Our Team

A highly-trained and accomplished team.
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The Best Care

We’re passionate about delivering the best patient care to the pets you love.

Our skills are diverse but our focus is singular: the well-being of your dog or cat.

Our Doctors

Bri Letaw, DVM, Medical Director

About Dr. Letaw
Bio coming soon!
Jocelyn

Jocelyn Selim, DVM

About Dr. Selim
Dr. Selim is originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, but moved to North Carolina with her family just before starting high school. She returned north to attend Smith College in Massachusetts, where a joint degree in Biochemistry and English set her up nicely for her first career in science journalism. She worked as an editor at Discover Magazine in NYC for over a decade, where one of the highlights of her career was getting to ask Jane Goodall if chimpanzees would ever keep a puppy or a kitten as a pet. (Sadly, the answer was no…..) Eventually she went back to school to earn her DVM from Louisiana State University. She worked at various small animal clinics in Baton Rouge for the next ten years. She moved to Vermont last year and loves living on Lake Dunmore, where both she and her partner Alex spent childhood summers. When not at work, she can be found hiking with their aging but still spry New Orleans Street mutt, Shiner.

Kristen Guldbech, DVM

About Dr. Guldbech

Dr. Kristen Guldbech grew up in New Jersey. Before attending veterinary school, she got her Masters in Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia. She then attended St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. During her time in Grenada, she was part of a program that would travel around the island and help provide spaying, neutering, and veterinary care to the local pets most in need. After Grenada, she did her clinical year at Iowa State University. After a year in the Midwest, she missed the mountains and decided to move back to the East Coast.

Since beginning in private practice, she has made several trips with volunteer organizations dedicated to providing population control and rabies vaccinations to endemic countries to help in trying to reduce rabies cases worldwide.

Her special veterinary interests include internal medicine, theriogenology, and worldwide rabies prevention. In her spare time, Dr. Guldbech likes making pottery, knitting, traveling, hiking, camping, and cooking, especially baking. Kristen lives in Williston with her dog Squirrel.

Leadership

Tammy Lavalette, Practice Manager

About Tammy

Tammy brilliantly takes care of all things behind the scenes for our practice and has been with us since 2011. She has been involved with both large and small animal veterinary medicine since 1979, first working as a technician and then evolving into management. Tammy loves labs – she has been raising Labrador Retrievers since 1984. She also is an avid beekeeper and breeds rare varieties of chickens and quail as well. Tammy also loves spending time outdoors fishing, gardening, hunting, hiking, and spending time on Maine’s property.

Rachel Manikian, CVT

About Rachel

Rachel graduated from Vermont Technical College in 2005 with a degree in veterinary technology and joined the team at the Animal Hospital of Hinesburg as a technician shortly after that. Along with her regular technical duties, Rachel became the hospital’s Technician Supervisor/Assistant Manager in 2013. Rachel has a special interest (and skills) in emergency and critical patient care. When not on the clock, she can be found heading up a mountain with her lab-mix “Dexter,” taking a Zumba class, or just hanging out with her husband, daughter, cat, and flock of chickens.

Care Team

Kathy LaRose

About Kathy

Kathy began her career working for the Animal Hospital of Hinesburg in 1988. Shortly after that, she transferred to Bristol Animal Hospital, where she has been one of our primary technicians for over 30 years. Her advocacy for animal well-being, experience, and patience instills a sense of calm in the animals she cares for. Kathy is proud to be a Vermont native. She feels fortunate to live in this beautiful state and spends her free time outdoors enjoying it. She especially loves spending time with her pet and human family exploring the Northeast kingdom’s clean lakes and trails, traveling, or spending time at home in Hinesburg.

Mercedee Rougier

About Mercedee

Mercedee joined Bristol Animal Hospital in 2016. She is an Addison County native. In her free time, Mercedee enjoys hiking with her labradors, four-wheeling, and boating in the summer.

Sierra Roberts

About Sierra
Sierra started with us in May 2021 as a receptionist. She quickly realized her true passion was working as one of the veterinary technicians. Sierra loves all animals but her true loves are her French Bulldogs, Rufus and Tinsley. She grew up in Vergennes and continues to live in the community. She likes to spend her spare time with family and friends. Sierra hopes to further her knowledge at BAH while continuing in her career path.

Samantha Duprey

About Samantha
Sam grew up in central Vermont and moved to Weybridge and started working at BAH in the summer of 2022. When she isn’t working Sam enjoys spending time at the lake with her family and pets. Sam has a special appreciation for her spicy cat, Walter, who bites her regularly.

Lauren Andrews

About Lauren
Lauren joined the BAH team in 2022. Outside of work, Lauren can be found backcountry skiing, hiking, and rooting on her favorite sports teams; she lives in Ripton with her husband and their two cats.