Meet Our Team

Dr. Jennifer Gochanour has been in the company of animals her entire life, growing up on a farm in Falcon, Colorado. Wanting to be an 'animal doc' since she was 3, she graduated from Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2001. Since then she has been practicing veterinary medicine on the I-70 corridor. Her specialties include equine medicine and small animal internal medicine and surgery. Dr. Gochanour is also a certified animal chiropractor. In August of 2011, she completed her training and passed the board exams for the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association. While off duty she loves spending time with her family, gardening and enjoying our beautiful Colorado outdoors. Dr. Gochanour is a wife to Robert, mother to Lynae, Konner, and Victoria, and current owner of 4 dogs, a cat, fish, and 2 ferrets. You can also catch Dr. Gochanour on the national television channel, Animal Planet, where she appeared in several episodes of the show 'Hanging with the Henderson's'.

Dr. Madi Levitsky is a 2021 graduate of Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She was born and raised in southeastern Pennsylvania where she began riding horses at 6 years old. Dr. Levitsky fell in love with Colorado in 2014 when she began working on a ranch in Livermore, and has since guided over 2,500 miles of trail on horseback in the Rocky Mountains. After graduation, she moved to Colorado with her dog Mambo, two cats, and her horse, Squid. In her spare time, you can find Dr. Levitsky horseback riding, skiing, or watching the latest Marvel movie. She’s so excited to join the Living Springs team and can’t wait to meet you and your pets!

Dr. Stephanie McAvoy is from Rochester, New York, and has wanted to be a veterinarian since she was six years old. She is a 2023 graduate of Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine and has a B.S. in Animal and Veterinary Science from The University of Maine. At Maine, she developed a true love for cows, sheep, horses, and the outdoors. After exploring Colorado on a few trips, Stephanie knew there was nowhere else better to start a life post-grad. When she is not seeing your small or large animals, you can find her skiing, hiking, national park hopping, or learning to mountain bike! She is ecstatic to be a part of the Living Springs Family and to begin her career with the amazing people and animals of the greater Bennett, Colorado area!

Dr. Bekah Jackson is a 2023 Colorado State University graduate. She is originally from Oklahoma, but has primarily lived in Colorado since the age of 9. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado, Denver in 2018 prior to starting veterinary school. She has been surrounded by small animals and exotic pets her entire life and is currently the caregiver for two dogs, a cat and a bearded dragon. In her free time she enjoys traveling, reading & yoga. Dr. Jackson is very excited to join the Living Springs Veterinary Care team!

Dr. Mayako Turner-Okazaki is a Japanese-Canadian national, who was born in the Ivory Coast and raised in the Ivory Coast and Tunisia. Wherever she was, she was always surrounded by animals and has wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she can remember. Maya graduated from the St. Matthew’s University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2024 and completed her clinical training at the University of Minnesota. She fell in love with Colorado and the Living Springs Veterinary Care team while on an externship during her clinical year and knew it was the perfect match to continue her journey. Maya is excited to be part of the Living Springs team and is looking forward to meeting you and the important members of your family – small, large and everything in between! In her free time, she enjoys dancing, baking, traveling and learning languages. But most of all, she enjoys spending time with her foster-fail cat Noodles and hopes to have many more fur babies with her partner someday.

Dr. Don Kerrihard is our resident specialist in small animal orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. He graduated from Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 1991. His surgical orthopedic training came from the Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital in Denver. He worked there from 1994 - 2000 before becoming a mobile surgeon. Our patients are in his expertly skilled hands during our knee/stifle stabilizing surgeries, fracture repairs, and other specific bone and soft tissue surgeries. Dr. Kerrihard is a father of 2 boys and caregiver of a dog and cat.

Kim is a Colorado native and has a tremendous love of animals. Moving to the corridor 6 years ago, her and her husband started a farm for any animal that needs a home. Currently giving shelter to 4 dogs, 2 cats, 1 pig, 3 birds, 3 ducks, 7 goats, 1 mule and 7 incredible donkeys. Kim has fallen in love with her long-eared friends. Kim's family 'is her everything' and when not enjoying her 4 legged family, she is enjoying time with her husband, children and grandchildren while hiking, boating, camping or anything outdoors.  Kim has been a practice manager for 30 years and we are excited to have her on team Living Springs. 

