Directions Services Avian/Exotics Staff Mission Links

	Meet Our Staff

Veterinarian Niklos Weber, DVM, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Avian Medicine and Canine and Feline Practice) and has 13 years of veterinary experience. He worked locally as an associate veterinarian in Paradise, California for six years before February 2006 when he acquired Whispering Pines. He has been a specialist in Avian Practice since 2007 and in Canine and Feline practice since 2001. Prior to that, he did an internship for one year at Michigan Veterinary Specialists in Southfield, Michigan. Before the  internship he worked for three years as an associate at Bloomington Veterinary Hospital in Bloomington, Minnesota. He graduated in June 1995 from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and has had numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals, many invited lectures and is the editor of the Journal of the North Valley Veterinary Medical Association. Before veterinary school, he grew up in Southfield, MI (a suburb of Detroit) and attended the University of Michigan.  Go Blue!

Dr. Weber is a member of a number of veterinary associations, including the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Association of Amphibian and Reptilian Veterinarians, American and California Veterinary Medical Associations, and American Animal Hospital Association.  He frequently attends continuing education conferences including the AAV Annual Conference and the Western Veterinary Conference. 
Dr. Weber's hobbies include orienteering, endurance running and cycling, raising racing pigeons, playing racquetball, and camping with his family. He and his family share their home with three feline fur-children, zebra finches, and tropical fish.

Richard Gingery, Jr. has had 12 years of veterinary behavior experience and over 20 years of animal experience. He graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1989, where he began his animal career by serving as the California Secretary of Future Farmer's of America and becoming heavily involved in 4-H. He received a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Chico State in 1995 and has worked as a veterinary assistant since then. He has given behavioral consultations on cats, dogs and birds since 1993 and has taught six-week long puppy classes six to seven times a year since 1995.  Rich and his wife, Gina, have too many pets to mention individually (including cats, dogs and birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, a ferret, a rabbit and a chinchilla), but they all are very loved.

  Billy Luden, Head Technician

                                                                   
Billy grew up in San Mateo and after high school moved to Chico where his love of animals led him to start working in local pet stores before joining our team. He has three dogs and a large collection of fish, snakes and other crawling critters. 

Sarah Lotspeich, Lab Technician

Sarah has worked in the veterinary laboratory since 1999 and is very knowledgable about canine and feline clinical pathology and exotic animal labwork.  She started in Bakersfield and worked for several animal and human healthcare companies before joining us.  She enjoys life on the ridge, especially swimming in the rivers and jogging on the flumes when she is not spending quality time with her cat, Jazz, and cornsnake, Scooter.

Sarah Rowland, Receptionist

Sarah has worked as a receptionist in the veterinary field for 6 years.  She really enjoys animals and loves educating pet owners about proper pet care. She has two cats, Bobbi and Darla, and a dog, Jade.  She loves to spend time with her family, and enjoys reading, sports and shopping.

         

Rainbow, Clinic Parrot

Rainbow has been entertaining staff and clients since March 2006, with wolf whistles and "Hi, Rainbow!"  He is a Lilac-crowned Amazon and we are proud to say he eats Harrison's Bird Diet exclusively (with an occasional healthful treat).  His hobbies include chewing on wood trim and soaking his food in his water dish until it becomes stew.