Monique Feyrecilde is the owner of Teaching Animals, which promotes animal-friendly training and behavior modification techniques backed by robust scientific principles. Certified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior, Monique is a former president of the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians and a former president and Examination Committee Chair of the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, the governing body for VTS certification.
Technician
Kelly Foltz, BA, AAT, CVT, LVT, RVT, VTS (ECC)
Kelly Foltz is a graduate of Athens Technical College with an associate of applied technology degree in veterinary technology. In addition to her VTS (ECC), Kelly maintains active credentials in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. In 2024, Kelly became BluePearl’s east division nursing partner, supporting 42 emergency and specialty hospitals along the eastern seaboard as a subject matter expert, advocate, administrator, and coach.
Ken Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS (ECC), (SAIM)
Ken Yagi is the chief veterinary nursing officer for Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) ER for Pets and is an executive board member for the RECOVER Initiative. Ken has obtained Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) certifications in both Emergency and Critical Care and Small Animal Internal Medicine, and earned a master’s degree in veterinary sciences. Ken co-edited the Veterinary Technician and Nurse’s Daily Reference Guide: Canine and Feline as well as the Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking. Lymphoma is still one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in dogs and it’s important to move quickly once it’s been recognized. Dogs that are clinical have a worse prognosis than dogs that are clinically normal. There are a number of easy diagnostics that can be performed prior to referral to a specialist that can set a patient up for success. We will review common diagnostic tests and prognosis to help arm the general practitioner with the knowledge to work these patients up prior to referral and help counsel owners on the expectations and prognosis of their patients with lymphoma.
Kristen Hagler, BS, RVT, VTS (Physical Rehabilitation), CCRP, CVPP
Dr. Chumkee Aziz is a first-generation Bangladeshi-American and native Houstonian. She received her DVM degree from Tufts Vet School, then completed an internship with the ASPCA in New York City and a shelter medicine residency at the UC-Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (UC-Davis KSMP). After her residency, she worked for the Austin Humane Society and the ASPCA before returning to work with UC-Davis KSMP as a shelter medicine consultant. Dr. Aziz is board-certified in shelter medicine practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP), and she serves on ABVP’s shelter medicine specialty college. She also served on the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ (ASV) Board from 2017–2022. She has helped author the ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters and the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines.