Our Team in Tucson, AZ | Rita Ranch Pet Hospital

Dr. Paige Chance-Dulin

Medical Director

Dr. Chance was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ (Go Cardinals!). Her interest in the field started with her childhood German Shepherd whom lived to 17 years old and continued with her love of helping cats and dogs live their best life with their owners. She especially loves soft tissue surgery and supporting the human-animal bond.

After receiving her Bachelors in Veterinary Science with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Arizona in 2013, Dr. Chance went on to receive her DVM from Colorado State University in 2017. She has been working in private practice with dogs and cats ever since and joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team in November of 2021 as Medical Director.

Dr. Chance and her husband share a son, two cats (Einstein and Eidson) and two dogs (Lovelace and Gumbolina). When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, traveling, scuba diving, watching TV and movies.

Dori Baker

Hospital Administrator

Dori is from Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Tucson in 2018. She started in the field volunteering at a Great Dane Rescue in 2003 where she volunteered for almost 20 years. In 2007, she managed a boarding, daycare, grooming and training facility and went on to become the area manager and work there for 11 years. Dori joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team in April 2021 as Hospital Administrator. She is a proud mother of three and grandmother of five. When not at work, Dori loves taking care of her many pets: three chickens (Aunt Easter, Mary Kate and Ashley), Red Eared Slider Turtle (Athena), three dogs (Darin, Jolene and Alfie Jack) and one cat (Frodo). She also enjoys drinking coffee, gardening and spending time with her kids, grandkids and husband.

Nicky, BS

Nicky was raised in a military family and spent her childhood traveling and living in a variety of places including: Florida, Germany and Alaska. She started working in the veterinary field in 2015 as both receptionist and technician while she attended the University of Arizona. During this time, she also started to foster: puppies, kittens, dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs for a local animal shelter. Initially, she was pursuing a career in Marine Biology, but after falling in love with the veterinary world, she changed her major to Veterinary Science and received her Bachelors in 2018. Nicky joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team in June 2019 as a technician assistant and receptionist. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing with her foster animals and dogs, and going to hockey games. She has three rescued fur babies: Kaiya, Blaze and Timber.

Jennifer

Jennifer was born and raised in Tucson and has been working as a receptionist in the veterinary field since 2016. She joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team in October 2019 as a receptionist. She loves her job because she enjoys working with people, especially children, and finds that working with children and animals comes natural to her. She has two kind and supportive little humans: a daughter named Laylani and son named Roman. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her partner, Ramon, and cherishing every moment with them. She has three French Bulldogs and one Poodle. Jennifer believes in sprinkling kindness everywhere you go.

CJ

CJ was born in New York and has also lived in: Georgia, Alaska, California and Washington. After moving to California, she applied to many different jobs until she was hired at a vet clinic as a receptionist. Overtime, she cross-trained and became a technician assistant as well. She has been in the field for 8 years since and has worked in General Practice, Emergency Hospitals, and Internal Medicine. Her passion is in critical care and helping pets to return to their humans after being in the hospital. She joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team in July 2020 as a technician assistant and is now our Lead Technician. She has a Chihuahua (Bogey), Bearded Dragon (Ivy) and 2 cats: Winter and Merlin.

Courtney, BS, CVT

Kourtney grew up in Concord, New Hampshire and spent her childhood immersed in the hockey world (Go Capitals!). Her love for animals spiked her interest in the field. In 2015, she graduated from Mount Ida College with her Bachelors in Veterinary Technology and her Veterinary Technician Certification. She has been in the field since graduation and joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team in August 2020 as one of our surgical technicians. In her free time, Kourtney enjoys working out and spending time with her Siberian Husky (Bonnie) and her cat (Andromeda). Her favorite sports teams are the New England Patriots and, of course, the Washington Capitals.

Kristina

Kristina grew up in a military family and spent her childhood living in: Las Vegas, New York and eventually Tucson, where she has been for 31 years. She has always loved animals and has a special interest in behavior training. In 2006, she received her Veterinary Assistant degree from Apollo College and has been working on and off in the field since. She joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team in July 2021 as a technician assistant and is now our Lead Surgical Technician. Kristina enjoys spending time with her husband, Jonathan, and four daughters: Brandee, Tori, Lilli and Nyalah. She also loves to take care of her many pets: 6 dogs and 5 cats.

Calista, CVT

Calista was born and raised in Tucson, AZ and became interested in the field from her passion to learn about animals. After receiving her Veterinary Assistant Certificate from Pima Community College in 2017, she was inspired to continue her education and went on to complete her Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology in 2020. She then took her state and national exams to become a Certified Veterinary Technician the same year. In November 2022, she joined the Rita Ranch Pet Hospital team as a technician after working at another clinic for 2 years. Calista and her husband, Andrew, share a 9 year old cat (Esmeralda) who enjoys having all four paws on the ground (pictured above). In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family.