Holly G. Carter, BVetMed
Dr. Carter has worked for over 30 years in small animal and exotic practices in the Puget Sound area, England, Arizona and the San Francisco Bay area. She obtained her veterinary degree at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 2000. While there, she was active in the Zoological Society, serving as president during her 4th year. She conducted research on iguana husbandry and paramyxovirus in snakes. She also earned a coveted spot in the exotics elective course at the London Zoo and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. During her early years in practice she developed a skill for rabbit/small mammal dentistry and corrective trimming. She works closely with ferret and other small mammal shelters in the area to provide veterinary care and maximize the quality of life for the shelter and foster animals. Dr. Carter has owned Evergreen Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital since 2013.
James Boutette, DVM
Dr. Boutette joined Evergreen Avian and Exotic in August of 2015. He is originally from Ontario, Canada and graduated from University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. Dr. Boutette participated in an internship and residency in avian and exotic medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College and the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary College respectively. While a student, Dr. Boutette worked at the American Eagle Foundation and he has since sat on the board of directors of the Freedom Center for Wildlife in New Jersey. He also served as the primary veterinarian for two other wildlife rehabilitation and education centers in South Jersey and near Philadelphia. Dr. Boutette has pursued further education in aquatic medicine, undertaking an intensive course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. He is an avid aquarist himself. Dr. Boutette has been an owner of Evergreen Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital since 2021.
Kristina Fletcher, DVM
Kirkland
Dr. Fletcher joined Evergreen in 2017 directly after graduating from Ross University on St. Kitts Island in the West Indies. She grew up in Washington State, but has traveled extensively throughout the world.
Paulette Santonacita, DVM
University Place
Weina Dai, DVM
Kirkland and University Place
Dr. Dai graduated from UC Davis School of Vet Med in 2018. She then went on to do a small animal emergency specialty internship at a private practice in Illinois, followed by a wildlife internship at WSU/PAWS. She went into practice small animal medicine working with cats and dogs for a couple of years before making the switch to exotic medicine full time and a cat only clinic part-time. She enjoys eating and playing Dungeons and Dragons. She cannot live without coffee. She is obsessed with her 2 cats and 4 ferrets.
Christina Parra, DVM
Kirkland
Dr. Parra has been involved with exotic animals for over 10 years. She first had an interest in exotic animals, particularly reptiles, when she had her first Leopard Gecko as a kid. She joined Evergreen Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in August of 2023. She graduated from Oregon State University’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in 2023. Her special interests include nutrition and reptile medicine, although she does enjoy seeing birds and small mammals as well! Outside of work, Dr. Parra enjoys creating sculptures and other artwork and reading fantasy novels. Her own pets include a leopard gecko named Potatoes, a Northern Blue Tongue Skink named Cornflake, a ball python named Snakey, and a baby hognose snake named Yogurt.
Karin, Licensed Veterinary Technician
Kirkland
Karin graduated in 2011 from the University of Puget Sound with degrees in Psychology and Biology, with an emphasis in neuroscience. She hails from northern California where she worked extensively with living reptiles and large exotic taxidermy. She has worked with rehabilitating and rehoming reptiles of all sorts (specializing in snakes small and large), as well as humane rattlesnake capture and relocation. She has also worked extensively with deceased African mammals and birds, including a full giraffe skeletal articulation now housed in a Californian library. In addition, she has also worked with the California Academy of Science to study and process/articulate the orca skeleton now on display at the museum. She graduated from PIMA medical institute as a vet tech in 2021 and is very excited to be working with exotics patients.
Kate, Licensed Veterinary Technician
Kirkland and University Place
Kate has worked continuously in the veterinary field since March 2008. Her initial focus was dog and cat medicine until switching her attention to exotics when she joined Evergreen Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in January 2019. Her passion for all animals, both big and small, has been evident her entire life, beginning with her attempts to befriend any and all feral cats that wandered into her path since she was a very small child, driving her parents absolutely crazy.
Her insatiable appetite for knowledge has led her to acquire multiple degrees. The most notable to date was graduating from Pacific Lutheran University in 2016, double majoring with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Bachelor of Arts in Norwegian language. Kate’s last educational adventure was graduating from Pima Medical Institute-Seattle with an Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology in June 2021, followed by passing her state and national exams in November 2021 earning her Licensed Veterinary Technician credentials.
She hopes to go back to school again some day to complete another bachelor’s degree and/or potentially pursue becoming a veterinarian herself. Her professional interest has always been the nitty gritty science behind animal medicine, animal behavior, educating clients about their beloved pets, and helping people improve the human-animal bond. Outside of work she enjoys reading, arts and crafts, practicing martial arts, and taking care of her pets.
Jazzlyn, Licensed Veterinary Technician
University Place
Jazzlyn has been a licensed veterinary technician since 2016. She has always had a passion for avian and exotic medicine. Her particular interests in veterinary medicine include animal behavior and adjusting her approach based on each animal’s personality. She also enjoys building a relationship with clients to tailor our medical management plan for each family’s situation. Outside of work she spends most of her time with family and a cup of coffee in hand. Her favorite way to decompress is getting cozy with a book or finding moments of self care.
Jenna, Licensed Veterinary Technician
University Place
Jenna has been a LVT for two years and has a passion for rehabilitating, rescuing and fostering guinea pigs. She is a former Air Force officer with a background in human resources and airline corporate sales and marketing. She enjoys spending time with her two pet guinea pigs Bubbles and Sky, as well as her four adorable bunnies Cagney, Lacey, Chip and Dale. She also has 18 hens who keep her on her toes on a daily basis and are arguably just as cute as the piggies and bunnies.
Misty, Licensed Veterinary Technician
Kirkland
Misty Chavez has been a dedicated Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2015 with a passion for advancing animal care. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area of California, Misty relocated to Washington in late 2020 and joined our team in 2023. They have had a career spanning diverse veterinary disciplines including private practice, specialty, emergency, wildlife, exotic and shelter medicine.
Misty is a member of the Association of Exotic Animal Veterinarians and is currently pursuing certification in Veterinary Technician Specialties with a focus on exotic companion animals striving to deepen their expertise in this specialized field. Misty’s journey in veterinary medicine began with internships at the Peninsula Humane Society’s wildlife center while also volunteering at the Silicon Valley Wildlife Center.
Outside of work, Misty shares a vibrant home with an eclectic menagerie including 5 Guinea pigs, 2 chinchillas, 1 bearded dragon, a crested gecko, and 2 tomato frogs, alongside their human partner. Beyond veterinary medicine, Misty enjoys hobbies such as video games, anime, crafting, hiking, and paddle boarding, reflecting a diverse range of interests and a love for exploration.
Amy, Veterinary Assistant
Kirkland
Amy has a lifelong passion for animals that is evidenced in her work every day. Growing up, she was surrounded by various pets and is currently the proud mom to an Indian Ringneck parakeet, two playful chinchillas, a curious hamster, a loyal dog, a pond full of fish, a turtle and two charming silkie chickens. Her extensive hands-on experience with diverse species allows her to provide exceptional care and support to our feathered and furry patients. She is committed to promoting the health and well-being of exotic animals while fostering a nurturing environment for their owners.
Andi, Veterinary Assistant
University Place
Andi joined the Evergreen Team in October of 2023. She has been an avid animal lover her entire life, growing up in horse stables in Hungary. She’s been in animal care since 2015 when she began volunteering at PAWS as both a Dog Volunteer and Wildlife Care Assistant. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2019 with a degree in Biology and spent 4 years in the United States Army as a Logistics Officer. In addition to working at Evergreen, Andi works at Cascadia Research Collective as marine mammal research biologist. She is currently studying toward earning her Veterinary Technician License and Wildlife Rehabilitator Permit in the state of Washington. Andi’s zoo at home includes her five dogs, Henry, Rey, Malcolm, Rooster, and Cheese; two pigeons named Simon and Garfunkel; three leopard geckos called Beef, Lemon, and Sassy; Topaz the Tegu, Jane the corn snake, and Yzma the blue tongued skink.
Brettney, Veterinary Assistant
Kirkland
Brettney graduated in 2017 from Kent State University with a BS in organismal biology. She conducted research in South Africa, studying different moth morphotypes across different savannas. She started her career at the Akron Zoo as a keeper and a zoo educator. She moved on to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History where she was a wildlife specialist and an educator. She has always had a deep passion for helping wildlife and educating others to help instill compassion for the natural world.
Cindy, Veterinary Assistant
Kirkland
From the moment she stumbled into the outside world with her first steps, Cindy has loved nature – spending all of her free time outdoors exploring every nook and cranny to discover all there is to be discovered. Starting in 2009, her adventures led her to Washington State University, where she cared for wildlife (especially baby squirrels and raptors) in the Exotics Ward of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, was a member of the Raptor (birds of prey) Club, and created feeding and staging charts for baby wildlife now used in the system. In 2013 she graduated with a B.S. in Zoology with Pre-Veterinary Sciences and later that year enthusiastically hopped into Evergreen Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital when it opened and she is loving every moment. Along with constantly striving to satisfy an insatiable curiosity about animals and plants, Cindy is an avid artist/crafter, cosplayer, owns an Etsy shop, has the best husky in the world, and loves going outdoors with her family. You can often find her crouched low and snapping photos of local wildlife, especially insects!
