being a hero to animals and helping their people, you can find her doing arts and crafts, hanging out with family, and moonlighting as a zombie hunter on Xbox. She still lives locally with her husband and pets.

Ashley

Practice Manager

Ashley grew up outside of Boston, MA. and made her way to the Bay Area in 2007 for her undergraduate degree at SFSU. She has always had animals around her and professionally has been working with them since 2008. When she’s not working you can usually find her out and about with her partner and their dogs checking out the area's beaches and breweries.

Gina

Client Service Representative / Veterinary Assistant

Gina has been loving and caring for patients at Chanticleer since 2014! Her positive attitude brings a smile to everyone’s face and she is always one to cheer people up. She is a Jill of all Trades and fills in wherever she is needed in the clinic. Gina resides in Santa Cruz with her family and can be seen in her spare time singing in karaoke or reading a book!

Cady

Veterinary Assistant

Having grown up in Santa Cruz, Cady has always felt compassion for all animals. Her devotion to animal welfare and education has led her to volunteer in zoos, wildlife rescues, and animal shelters. Chanticleer has been her family’s vet for her entire life, she is very excited to be part of our team! She spends her free time camping and hiking with her husband and their 3 dogs, Nalia, Cinnamon, and Mocha

Valerie

Client Service Representative / Veterinary Assistant

Valerie was born and raised in Santa Cruz. She has always been an animal lover and has been in the veterinary field since 2017. She enjoys reading, going to the beach, and spending time with her fiancé and two dogs.

Inez

Registered Veterinary Technician

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Inez started her career in vetmed in 2012 as a veterinary assistant. She obtained her Registered Veterinary Technician License in 2020 and then made her way to Santa Cruz. When not working, she spends most of her time out and about with her dog Layla and cat Ellis.

Taylor

Registered Veterinary Technician

Taylor has been in veterinary medicine since 2014, starting as an animal shelter volunteer. She sought out a job as an office assistant for a vet clinic during her sophomore year of college, which eventually turned into a years-long career as a veterinary assistant. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology during the pandemic and successfully obtained her RVT license in 2024. She has pets of her own and loves to read, travel, and hike in her free time.

Jorden

Veterinary Assistant

Originally from California’s Central Valley, Jorden moved to Santa Cruz in 2018 to attend UCSC. After graduating with highest honors in 2020, she couldn’t bear to leave! She’s found her family at Chanticleer Veterinary Hospital, where she channels her love and empathy for animals into work that saves lives. When not working, Jorden enjoys the quiet of her home in the Santa Cruz Mountains and cares for three feisty kitties and one mild-mannered, yet overprotective, terrier. Her interests include reading novels, watching horror movies, and learning everything she can about whales.