top of page

OUR MISSION

Our mission at Ruxton Animal Hospital is to provide the highest standard of quality medical care for pets and their people in a low-stress, compassionate, and professional environment.

Red Gerbera

Dr. Rachel Zimmerman, DVM

Dr. Zimmerman is Ruxton Animal Hospital’s owner and full-time veterinarian. Born and raised in Anne Arundel County, she is happy to have established firm roots in Maryland! Her undergraduate studies were completed at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry in 2001. She then attended the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and became “Dr. Z” in 2005. After gaining experience in a variety of Baltimore area veterinary hospitals, Dr. Zimmerman settled in at Ruxton permanently in 2015! Her zeal for veterinary medicine shows, with a strong focus on client education and fear-free practice techniques. Special clinical interests include internal medicine, geriatric care, canine/feline behavior, and cardiology. Dr. Z lives with menagerie of animals which includes (but is not limited to): a Dogue de Bordeaux named Libby, a Mastiff named Penny, an American Bulldog named Blue, a bird named Figgy, a pony named Flynn, and a handful of mini horses.

Lisa_Perez_edited.jpg

Lisa Perez, RVT &

Compliance and Safety Officer

Lisa is one of our registered veterinary technicians and has been with Ruxton Animal Hospital since its opening in 1996. She grew up in Baltimore and received her RVT degree from CCBC. Lisa enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine and remains dedicated to expanding her knowledge in new and imminent developments within her field. She resides in Bowley’s Quarters with her two daughters as well as her border collies, Jenny and Fergus.  When not tending to our patients, Lisa enjoys biking and walking/hiking.

Sandy_Wolbert_edited.jpg

Sandy Wolbert, Veterinary Assistant

Sandy’s long love affair with vet med began in 2001! A Parkville native, she has spent most of those years at Ruxton Animal Hospital. Since a toddler she’s felt a special connection with the furry sort, and is happy to have ended up in her “dream job”! She enjoys all aspects of the veterinary field and her enthusiasm and energy brightens our exam rooms! Sandy’s furkid is a pitbull named Beckett aka "Piggy." Her personal hobbies include hiking, target shooting, riding horses (dressage specifically), and reading.

Red Gerbera

Kelsy Wolodkin, Veterinary Assistant

Kelsy was born and raised in the Baltimore area (Go Orioles!) and joined the team at Ruxton Animal Hospital in November 2018. She is new to the veterinary field but not to serving clients in her community. 2 rescue dogs make their home with Kelsy – a geriatric beagle named Billy and a Puggle named Hercules. She has a passion for dogs and is eager to learn all she can! You can find Kelsy attending Orioles games, visiting friends and family in the Frostburg area, and going to concerts in her spare time.

Cayla_David_edited.jpg

Cayla David, Client Care Supervisor & 

Client Service Representative

Having been in the veterinary field since 2015, Cayla eventually joined Ruxton Animal Hospital in 2021 as a Client Service Coordinator. Born and raised in Baltimore, Cayla has expressed a genuine interest in helping pets and their people. Her own fur family consists of 3 cats, Chloe, Riley and Louie, as well as her shih tzu/pomeranian mix, Murphy. When she is not working or in school, Cayla spends time cooking, reading and traveling.

Red Gerbera

Natalie Russell, Kennel Care Supervisor

Veterinary Assistant

Natalie first started working in the veterinary field when she joined the Ruxton Animal Hospital team in 2022. She has been an avid animal lover her entire life and is thrilled to have a job that involves working with them every day! She is currently working towards her Bachelor's in Biology at Towson University and hopes to attend veterinary school after that. In her free time she loves spending time with friends, reading, hiking, and going on camping trips with her family and Australian Shepherd mix named Finn.

Red Gerbera

Taylor Herron, Kennel Technician

Taylor first started working in the veterinary field when she joined the Ruxton family, but her experience with animals did not start there. She has been in animal care for over 5 years and uses her experience to provide great care for all our boarding pets here at Ruxton Animal Hospital! She has several pets, including a dog named Nala and three cats named Bagheera, Kit Kat, and Charlie. She is especially interested in animal behavior and behavioral medicine. When not working, she loves attending metal concerts with friends and spending time with her son. 

Red Gerbera

Kimberly Wallander, Practice Manager

Kimberly is a seasoned Practice Manager and has a passion for building relationships, caring for others, and providing quality experiences to our clients and their furbabies. Entering the veterinary field in 2012, she quickly grew into a multifaceted leader, coaching a diverse number of teams in the DMV area. Dedicated to learning and development, she has acquired skills as a client advocate, veterinary assistant, operations specialist, trainer, and mentor. Kimberly proudly claims Charm City as her place of residence and is always looking for ways to serve the Baltimore community. Raised on Oahu, Kimberly loves taking in lots of sunshine. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the outdoors and taking trips during the warmer months but prefers spending colder times of the year snuggled up on the couch at home with her cats, Monty, Lando, Audrey, and Guillermo aka "Mo."

Jessica_Loudenclos_edited.jpg

Jessica, RVT &

Patient Care Supervisor

As a graduate of Wilson College's Veterinary Medical Technology program, Jessica joined Ruxton Animal Hospital as a seasoned licensed technician. She has lived all over the country, being born and raised in Philadelphia, PA (fly Eagles, fly!), she has lived in Alabama, Texas and now, Maryland. Having moved here from the deep south, Jess is once again enjoying her cold and snowy winters. Her fur-babies are made up of all rescues, some with special needs, this includes 5 cats, a boxer, and several chickens (some of which with very big personalities). Jessica's hobbies include horseback riding, reading, camping and a long term crochet project that never seems to end. She is also a big supporter of her son's Boy Scout troop and advocates others to "Adopt, don't shop and support your local animal shelter!" 

Patricia_Chilinksi.jpg

Patricia Chilinski, Client Service Representative

Patricia started out in veterinary medicine in 2013. Having previous experience as a team leader, she joins Ruxton Animal Hospital as a knowledgeable client advocate and veterinary assistant. Patricia is eager to learn, possessing a special interest in medical imaging, such as Radiology and Ultrasonography. She resides in the Baltimore area with Remus, her labrador/aussie mix and cat, Alastor Mad-Eye Moody. In her free time, Patricia enjoys cooking, baking, reading and travelling.

Sophie_Moock.jpg

Sophie Moock, Veterinary Assistant

Sophie was born and raised in Marriottsville, MD before becoming a resident Baltimorean. While she has worked in animal care since 2016, her journey into the veterinary field began in 2020. Sophie is interested in Fear Free practices and is learning everyday. She lives with her happy pitbull, Harper and sweet cat, Nova. Outside of work, Sophie enjoys being out in nature, photography, art and travel.

Red Gerbera

Nicole Tregobov, Veterinary Assistant

Born in Minneapolis, MN, Nicole moved to Baltimore in 2007. Having been in the veterinary field since 2015, Nicole is working towards becoming a doctor of veterinary medicine one day. Outside of work she helps raise puppies to become guide dogs for The Seeing Eye organization. Nicole's fur family consists of 3 dogs, Jake, Octavia, and Penny and 1 cat, Shadow.

Red Gerbera

Ryan Piscitelli, Client Service Representative

Having been the proud owner of several yellow labs over the years, Ryan has a soft spot for friends of the furry variety. Joining the Ruxton Animal Hospital family was his first step into the world of veterinary medicine, and so far he's loving it! When not at work he enjoys writing, board games, and video games. He is always ready with a joke, but be warned... don't ask him to tell you a story about a green bouncy ball unless you have time to stay a while! ;)

Red Gerbera

Joey Benson, Veterinary Assistant

Joey has been in the veterinary field since 2018 and loves it because animals are usually nicer than humans! ;) He is the proud owner of a bichon poodle named Wiggles Giggles, a cairn terrier/pitbull mix named Nikola Tesla (Niko for short), and an orange tabby named Whisper. Outside of work, Joey loves sleeping, all things Pokemon, and attending weekly karaoke sessions.

Meet the Team

bottom of page