Our Careteam

Growing up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Joan loved the dogs her father would bring home. Because of her asthma, Joan couldn’t keep dogs around very long—that is, until she adopted Peggy, a Skye terrier whose long hair didn’t affect Joan in the least! Now Joan cares for pets and their owners regularly as the Practice Manager of Vineyard Veterinary Hospital.

Joan has a strong background in finance, having worked on Wall Street for many years. Wanting a change, she applied for an Office Manager position at a local veterinary clinic. She was hired, and twelve years later she’s still involved in the profession! Now she works alongside her husband, Owner and Medical Director Robert Totman. She makes sure the hospital has everything it needs in order for the team to do the best possible job. She especially enjoys making the client’s experience as pleasant as possible.

Joan owns four dogs: Jimmy, a toy poodle; Sully, a Bichon; Sophia Maria the Maltese; and Annie Marie, an 11-year-old Malti-Poo.

In her spare time, Joan likes to be creative with painting and gardening. She also likes to cook and enjoy good wine with her husband.

Chelcy’s childhood dog, a spunky Cockapoo named Pookie, made a permanent impression. As her beloved companion got older and started to experience health troubles associated with old age, Chelcy was the one by her side to comfort and calm her. Chelcy has known ever since that she wanted to do everything in her power to help all of the animals that she possibly could. That’s why she decided to enter the veterinary profession!

Chelcy grew up in La Mirada, California, just outside of Los Angeles. Her animal-care journey began in Phoenix, Arizona, where she secured a job at a pet resort while her husband was in school. Next, Chelcy returned to school herself, studying veterinary technology part-time while landing her first job at a local pet hospital. She’s been working in the veterinary field ever since!

Chelcy and her husband moved to Orange County just before she had her daughter. After her maternity leave was over, Chelcy joined the team here at Vineyard Veterinary Hospital—she’s been a member of the clinic family since July of 2018, and serves the area’s pets and animal parents as a Client Services Representative.

Chelcy’s passions outside of animal care include yoga, photography, and spending quality time with family and friends. She and her husband, Jake, have a wonderful daughter named Emma and also share their home with one pet, the handsome Remington.

Although Danielle fell into the veterinary field by chance, she knew it was the perfect fit for her from the moment she first stepped into a pet clinic. For her, it’s truly an honor to help the area’s pets and animal owners live happier, healthier lives. Danielle is a proud member of Vineyard Veterinary Hospital’s front-desk team!

Danielle was born in Hawaii and grew up there and in California. She first started here at Vineyard Veterinary Hospital several years ago, then took time off to stay at home with her new daughter. Now, Danielle is thrilled to be a part of the clinic family once again! She wears many hats here at the hospital and loves the variety that each day offers; she especially loves meeting new animal owners and their furry companions.

Danielle spends most of her free time enjoying the company of her family. She and her husband, Jonathon, have a young daughter named Clarity and also share their lives with Remmie, a loveable dog who Danielle adopted from right here at Vineyard Veterinary Hospital after Dr. Totman nursed her back to full health.

Jessica was born and raised in Texas, where she grew up surrounded by seven siblings, horses, dogs, cats, and plenty of other animal companions. For her, it wasn’t difficult to develop an innate passion for the earth’s creatures early on in life! Jessica is proud to now help pets on a daily basis—she’s a Veterinary Technician here at Vineyard Veterinary Hospital.

Jessica was still in high school when she first signed on as a Veterinary Assistant at a local animal clinic. She’s been in the animal-care field ever since! Jessica moved to this area from North Carolina in the late summer of 2018, and it wasn’t long before she had signed on here at Vineyard Veterinary Hospital. She loves continuing to learn more every day, and her favorite part of every shift is getting to enjoy the company of the clinic’s furry visitors.

In her spare time, Jessica enjoys training horses, drawing with charcoal, and being a proud mother. She and her husband, a retired Marine, have a beautiful daughter and also share their lives with a number of animal friends. The family has six dogs, four cats, a pair of tortoises, and four horses!

Jim grew up on a small farm in Southern California, surrounded by everything from dogs, cats, and goats to turkeys, cows, pigs, and donkeys. His innate love for animals has been a part of him ever since his earliest days! Jim always knew that he would love to one day work hands-on with the earth’s creatures—he gets to live his dream as a Veterinary Technician.

After working as a coffee-shop manager for 20 years, Jim knew that it was time for a change. He signed up for a course in veterinary technology at his local community college, and completed his externship at another veterinary clinic after finishing his coursework. It wasn’t long before Jim was offered a job—he’s been in the veterinary field ever since, and has now been helping animals hands-on as a Veterinary Technician for more than eight years!

When a friend told him that Vineyard Veterinary Hospital was looking to fill an open Technician position, Jim jumped at the chance to join the clinic team. He’s been a member of the family since May of 2018—his favorite part of the job is working alongside a talented team of animal-lovers just like himself, and he also enjoys continuing to learn new things on a daily basis.

Most of Jim’s free time away from the office is spent working on home improvements or tending to his own small farm, as well as its many animal inhabitants. He has a dog, five indoor cats and five outdoor cats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, peafowl, emus, and a pair of three-legged rabbits that Jim adopted from his previous place of employment.

Laura was first introduced to the veterinary field when she met an emergency veterinarian during her studies at the University of California San Diego. That marked a pivotal point in her career and life—Laura hasn’t looked back since! Now, she’s helped pets as a part of the veterinary profession for more than two decades, and is a proud member of the Vineyard Veterinary Hospital Veterinary Technician team.

Laura is a native of Southern California and signed on at a veterinary clinic while studying in college. She was trained on-the-job by the amazing staff there—many of whom would become lifelong friends—and has been helping pets professionally as a Technician ever since. Laura joined the Vineyard Veterinary Hospital family in the spring of 2019 on the recommendation of a friend and previous co-worker; she couldn’t be happier to contribute to the clinic’s warm, welcoming atmosphere while helping the pets and animal owners of the community!

When she isn’t here at the hospital, Laura can be found making arts and crafts, exploring nature, and staying active in the PTA and other activities with her children’s school. She and her husband have three wonderful kids, and also share their home with a menagerie of pets. The family has two dogs—Zoe Rose the Chiweenie and a silly American Bulldog named Luna Lucille—as well as a box turtle, a sulcata tortoise, two chickens named Goldie and Ms. Frizz, and a pair of ball pythons who go by Naheka and Sir Hiss.

Bio coming soon!

Monica had always loved animals, but fell into the world of veterinary care completely by accident. She used to work in the human healthcare field, and happened to receive an offer to take a position in emergency veterinary care. Monica decided to take a leap of faith, and she hasn’t looked back since. She’s proud to now serve as a member of the Vineyard Veterinary Hospital Veterinary Technician team!

Monica grew up in Southern California and also lived in Hawaii for a time before settling in Murrieta. After working in the emergency side of veterinary care for over 12 years, she came to Vineyard alongside another coworker in 2019 and couldn’t be happier with her choice. Monica’s favorite parts of her work are serving as a voice and advocate for the area’s animal companions and helping to educate her clients on the best possible care techniques for their furry friends.

Away from work, Monica enjoys crocheting and crafting, reading, hiking, relaxing with her friends at local wineries or by the pool, and spending time with family. She and her husband of 25 years have four children and are proud grandparents to two wonderful grandchildren. Monica also shares her home with six dogs and six cats!

Bio coming soon!