Davey, Veterinary Assistant
University Place
Davey started off in animal care as a wildlife rehabilitator at the Bird Center of Michigan, working primarily with the native avian species of his home state. He then worked emergency shifts at the Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. There he learned more about mammalian and reptile medicine, before moving to Washington to continue working with exotics at Evergreen Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital. His main focus is working with birds, and he remains passionate about helping wildlife in need.
Kaytlynn, Veterinary Assistant
University Place
Kaytlynn started working in the veterinary field in 2014. She worked in oncology and internal medicine before transferring over to exotics in 2022. Her favorite patients are the birds! Her hobbies include wildlife photography, video gaming and taking care of house plants and animals. At home she has 2 budgies (Pepita and Poppet), 2 dogs (Dalmatian named Sora and German Shepherd named Onyx) and 2 cats (Poe and Tycho).
Nicole, Veterinary Assistant
Kirkland
Nicole knew from a young age that she wanted to help animals in need, no matter the species. She graduated from AIM high school in June of 2022 and joined Evergreen Avian and Exotic shortly thereafter. During high school, she attended Sno Isle Technical Skills Center where she took a Veterinary Assisting class. Nicole also has experience with wildlife, she volunteered at a rescue in Snohomish at the young age of 12 years old, where she hand fed bald eagles and nurtured other birds of prey back to health.
Nikki, Veterinary Assistant
Kirkland
Rae, Veterinary Assistant
Kirkland
Reina, Veterinary Assistant
University Place
Reina has a deep passion for animals, which drives her pursuit of excellence in both veterinary and business education. She is currently enrolled in a vet tech program and is also taking courses to earn a business degree. She values building strong work relationships and fostering a positive work environment. Additionally she is dedicated to representing Black and POC communities, aiming to inspire and support diversity within the field.
Shaye, Veterinary Assistant
University Place
Shaye entered the veterinary field as an assistant at Evergreen in 2023 after being a professional illustrator for many years. In 2019 she started a small ferret rescue with a primary focus on special needs and medically challenged ferrets. She is an active advocate for special needs and disabled animals which has encouraged her to start the process of becoming certified as a small animal massage therapist to assist in the rehabilitation of physically disabled pets. In her free time she enjoys being outdoors fishing, foraging and exploring the forests of Washington with her friends.
Stephani , Veterinary Assistant and Administrator
Kirkland
Stephani earned her B.S. Degree in Biology at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington in 1990. She worked for many years as a veterinary assistant at the Exotic Pet and Bird Clinic with Dr. Skip Nelson and Dr. Cathy Johnson-Delaney. She has also worked as a zookeeper for the Boise City Zoo and has volunteered as an assistant and docent at Woodland Park Zoo. Stephani served as Head Birdkeeper at the Cougar Mountain Zoo for a year. Stephani keeps chickens, pigeons and other exotic and domesticated birds and mammals.
Wendy, Administrator
Kirkland
Wendy has worked for over 25 years in administration and accounting primarily within the construction industry after completing her Associate Degree in Business from Bellevue Community College. Her original passion and introduction to the veterinary world started with pugs and then expanded to ferrets. She and her husband have welcomed numerous elderly and medically challenged ferrets into their home for more than 18 years. This inevitably led to her to join Evergreen where she lends behind the scenes support.
Ally, Administrative Assistant
Kirkland
Ally is an administrative assistant who joined the Evergreen team in April of 2021 as a receptionist. She previously worked in a pediatric clinic in Bellevue. Ally has owned various exotics in her life including rabbits, snakes, and chickens! She is very enthusiastic about working with and learning more about all kinds of animals!
Claudine, Receptionist
University Place
Jana, Receptionist
University Place
Janet, Receptionist
Kirkland
Janet is a receptionist who joined the Evergreen Team in February of 2022. She is originally from Wisconsin where she graduated with an associate’s degree in business management. Janet has always had a passion for helping animals, especially small rodents and animals with special needs. She loves learning and interacting with all species that come into the clinic. She currently owns a herd of guinea pigs, cats, a bearded dragon and a hamster.