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Location

Primary Location

914 West Highway 246

Buellton, CA

805-688-2334

Staff

  • Dr.
    Joni Samuels, Founder

    Dr. Joni is originally from the Midwest but has lived in the Santa Ynez Valley since 1979. She is a 1977 graduate of Michigan State University. She founded Buellton Veterinary Clinic in 1981 with just one part time employee and has watched it grow into the full service hospital it is today. Although she remains the business manager of the clinic, Dr. Joni is looking at “semi-retirement” and works only 1-2 days a week, mostly in the business office. She is eternally grateful to all the clients over the last 38 years who have entrusted her and the clinic staff with their pet’s well-being.

  • Dr.
    Diana Bochenski, Veterinarian
    Dr. Diana graduated from Colorado State University in 1986 she has been an intricate part of Buellton Veterinary Clinic for over 30 years. She is fully certified in homeopathic veterinary care as well as being an experienced practitioner in conventional western medicine.
  • Dr.
    Tina Taylor, Veterinarian
    Dr. Tina Taylor has over twenty-two years of clinical experience as a small animal practitioner. She is a Regents Scholar from UCSB with a degree in Biological Sciences, and a 1992 Wilson Memorial Scholar from UC Davis with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Since graduation, she gained experience in Northern California before returning home to Santa Barbara County in 1998. Dr. Taylor became a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2003. In 2007, she completed her Certification in Veterinary Acupuncture through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. She furthered her interest in analgesia in 2009 with Certification in Veterinary Pain Management through the International Veterinary Pain Management Society. Dr. Taylor recently completed the Don Low Fellowship in Internal Medicine at UC Davis. Outside the office, she enjoys training for triathlons and playing with her horse, rabbit, hens, cat and her two dogs, Petunia and Linus.
  • Dr.
    Mary Margaret Gross, Veterinarian

    Dr. Gross graduated from the University of Minesotta's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. After practicing for 22 years in Las Vegas, she is happy to join the BVC family in 2019. She strives to continue to expand her knowledge and understanding of veterinary medicine, including alternative approaches. She feels comfortable in either the exam room or surgery room. Outside the office, she enjoys doing sports with her dog, 'Justy', reading, hiking and watching movies. 

  • Stacie Morris, Bed & Breakfast Boarding Staff
    Stacie has been a part of BVC’s Bed and Breakfast team since 1992. She took a two year break in 2009, returning to us in 2011 we are pleased to have her back. Her compassion and love for animals appears so natural that the work doesn’t even seem to be an equation - although we do appreciate the fact that she is a bit of a “neat freak”. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, biking and all things leading to a healthy life style.
  • Julie Esola, Groomer
    Julie, our Senior Groomer has been working at Buellton Veterinary Clinic since 1995 and has earned an excellent reputation for her work. She has over 20 years experience grooming animals in addition to having worked as a veterinary technician. She is also a Behavior Certified Companion Animal Hygienist and is our resident puppy trainer. Julie has completed advanced training in behavior issues and is also available for consultations
  • Suzy Boniface, Office Manager
    Suzy has been with Buellton Veterinary Clinic since 1999. Although she won’t admit it, she is our “go to” Computer person. She was a vital key in helping switch to our paperless computer system. She continues to grow and develop long-term relationships with many of our clients. In her spare time, she likes to cook and experiment with new recipes, travel and spend time with family.
  • Rosey Solis, Client Care Representative
    Rosey has been with Buellton Veterinary Clinic since April 2003. She previously worked as a pharmacy technician and medical records clerk. She is a very significant reason for our exceptional front office staff and is always ready to lend a helping hand. Rosey spends most of her free time with her family and doing activities with her daughter.
  • Brianne Gonzales, Client Care Representative
    Brianne has worked in the veterinary field since 2001. She joined the Buellton Veterinary Clinic in February of 2005. In the time that Brianne has been with BVC, we have watched her develop her knowledge and skills both in customer service and product knowledge. In her spare time she is also involved with C.A.R.E. 4 Paws, and an active advocate for reducing overpopulation of animals. She especially enjoys spending time with her husband and their dog Lemmy.
  • Patricia McSorley, Grooming Assistant, Bed & Breakfast Boarding Staff
    Patricia has been with BVC since August 2011. Her love for animals makes her a valuable asset to our team. Not only does she assist in grooming she also assists in boarding where she makes sure the pets are happy and healthy. She has been working in the veterinary field for over 15 years. In her spare time she enjoys camping and running with her dogs.
  • Charlene Guerra, Bed & Breakfast Boarding Staff
    BVC’s Bed and Breakfast team had the pleasure of adding Charlene in 2011. Charlene’s initial goal was to add some work experience to her college experience but we grew on her and she has become a long-term employee. She studied Animal Biology at UC Davis with an emphasis on infectious diseases and wildlife. Charlene spends her spare time with her fiancé, their dog “Charlie” and cat “Mimi”. She enjoys reading, hiking, gaming and nature watching.
  • Amber, Bed & Breakfast Boarding Staff
    Amber joined Buellton Veterinary Clinic in August 2014. She has over 10 years of veterinary experience. Amber is also working on obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences. Her hobbies include hiking, Ashtanga Yoga, and going to the beach with her dog Onyx.
  • Sarah Johnson, Grooming Assistant
    Sarah joined BVC in September 2015. She has been working with animals since she was in high school. Sarah who has been trained by Julie (our Senior Groomer) and has just recently started doing haircuts on dogs she hopes one day to have just as many clients as Julie. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and pets.
  • Beronica Byrum, Technician

