Dr. Carla Enderle

Carla Enderle was born and raised in northern New Mexico on her families two ranches one raising cattle and the other sheep which later converted to a cow/calf operation while she was in College. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree, Cumae Sum Luda, in Biology at Adams State College in 2002. Carla went on to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 2006.

Since graduating Dr. Enderle has practiced at Alpine Veterinary Hospital in Alamosa and Monte Vista, and became a partner/owner in 2019. With her history in ranching she has a passion for all animals and enjoys the daily variety of working in a mixed animal practice. Dr. Enderle enjoys performing all types of surgeries, small animal reproduction, and working up difficult medical cases.

Dr. Enderle believes that the practice, like ranching, is a family affair and usually you can find one of her three children Jon, Evan, and Addison or her husband DJ helping out around the clinic. Her family still runs the two ranches in New Mexico, and Carla goes down and helps when time allows.

Dr. Kayla Henderson

Dr. Kayla Henderson is a San Luis Valley native and third generation cow calf rancher. She earned her bachelor's degree in equine science and business administration, with honors, magna cum laude from Colorado State University in 2008, followed by her DVM, with honors, cum laude in 2012. She volunteered at Alpine Vet Hospital as a teenager, and then became an associate veterinarian in 2012, and finally an owner/partner in 2019. She loves every aspect of rural mixed animal practice and is a passionate advocate for the profession and lifestyle at the state and national levels. Dr. Henderson is the SLV Chapter Rep for Colorado's Veterinary Medical Association and serves as a member or committee chair on several local and state boards. She enjoys equine medicine and lameness, herd health care, general small animal practice, and teaching and mentorship.

She and her husband and their three kids live on a cow calf ranch in the middle of the SLV. She loves horseback riding, gardening, baking, spending time in the mountains, working cattle, reading, and tending her kiddos, cats, and chickens (often at the same time)!

Dr. Curtis Crawford

I was raised on a small farm and ranch in Northeastern New Mexico. After attending undergraduate college at New Mexico State University where I met and married my wife Denise, I graduated from Colorado State University with a DVM in 1986. I then practiced for 4 years in a mixed animal practice in Las Cruces, NM, and 7 years in Pueblo, CO before coming to the San Luis Valley in 1997.

I have been an active member of the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association for over 25 years and was elected to the CVMA Board of Directors including a year as President, and am currently the Colorado Alternate Delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association. I have been the CVMA representative to the Colorado Livestock Care Coalition that advises the Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture on livestock care and welfare issues. I also serve on the Monte Vista Community Ambulance Service Board of Directors and as an elder for the Cornerstone Church of Christ in Monte Vista. I am on the Scientific Review Committee for the San Luis Valley Regional Science Fair.

Although I will always be a general practitioner, my medical interests lie in beef cattle, sheep and goats, and small animal orthopedics. Our practice has recently started using interlocking nails for long bone fractures in addition to the regular pins, wires and external skeletal fixation devices we have always had. I perform laparoscopic AI for sheep and goats and am pursuing bringing PAP testing capabilities to the practice.

Denise and I have two married children who both live in the San Luis Valley and work within the agricultural community. My brother still runs the family farm and ranch in New Mexico. We keep a few Boer goats around our place for entertainment and to keep the county weed board happy.

Dr. Alex Baker

Dr. Alex Baker was born and raised in a small rural community in northern California. Alex participated in 4H and FFA throughout her childhood where she raised and exhibited beef cattle, dogs, chickens and guinea pigs. Alex received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from UC Davis in 2014 and went on to work for a nonprofit organization where she spent most of the next three years living and working in various villages in Uganda. Alex taught local health teams, district veterinarians along with U.S. and Ugandan veterinary students skills relating to infectious disease control between humans and livestock. Alex recently received her DVM from Colorado State University and is excited to become a member of the SLV community. In addition to completing her veterinary degree; Alex completed her acupuncture certification in both small and large animals and she is excited to bring this treatment modality to AVH. Dr. Baker enjoys working on all animals and is especially interested in complementary medicine, rehabilitation and PAP testing. In her spare time Alex enjoys hiking, camping and fishing with her fiancé and their two Rough Collies, Lacey and Delta.

