Lower Columbia Veterinary Team

People have such a pure relationship with their pets; they give us such unconditional love and are always there for us in our time of need.  Why Dr. Alpert is a veterinarian is so that she can work with people to strengthen and maintain that relationship, from when they are puppies and kittens, to giving them greater quality of life as they age, through to the end by helping them ease their passing.  People connect with each other through their animals, and being a veterinarian allows her to help people by helping them with their pets.

She obtained her Bachelors of Science in Psychology at the University of Utah.  Dr. Alpert received her DVM from Oregon State University in 2002.  She feels very proud to be an Oregon graduate because it is the smallest vet school in the country, so there is more hands-on experience, and at the time she attended a portion of the program was done at Washington State University thus giving her perspectives from two schools.

Her favorite things to do as a veterinarian are soft tissue surgery and dentistry.  She also has a strong interest in canine reproductive medicine.  What gives her the most pleasure as a veterinarian is working with people to develop customized pain management solutions for their arthritic pets—feline and canine.  She is PennHIP certified and a member of the American Veterinarian Medical Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.  In order to assist breeders to breed healthier dogs, she often holds OFA clinics at dog shows across the West.

Dr. Alpert grew up on a farm in Eastern Kansas, and then went to Junior High and High School in Vancouver, Washington.  She moved to Salt Lake City to attend the prestigious Ballet Department at the University of Utah before changing her major and going to vet school at Oregon and Washington State.  After graduating from vet school, she moved to Camp Verde, Arizona where she was a mixed animal practitioner for 3 years before accepting a small animal position in nearby Cottonwood, Arizona.  In 2007 she purchased Community Animal Hospital and started living full time in Pocatello, Idaho in 2009. She is excited to be moving back home to Southwest Washington and joining the team at LCVC as Medical Director.

Currently she shares her home with a varying in size pack of basenjis, a small flock of chickens, and 1 very special cat, “Cherry”.  You might occasionally see Cherry at the clinic, as she is very social and gets bored just being at home. GCh Ch Tis’A Signet Kiss Me Once, JC, CA, BCAT, CAA or “Hattie” is her matriarch basenji. She is Dr. Alpert’s first conformation champion and she also participates in lure coursing events with her.  “Quill”, GCH CH Litespeed’s Guardians of the Galaxy, is her first dog to be nationally ranked in the Top 20. Zamaradi’s Officer I Ain’t Goin Litespeed, CA, BCAT “Mason” rounds out the permanent members of her pack, which is generally between 4-6 in number.  As a preservation breeder, and an AKC Breeder of Merit she works hard to produce healthy dogs of sound mind and body.

Dr. Alpert has a lot of interests outside of work that keep her pretty busy.  She delights in parenting her children and seeing them develop into amazing humans.  For 11 years, she was the show chair for Pocatello Kennel Club’s conformation show, which is the longest running cluster show in the nation, and one of the largest in the Intermountain West, often drawing entries of 1200 dogs.  She also organized PKCs various lure coursing events.  Besides showing dogs, her hobbies include gardening—both vegetable and flowers—cooking, Pilates, puzzles, stand-up paddle boarding and coloring while streaming science fiction shows.

Dr. Stephanie Kinney is delighted to bring her experience and expertise to the team at Lower Columbia. She attended the University of Georgia and graduated in 2018. Upon graduating she began her career practicing emergency medicine and surgery in West Virginia. Dr. Kinney brings her wide array of urgent and emergency care skills to the team at Lower Columbia. She and her husband are excited to live in Washington and enjoy all the outdoor activities the local area has to offer. When she isn’t working, Dr. Kinney enjoys hiking and exploring with her two dogs, a lab and a greyhound, and cooking, especially new recipes.

Catherine is our Hospital Manager who has been in the veterinary field for ten years. She started as a kennel assistant and worked her way through all roles in the hospital to management. This gives her a unique perspective on how the day flows in all aspects of the hospital. With keeping communications open and streamlining our patient care in an efficient manner. She believes in complete transparency regarding hospital updates amongst the team and clients. You’ll hear her say “By putting in a collaborative effort, we can change the culture of veterinary medicine and still provide quality care to our patients and clients”.

When she’s not managing Lower Columbia, Catherine can be found doing a multitude of tasks at home or outside. Depending on the weather; She really enjoys hiking, archery, and kayaking in the mountains and rivers of South-West Washington during the warmer months. In the colder months, you can find her bundled up with a good book and steaming a cup of tea or playing board games with her kiddos.

Chelsey joined LCVC in 2021. She graduated from Washington State University with a BS in Animal Sciences with a pre-veterinary option and later passed the VTNE in 2017 to become a licensed veterinary technician. Chelsey has been working in veterinary medicine for sixteen years! She opened her own PEMF business, Pacific Northwest Pulse, four years ago to further her passion for helping animals. PEMF helps rehabilitate geriatric patients, aids in pain management, and stimulates healing making it a great addition to her technician skills. In her time away from the hospital, she enjoys family time, riding her two horses, walking her two dogs, yoga, and kayaking.

Shaleen joined the world of Veterinary medicine in the Summer of 2020 as a receptionist in a dental specialty clinic. She quickly fell in love with her new career and found herself advancing to a veterinary assistant role. In the summer of 2022, Shaleen joined our team and today she is one of our biggest dental health advocates. At home you might find her taking long walks with her German Shepherd Pearl, curled up with a book in her favorite chair or cooking up something delicious in the kitchen. In the summer you’ll find her at the lake enjoying the sunshine or fishing with her father. Shaleen hopes to continue to advance her knowledge by working towards becoming a licensed veterinary technician. She loves to see our patients thrive and to be a part of their journey to healthier lives.

When Caitlan isn’t at work or school you can find her adventuring out into the forest with her dogs, or reading a good mystery book.

Zoey is a Veterinary Assistant here at Lower Columbia. She is currently in school to become a licensed technician and has been in the Veterinary field since 2019. She has 1 cat that rules her life, and most days start with “Guess what Shoresy did.” Zoey enjoys being in the mountains year-round and on the rivers during summer.

Outside of work, you can often find Jaedyn at home hanging out with her dogs, her Great Dane “Ranger” and her Pomeranian mix “Mylee”.

Jordan is a receptionist here at Lower Columbia. She began working in customer service right out of high school. Originally from California, Jordan moved to Washington in 2019. She began working for LCVC in September of 2023. When she’s not at work, you can find her cheering on the Seattle Kraken with her dog Wicket.