    Beronica joined Buellton Veterinary Clinic in March 2016. She comes to us with 11 years of veterinary technician experience. She did take a couple of years off to raise her son, but you would have never known it. She is hard-working and likes to keep things tidy. Beronica studied Biology at UCSB. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and spending time with her family, her dogs “Grady”, “Optimo” and her rabbit “Roscoe”.

  • Serita Crowder, Bed & Breakfast Boarding Staff
    Serita Joined BVC's Bed and Breakfast in Aug 2016. Her original schooling was for nursing, but her love for animals brought her to us. She is the proud mommy of her 3 lab mixes- Maggie, Riley & Paisley. In her spare time she enjoys spending it with her husband and their 4 legged babies. They are a proud military family and share their love of animals!
  • Jessica Irvin, Technician

    Jessica joined Buellton Vet in July 2017. She has her Associates Degree in Animal Science with a specialty in Veterinary Medicine. Her future goals are to become a RVT. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, camping, racing cars and spending time with her family and her dog Despereaux.

  • Tayler Burns, Technician

    Tayler joined Buellton Vet in June 2017. She has her vet tech certification and is currently working on her RVT. She spends her spare time with her husband and four legged kids. Tayler loves to bake and fortunately for the BVC gang we get to be her guinea pigs!!

  • Rayna Harris, Grooming Assistant

    Rayna joined Buellton Vet in January 2018. Grooming is her passion, she has been doing this for over 3 years. In her free time she enjoys hiking, camping, music and cuddling with her cat 'Milo'.

  • Daniela Flores, Technician Assistant

    Daniela joined Buellton Vet in June 2018. She has completed the Veterinary Technician program at Allan Hancock College and would like to reach her goal of getting her RVT license. Her time away from the clinic is  spent with her husband and her dog, 'Roxy',  She enjoys reading and travel.  

  • Araceli Razo, Bed & Breakfast Boarding Staff, Technician Assistant

    Araceli  joined Buellton Veterinary Clinic in August 2018. Araceli is working on obtaining all her pre-requisites to transfer to a university in hopes of someday applying to veterinary school.  Her time off is spent with her boyfriend, twin daughters, and dog named 'Koko'. 

  • Shelby Smith, Bed & Breakfast Boarding Staff

    Shelby  joined Buellton Veterinary Clinic in 2018. Because of her love for animals, Shelby would like to obtain a degree in Biology and someday be a fish and wildlife officer.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending it with her husband, daughter, and two dogs, 'Cinderella' and 'Cali', and cat, 'Esmae'. She also enjoys horse back riding, running, hiking and yoga. 

  • Sandra Hecker, Registered Veterinary Technician

    Sandra joined Buellton Veterinary Clinic in December 2018. She comes to us with 12 years of veterinary technician experience. Sandra completed the alternate route program at Allan Hancock and in 2017 she passed her board exam to become a licensed RVT. In her spare time she enjoys being active with her husband, two daughters and three dogs, 'Oz' 'Lucy', and 'Roscoe'.