Vanessa is originally from Utah and has always had a love for animals, especially horses. She grew up spending summers on her grandparents llama farm in Central Utah, helping with the day to day, riding horses and catching snakes. After graduating high school she moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and spent 3 summers as a horseback trail guide in Bridget-Teton National Forest. During the off season she attended Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming to receive her AAS in Equine Management and AS in Equine Science. There she met her future husband, who just happened to be her farrier. After graduating college, they spent the next 10 years moving from North Dakota, Ohio, Utah and eventually back to Colorado chasing the oilfield. They eventually landed in Wiggins where they live with their 3 beautiful children, 4 dogs, 3 horses, 2 goats, a cat, a rabbit and a menagerie of chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Vanessa is currently going to school to get certified as a Veterinary Assistant. On her off time she loves photography, training horses, barrel racing, hunting, hiking, fishing, and just spending time with her family outdoors. Vanessa is so excited to be joining the Living Springs team and can’t wait to meet you!

Emily is a new Colorado resident and recently relocated to the area from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She lives with her 2 daughters, 4 dogs, 4 cats, and her variety of farm animals, which include Tennessee Walking Horses, a potbelly pig, chickens, ducks, and guineas. Emily’s passion for animals started when she was just a child and would bring home orphaned and injured animals to nurse back to health. She later went on to attend WSCC in East Tennessee for Veterinary Technology, TCCD in Fort Worth TX for nursing/psychology, and JBC in Tulsa for Esthetics. Emily prides herself in always continuing to learn and grow as much as she can. As a seasoned Veterinary Technician, she has worked with all types of animals, large and small, and in a variety of settings. One of her favorite experiences was doing wildlife rehab in TX and OK. She rehabilitated and released hundreds of orphaned/injured raccoons, foxes, skunks, deer, and bobcats. In her free time, Emily enjoys riding horses, photography, visiting parks and museums, traveling, and trying new foods. Emily is thrilled to be a part of the team at Living Springs and can’t wait to meet you and your beloved pets!

Taylar, her husband, and daughter moved to Colorado from Nebraska in December 2022. She has loved animals since a young age and always felt a connection to them. She graduated with her Associates of Applied  Science in Veterinary Technology and passed the National boards exam in 2013 and has been practicing ever since. Throughout her career she has worked with both large and small animals ranging from guinea pigs to horses. She has experience in Emergency/ICU, General Practice, and Rehabilitation.  When she is not at work, she loves being outside exploring with her family and two pups. She looks forward to meeting you at your next visit! 

Stacey grew up in Colorado but went to university in Tennessee where she received a bachelor's degree in English. Immediately after graduation she decided to pursue her first love; animals. She went to Pima Medical Institute for a Veterinary Technician Associates of Science degree and has been in the veterinary field for 7 years. She has a special interest in animal psychology and behavior as well as encouraging and protecting the human/animal bond. When she isn't at work she is spending time with her pets or making reptile themed jewelry. 

Bryanna is a Colorado native. Bryanna shares a huge amount of love with her animals and family. She lives with her 2 kids, husband, 3 dogs, 1 cat, and 2 birds. Bryanna has been in the field for 3 years, graduated from Strasburg high school and then continued her education and graduated from Pima Medical Institute. She is currently going to school to get her degree to become a veterinarian. Bryanna is very excited to join Living Springs and to meet you and your fur babies!

Mercedes is coming to us from a farm in southern Indian where she grew up showing cattle and pigs in 4-H and helping with her family's cow-calf operation. She has always had a love for farm animals which led her to Purdue to seek a future in the veterinary medicine field. During her time at Purdue, she worked at the Equine/Farm Animal Hospital where she worked alongside DVM students and other Veterinary Technicians to help nurse injured and sick animals. After spending the summer of 2023 interning at Zoo Atlanta, she found her passion in zoo medicine through animal welfare and conservation. While at Zoo Atlanta she worked alongside the veterinary team to help with animal health maintenance and daily treatments. Downtime for Mercedes consists of hiking, walks around the park with her 5-month-old pup, Roscoe, and her many adventures as a foodie. Mercedes is so excited to be joining the Living Spring team and can’t wait to meet you and your fur babies!

Grace was born and raised in the small town of Wray Colorado surrounded by nothing but open pastures and the the one thing she love most, animals. Critters large and small have always been her passion, from caring for animals, showing her horse in 4-h, working at her hometown vet clinic, to training her own horses. She is beyond excited to share her passion with you at Living Springs Veterinary Clinic in order to insure you and your loved pet have the best care. 

