Melinda Stefko

Melinda came to Paws of the Rockies Animal Hospital with eight years of previous experience in the veterinary field. She has been with our hospital since 2004 and works in all parts of the hospital. Melinda is originally from Edinboro, PA where she grew up with lots of pets, sparking her interest in veterinary medicine. She graduated from Westminster College in 1999 with a BS in Environmental Science and minors in Biology and Peace Studies. Upon graduation, she and her husband, Steve, got married and moved to Ft. Collins to pursue their dream of living in a place where play is just as important as work. Together, they love to snowshoe, hike, rock climb, bike, and ski (both AT and alpine skiing). Melinda also has a strong interest in photography. When Melinda is not on one of her adventures in the outdoors, she can be found at home playing with her four furry children: cats, Seneca, Dalton, and Tyler and dog, Carver.

Jessica Hathcock

Jessica was born in Reno, Nevada but grew up primarily in New Mexico. There, her family breeds and trains quarter horses, which fostered her love of animals.  Before starting at Paws of the Rockies in 2005, Jessica had worked in the field for 5 years as a veterinary technician, which reinforced her ultimate goal of becoming a veterinarian.  Jessica graduated with a BS in Biology from the University of New Mexico and is currently working towards a Masters in Toxicology at CSU. She hopes to attend veterinary school at CSU after her master’s program is complete. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her fiancé and Chihuahuas, Luca and Abby.

Grace Valdivia

Grace brings a friendly smile to our front office as a member of our veterinary team. Grace was raised in a small town in Central Valley, California. Grace was always surrounded by "furry friends" all her life and knew in her heart she would always be involved with animals in some way. After living a hectic life in California for many years, Grace and her family decided to move to Colorado in pursuit of a more balanced lifestyle, namely one that would allow them to focus on the importance of family.

Grace has been married to her high school sweetheart, Victor since 1997. Together they have two daughters, Rebecca and Julia. Grace and her husband currently own a home in Severance and enjoy long drives exploring beautiful Colorado.

Grace has quite an assortment of pets in her home, which she affectionately calls, "her zoo". Grace owns four dogs, all of them Boxers, two cats, and a saltwater fish tank. In her free time, Grace enjoys baking with her daughters, spending time with her granddaughter, Sophia, reading, fishing, watching football, and hiking with the family.

Shea Daniels

Shea is a Colorado native who graduated from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in 1997 with an Associate of Applied Science. Since then, Shea had worked at a couple veterinary hospitals before starting at Paws of the Rockies as a veterinary assistant in May, 2007. The love for animals started early and Shea has instilled that love in her daughter, Amber. They share their home with their a fish named Zach and their 2 dogs, a Chihuahua named Princess and a mixed breed named Ginger. In their free time, Shea and Amber enjoy spending time together camping, swimming, and biking.

Noelle Lex

Noelle has been with Paws of the Rockies since March of 2008 and comes to us with 3 years of previous experience in the veterinary business. She is a proud Colorado native that still lives in the same town in which she was born and raised - Loveland. Noelle and her husband, Ryan, share their home with daughter, Chloe, dog (Bones) and 2 cats (Handsome Rob and Sargent Splatter). When not busy with Chloe and her zoo, Noelle still manages to find time to go for walks, hike or do some creative writing. Noelle graduated CSU in Aug 2009 with a degree in Zoology and hopes to eventually work with the Division of Wildlife in Animal Conservation. Although we know Noelle will not be with Paws of the Rockies forever, we are happy to have her as part of our hospital as long as we can keep her!

Terri Grounds

Terri is a veterinary technician that comes to Paws of the Rockies with 11 yrs experience in the veterinary field. She graduated from Bel Rea and got her CVT in 2000. She has since worked in emergency and specialty hospitals but prefers general practice for the relationships that form between the staff, the pets, and their people. Terri shares her home with her special critters: cat, Banjo and dog, Annie. She is a Colorado native that enjoys all that Colorado has to offer both indoors and out. In her free time, Terri enjoys spending time hanging out with family and friends and her pets, riding her cruiser bike, listening to music, shopping, and making jewelry.

Rachel Ross

Rachel comes to our hospital with one year of clinic experience in her hometown of Markesan, WI. In August 2011, Rachel and her boyfriend, Paul, decided to move west with their three pets; cats, Bagheera and Shitaytay and bearded dragon, Rocky. Rachel has always known that working with animals is what she is supposed to do and is excited to continue with her journey. In her free time Rachel enjoys running, riding bike, snowboarding, and a good dinner and movie.