Dr. Caitlin Reynolds

Dr. Caitlin Reynolds grew up in Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University (WHOOP). After graduating, she spent time at a rural mixed animal clinic in Wyoming before joining the staff at Alpine Vet Hospital. She likes all things general practice, such as medicine and preventative care as well as soft tissue surgery and diagnostic imaging. She married a rancher in the valley and enjoys helping on the ranch when she is not at the clinic.

Dr. Laura Mortensen

Dr. Laura Mortensen grew up in Wyoming where she grew her love for animals and the livestock industry by working on her family’s cow-calf ranch. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wyoming, where she met her husband, Brandt, who is a San Luis Valley native. She graduated from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. Following graduation from veterinary school, she spent two years working at a mixed animal clinic in Texas. She enjoys working on all animals but especially loves beef cattle and equine work. She and her husband have three kids, Wes, Evelynn, and Reid, who like to keep them on their toes. She enjoys riding horses, working cows, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Dr. Emily Alexander

Bio coming soon

Dr. Tyler Ratzlaff

Tyler moved to the SLV at a young age, attended Adams State University and earned degrees in chemistry and biology before being accepted to Colorado State University for veterinary school. After graduating, he and his wife Bonnie moved back home and soon purchased Alpine Vet Hospital. Together, they grew the practice into a 2-location, 5-doctor practice over 30 years. They sold the practice in 2019 and now Tyler enjoys continuing to practice on occasion, keeping his favorite skill well-honed: equine dentistry. He also loves riding and training horses, competing and participating in cavalry events across the country, and spending time with his family.

Starr Hanel - Practice Manager, Registered Veterinary Technician

Starr is originally from Durango, CO where she grew up on her family’s cattle ranch. She attended Fort Lewis College and graduated with a Bachelor’s in communications. In 2008, she and her husband, who was born and raised in Alamosa, moved to the Valley. She has worked in the veterinary industry in many different positions (receptionist, technician, office manager) since 2009. Starr has three dogs named Harley (min pin), Dasher (dachshund), and Buck (mixed breed) and two cats, Sitka and Present, as well as numerous other farm animals. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, running Spartan races with her husband and daughter, and operating a show cattle ranch with her two siblings in Durango.

Michael - Head Registered Veterinary Technician

Michael was born and raised in Monte Vista, CO. He is married and together they have five children, three dogs, and one cat. He enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling. He has worked with AVH since 2003, working his way to becoming our head technician and all-around go-to handy-man and veterinary fabricator. He likes working with large and small animals and being involved in the orthopedic exams and surgeries.

Debbie - Receptionist

Debbie was born in Monte Vista, and has lived here most of her life. She has worked at Alpine Veterinary Hospital twice before for a total of thirteen or so years. She has two sons from her first marriage, and when she married Mr. Harris let her share his two sons as well. Between them, they have six grandkids so be careful where the conversation goes, she is a quick draw with their pictures! Charlie and she have five dogs and two cats. Brat and Bob keep the mouse population down while Lucy and Ethel, the chihuahuas make sure the big dogs are not having too much fun. George, Max and Budreaux keep the dust from settling in the back yard. Debbie loves to explore our beautiful mountains whenever she gets the chance and she tends to spend the bulk of her summer evenings in the garden. After a year and a half away, she is excited to be back at Alpine. She loved the veterinary world from the start. Getting to know people and their animals help make her family feel even bigger.

Alice - Registered Veterinary Technician

Alice has been a part of the AVH team since 2015. She is a Level 2 Certified Veterinary Assistant and a head technician in Alamosa and Monte Vista. She has a strong passion for a stress-free and comforting environment for her furry patients of all shapes and sizes. She also enjoys providing client education to help owners who love their pets as much as she loves her own. In her free time, she can be found adventuring and hiking with her husband and three blue heelers, Trouble, Kiba, and Midna.