Emily was born and raised in Colorado, where she grew up with a variety of pets from guinea pigs to horses. She also had the opportunity to learn how to ride at a very young age. Growing up, working with animals was always something she wanted to do. Since graduating High school, she has gained two dogs of her own Riddick and Dallas, as well as a horse named Atlas. On her free time she loves spending time with her boyfriend, animals, and close friends and family. She also enjoys going camping and riding razors at the dunes during the summer. Emily is very excited to be joining the Living Springs team and cannot wait to meet you and care for your loved pet.

Dakota was born and raised in Colorado, growing up she moved all around the state but ended up graduated from Bennett High School. She grew up always wanting to be around animals. She currently has a husky named Juneau and 4 cats, Rory, Tyra, Milo and Bitty. She wanted to go to school to be a veterinary but that got put on hold to take care of her 2 beautiful children. She loves all animals of any size and would pet an alligator if it wouldn't bite her. She is super excited to be apart of the Living Springs team and cannot wait to meet your pets!

Ricardo or Ricky for short, is a Mexican American Colorado native. His hometown is Strasburg and he is a recent graduate from Strasburg high-school, class of 2024.  Ricky has lived on a ranch all of his life and has always been around animals. Ricky plans to go to CSU this upcoming fall to major in biology. He comes from a family of 7 with 5 brothers, making him the middle child. Ricky enjoys being around like-minded people who have a passion to learn and be challenged to think and problem solve. Ricky is motivated to pursue a higher education in veterinary medicine to better serve the needs of all animals. He is very excited to join the Living Springs team and is eager to meet you and your pets!

Lynae was born and raised in the small town of Strasburg, Colorado. There her mother, Jennifer Gochanour, started Living Springs Veterinary Care in the back of her pickup truck after graduating from CSU. Since Lynae was born, she was always in the back of her mothers vet truck, or in the nursery office at the clinic. Lynae is going into her senior year of high school at Strasburg High. Often Lynae is asked if she wants to follow in her mom’s footsteps and despite being in the veterinary field her entire life, she does not. She plans to attend Master Tattoo Institute, and get her tattoo certification so she can pursue her dream of owning her own tattoo parlor. In her free time, you will see Lynae expanding and using her creative mind. Lynae loves all animals big and small, but her favorites are snakes, raccoons and bats. Lynae is the proud owner of 2 ferrets, Honey and Michael, and a snake named Hades. Lynae has a second job working with snakes, where she cares, cleans, and cuddles snakes twice her size. Lynae adores working at Living Springs so much that her plan B is to become a Certified Veterinary Technician.

Rorey has lived in Colorado her whole life and has had animals ever since she was born! Her passion for animals grows everyday! She started riding horses when she was ten years old and has fallen in love with them! She moved to a place with acreage so she could get horses of her own! Rorey's enthusiasm has grown so much to where she knows what she wants as her future career, and she is super excited to be starting it professionally with Living Springs Vet!

Makayla was born and raised in Colorado. She grew up in Dacono, Colorado until she moved to Bennett in 2014. Since then she has worked with livestock on the family farm. She owns five dogs, Moose, Bo, Scooch, Rip and Beth, and she also has a few horses, a llama and a very spoiled mini Hereford cow. Makayla loves horse back riding, her animals, and helping whenever she can. 

Shannon had a love for animals for as long as she can remember. Growing up she had all types of pets: dogs and cats, ducks, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, horses, cows, llamas and one ornery goat. Shannon is a Colorado native, she was a member of the Westernaires and active in the 4H community. Today, she competes in dog sports like obedience, rally, barn hunt, conformation, and FastCAT. But running agility with her dogs is her true passion, she's been training and competing in agility for over 15 years. She has lived in Bennett since 2002 with her husband and her son, and she currently cares for three Boston Terriers, two cats and four horses. She has always wanted to work with animals, and feels like now is the time to make her dream a reality.

Taylor was born and raised in the small town of Hotchkiss, CO where her family raises registered Simmental cattle. Taylor's love for animals flourished at a very young age when she started her own herd and began showing in 4-H. Over the years, her cattle herd has grown to 25 head. Following her graduation from Paonia High School in 2016, Taylor attended Northeastern Junior College as a member of the Plainswomen volleyball team. After graduating with her associates degree, she returned home to work on the family ranch and to coach both volleyball and basketball at her alma mater. Taylor now lives in Wiggins, CO with her husband and two dogs. She is ecstatic to be joining the Living Springs' team.

