Kathleen Meade
Office Manager/Feline Advocate
After decades of lucrative but unfulfilling work in retail management, I decided to step back and follow my lifelong dream of working with animals. I managed a cage-free dog-boarding facility for two years, but I really wanted to work in the veterinary field. I accepted a receptionist position at Pali Vet in 2009. The rest, as they say, is history.
Never underestimate the power of a liberal arts education: my degrees in psychology and English come in handy every day. I also attend veterinary seminars and take online courses in everything from business management to feline nutrition. It’s important to keep current in this ever-evolving industry.
My husband, Mike, and I currently have two cats, Cole and MuXu. Or maybe they have us! Cole is a spry old tuxedo cat with the most expressive and adorable face ever, and MuXu is a velvety Russian Blue who loves to play fetch and be kissed on the head.
My hobbies include reading voraciously, tending my rooftop succulent garden, long walks with Mike and playing the theremin.
Ted
Overnight Technician
Before I started working in a pet hospital, I worked in an animal laboratory as a caretaker. Animals there were ordered by PI and delivered to the facility. They stayed in limited spaces for life and were tested with drugs, diseases, chemicals and radiation. After the experiments were done, they were euthanized. Even though I realized how important those experiments were, it was still difficult to see bags of new bodies every day. I then started working at Pali Vet, where animals are family and where we work with pet parents to give their pets healthy lives.
Animals can’t talk, but they still have a lot of ways they communicate. I adopted my first cat 13 years ago. I love to have pets as my family members. I like to stay home observing everything they do to understand what they like and learn how to tell when they need medical attention.
I have two cats: Lilian and Bibi. Bibi is 5 years old, and he likes to eat and is always hungry. I feed them at certain times every day, and about an hour before their meal, Bibi will start meowing, walking around me, scratching the door and staring at me to remind me it’s about his lunch time. When I stand up and walk, he’ll jump up and run to where I store their food. Otherwise he sleeps a lot and does everything slowly.
Lilian became a family member when she was 4 weeks old. When she was still under quarantine, she was the sweetest angel; she would cling to my leg and sleep like a baby. After she saw Bibi, she started following him everywhere and sleeping “on” him and does not like me to hold her anymore. She is now 1 year old and is still energetic, curious and chatty. She is the smallest one but she is the boss.
In my free time, I like to play ping pong, play guitar and do photography.
Steve
RVT
Growing up, I moved around a lot because of my family’s work. I mainly lived in the San Gabriel Valley and Salt Lake City, Utah. I was looking for a job after I moved back to Los Angeles from Salt Lake City and started working here as part of the kennel staff.
I realized I enjoyed working with animals when I volunteered with a rescue group in Salt Lake City that helped a lot of homeless pets and shelter pets.
I had three rabbits, but one recently passed away. Her name was Mashi. She was the first pet my wife and I got together. My other two rabbits are named Doree and Chaco. I also have a mixed-breed dog named Jewel. She is a mix of Samoyed, Jindo, Japanese Spitz and Eskimo. She is my baby.
I enjoy exercising, sports—especially basketball—and video games, and I am a foodie.
Daisy Cruise
Technician
I grew up here in Pacific Palisades, going from Marquez Elementary to Paul Revere to Pali High. I applied to this hospital after deciding to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. I started as a kennel attendant and worked my way up to veterinary assistant.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I ended up discouraging myself when I was diagnosed with several learning disabilities. I pursued art instead, getting a bachelor’s in animation, but I could never quite shake off the need to take care of animals. Throughout college, I volunteered for the Ventura County Animal Shelter and became one of the founding members of the Bunny Brigade, a volunteer-led group that works specifically with shelter rabbits. I found my passion for animals far outweighed my love for art, so once I finished art school, I decided to attend the pre-vet program at Pierce College, where I am currently studying. Through trial and error, I have learned to work with my disabilities, and I hope to attend vet school in the near future.
I have a menagerie of pets at home. Blue (rabbit), Miss Fuzzy (rabbit), Mammouth (rabbit), Kyuubi (guinea pig), Dorian (cat) and Honor Bright (dog). Blue and Dorian are the troublemakers. Miss Fuzzy and Mammouth are the quiet seniors. Kyuubi is my shy little guy. Honor thinks he’s a baby. At night, I give the rabbits and Kyuubi some romaine lettuce, and every time, without fail, Dorian and Honor are able to steal a leaf or two for themselves despite being the predators in the family.
I love going to amusement parks, especially Disneyland. Video games are my guilty pleasure. Other than that, reading, drawing and knitting are some of my favorite things to do to relax.