Amy - Registered Veterinary Technician

Amy hails from the great cheese state of Wisconsin, and yes, she does love the Packers! She received her Bachelor’s degrees in Education and History from Missouri Valley College, where she also participated in College Rodeo for 4 years. After college, she traveled the world for half a decade before being roped into the Valley by her husband, Chad. She has worked for Alpine for since 2016 and she loves being able to help clients and patients feel welcomed in every situation. She is a level 1 Certified Veterinary Assistant working towards further education in this area, and has recently taken up the enormous duties of Inventory Manager for the practice. She can't wait to meet you and your furry family!

Vernon - Registered Veterinary Technician

Vernon has been with Alpine Veterinary Hospital since 2017. He started as a receptionist and has worked his way to becoming a head technician in Alamosa. He likes that he gets to help the veterinarians, patients, and owners. His wonderful sense of humor and genuine compassion for animals and people makes him invaluable to the practice. He is married to Machelle Maes, and together they have two children and three grandchildren. They also have two English Bulldogs, Agnes and Lupe. He enjoys hunting,fishing, camping, coaching wrestling, and most of all spending time with his family.

Brittney - Registered Veterinary Technician

Brittney was born and raised in Alamosa and has been a veterinary technician for AVH since 2012. She attended Pima Medical Institute in Albuquerque, NM and graduated in 2011. She has always had a strong passion for animals and always knew that she would want to work with them from a young age. She married her wonderful husband Michael in 2014 and was blessed with a step-daughter Mikayla and three babies of her own, Myla, Makai and Makoa. They have two fur babies as well; a cat named Zoey and a Shih Tzu named Rex. She loves spending her free time with her family and loves being a mom most of all!

Jenna R. - Certified Veterinary Technician

Jenna was raised in Austin, Texas. Even as a child, she had a passion and love for animals and their well-being. She grew up with all kinds of dogs, cats, horses, and birds. As a kid and teenager, she showed a Welsh pony and Quarter Horse in the hunter jumper circuit. She spent her summers working in Creede, CO where she met her husband, and it wasn’t long before they decided to set roots in Monte Vista. They have one son, who they are raising on a small farm. They raise cattle, chickens, rabbits, sheep, goats, and Labrador Retrievers. She enjoys taking the dogs on hikes all around the Valley, and definitely loves being out in nature with her kid and furkids!

Isabelle - Registered Veterinary Technician

Isabelle was born and raised in the SLV. She started working at the Creede Animal Clinic at the age of 13, graduated high school and soon after came to work at AVH in the fall of 2019. She is married to a rancher, Luke, in the valley and loves to be outdoors and check her family cattle up in the mountains. She occasionally goes back to her family in Pueblo to help with her family bees and honey. She is blessed with her cattle, horses, chickens, cats and her beloved dogs Josie and Ellie Mae. Her favorite animals to work with at the hospital are cattle and horses. She plans on continuing her education to help your furry friends!

Beth - Receptionist

After moving back to the SLV, Beth joined the AVH team in November of 2019, and has since become the head receptionist in Alamosa! Previously having worked at a small animal clinic in Pueblo, large animals have been a learning experience! Animals are her passion, almost as much as her six children and ten grandbabies! Her fur babies include Gizmo, a yorkie, and Tucker, her naughty mini Aussie.

Kelly - Receptionist

Kelly has worked in the veterinary field since 2017. The thing she likes most about her job is the work environment, which is fun and challenging every day. In her free time, Kelly enjoys hanging out with her family and going to the mountains. She and her family have two boxers, one cat and a turtle!

Miranda - Registered Veterinary Technician

Miranda is a Missouri native, brought to the valley by a charming potato farmer! She graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 2017 with a Bachelor's in Large Animal Science and Minor in Fine Arts. She has always loved getting to work with equine and cattle, but is especially a sucker for a sweet Doodle! She was very excited to join us in August of 2020. She hopes to someday have her own herd of cattle to tend, providing the best meal- beef, potatoes, and beer! She is blessed with two horses, Gambler and Caro and two sweet pups, Aspen and Teton (like the potato). In the warmer-ish months she and her husband are either riding horses, out on the tractor, or in the mountains camping and hiking, and in the winter they are complete ski junkies! Also... GO CHIEFS!