Nicole is proud to be a 6th generation Colorado native and her entire family is spread throughout Colorado. Nicole has been an animal lover for as long as she can remember and has always had a variety of pets. Nicole moved to Bennett when she married her husband and they have four spoiled fur babies named Capri, Roxy, JuJu and Stud. Nicole feels incredibly fortunate and is extremely excited to join the Living Springs team!

Abbey was born and raised in Arizona, and spent most of her life there. She then moved to Hawaii for two years, and has now made her home in Colorado. She has always had a great love for all animals and currently has a horse, two cats, and a dog. Over the years she has owned rabbits, horses, dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, guinea pigs, snakes, and lizards. She began her love for animals by showing them in 4-H, but her true passion is horseback riding and training. She even brought her current horse to and from Hawaii, and now to Colorado. She has ridden in western pleasure, cow work, versatility, speed events, and more. Abbey is extremely excited to be in Colorado, and even more so about joining the Living Springs Team.

Sara is a Colorado native who moved to Bennett with her fiancé and two dogs, a frenchie and dachshund poodle mix. Sara loves spending time with her family and traveling whenever she can.  She has grown up with lots of beloved pets and she is super excited to be able to work with animals today.

Jonelle was born and raised in a rural community known as Salem County, New Jersey. She developed a passion and love for every living creature at a young age. Ranging from horses to rats, she grew up in the company of all sorts of animals at her home. Shortly after relocating to Deer Trail, CO after high school, she found Living Springs.Taking care of animals, especially dogs and cats, is something she’s always dreamed of. With a heart full of love, she is thrilled to meet your furry friends and make them feel right at home! When she is not working, you can expect her to be spending time with her two dogs, cat, two birds, two guinea pigs, and her goldfish. She also spends a lot of her spare time painting, knitting, and drawing. 

Cody was born and raised in Colorado. He is currently a senior at Bennett High School.  Cody is planning on pursuing a career in electrical engineering after he graduates. He has eight dogs, five cats, a horse, chickens, a bird, and two goats. He loves to take care of animals and has had plenty his whole life. 

Dani was born and raised in a small town in Colorado and is currently a junior at Byers High School. Dani has 4 dogs and 2 cats who she loves to play with whenever she gets the chance, Dani also loves the outdoors and spending time with her family and friends.. She is very excited to be taking care of your loving, fluffy friends at Living Springs!

Kimberly was born and raised in Colorado. She is currently going into her senior year at Bennett High School. Kimberly is hoping to pursue a career as a veterinarian as she is very passionate about animals and loves spending time with them. Kimberly feels very fortunate and beyond excited to be joining the Living Springs team and is looking forward to taking care of your furry friend, making them feel like home!

Sarah was born and raised in Colorado and enjoys the warmer seasons so she can be out in her garden. Sarah loves gardening so much that she brought her garden inside during the cooler months with her ivies and succulents. Sarah shares her home with 2 dogs. Graffiti is a 2 year old cocker spaniel and Mercy is a rescued 4 month shepherd mix. Sarah enjoys helping her community and volunteered her time in Paradise, CA with relief efforts including meals, laundry service and temporary housing for those affected. Sarah is excited to meet you and your fur family members at our Pet Spa!

Nicolette is a 5th generation Colorado native who loves all things Colorado-hiking, fishing, camping, and growing her own herbs and vegetables. When she can’t be outside she can be found tending to her indoor plants, reading, or playing with her animals. Nicolette has always had a love of animals and grew up with indoor rabbits, cats, dogs, horses, fish, and a hedgehog. Nicolette started grooming in high school, and after a stint in college and the corporate world, she decided to return to grooming in 2019. Nicolette is excited to be a part of Living Springs and sharing her love with your furry family members. 

Donna has lived in Byers for 37 years. She and her husband, Randy, have two grown daughters. Donna’s past careers have been in the beauty and health industry in cosmetology and massage therapy. After a short semi-retirement, she is excited to join the team at Living Springs. Donna has always loved animals and has enjoyed them throughout her childhood and adulthood. She shares her home with two cats, Charlie and Ziggy, two pot-bellied pigs, Alabama and Banjo, and her dog, Bonnie. Donna enjoys feeding and watching birds. She is a proud granny of two grandsons and cherishes her time with them. Donna is excited to meet you and your animal family members at our Pet Spa.