Lexi H- Veterinary Assistant

Born and raised on a ranch in the San Luis Valley, Lexi came to work at Alpine after college. She loves working cows, riding horses, and spending time with her husband and all of their critters.

Codi, LVT - Veterinary Technician & Receptionist

Codi grew up in rural Elm Creek, NE where she attended high school. In high school she competed in High School Rodeo and 4-H. After high school, she attended Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, Wyoming where she graduated with an associate’s degree as a Veterinary Technician. Codi joined Bertrand Vet Clinic after she graduated from EWC in December 2012; and attained her licensure in April 2013. Codi has recently joined the team at Alpine Vet Hopsital after working 10 years at Bertrand Vet Clinic. In her free time, she loves spending time with family, riding horses, barrel racing, working cattle, hunting, fishing; and anything else she can do outdoors. She is living in Alamosa with her boyfriend James. She has a blue heeler named Dalli, toy aussie named Rowdi, horses, and cattle.

Kaylee, Registered Veterinary Technician

Born and raised in Del Norte to the age of 16, aspiring 4th generation rancher/farmer, lived in Montana for 10 years and moved back home October of 2023. Love working with large and small animal, can be found reading or playing video games in free time. Went to Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, Wyoming to become a LVT, working in vet med for 4 years. Is kept on her toes by her 12 year old Scottish Terrier, Camo

Kaleb, Veterinary Assistant

Kaleb is an SLV native. He grew up on a ranch and throughout his childhood developed a passion and love for animals. Kaleb enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and his dog Odin, playing baseball, or having Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter marathons. Kaeb started shadowing with Alpine in 2021 and was hired as a vet assistant in 2022.

Rachael, Veterinary Assistant

Rachael is a native to the SLV. She was raised on a beef cattle ranch and helped her family with the various tasks and needs of the lifestyle. After graduating high school she continued her education and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science. Her compassion and love for family and animals is part of her life. Some of her favorite hobbies are riding horses in the mountains, puzzles, and dancing. Caring for animals has been ingrained since childhood. Rachael has three horses, two dogs, and one cat. She is still involved with helping her family working the ranch in all its seasons. Her favorite time of year is fall, when the cows come home. Rachael is happy to help those in need, especially their critters.

Jenna G. - Veterinary Assistant

Jenna Gardner grew up in the SLV valley and La Veta. She loves to help animals! Jenna and her husband have three dogs Bandit, Lacey May and Arrow, two horses Ringo and Olly and two cats Denis the Menace and Walter. Jenna’s favorite thing to do is be with her husband, animals and go into the mountains. She loves to ride her horses and take the dogs with! She has always loved animals and when the opportunity to work at Alpine came into her lap she didn’t hesitate to take it!

Shelly, Veterinary Assistant

Shelly was born in Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Firestone, CO when she was 6 years old. In 2019 Shelly started her career in veterinary medicine, specializing in equine rehabilitation. Since then Shelly has worked with livestock, small animals, and exotics. In her free time Shelly likes to ride horses and do just about anything in the outdoors. Shelly has Beaux, a Mini Aussie, and 2 calico cats named Mochi and Beanie.

Binx

When a box with a tiny innocent black kitten was left outside the old Alamosa hospital’s door one cold and blustery night in October of 2014, none of us could dare imagine that he would live anywhere but with us forever. Then the tiny innocent kitten, opportunistically named Binx, grew up. And up. Until he was a gargantuan 18 pound panther who now terrorizes the security cameras, slinks around the lobby counters with an intimidating Amazonian stare, spills several drinks every day, tears open and enjoys the spoils of multiple expensive prescription food bags, and continues to charm and earn love from every one of us, even Miss Kitty.

Toast

Toast was brought to our Alamosa hospital one cold mid-winter day after having been discovered inside a burning house and in pretty rough shape. His previous owner had lit a bonfire in his living room to stay warm, and Toast was the sole surviving animal. His burnt ear tips add to his hilarious charm and endear him to everyone around, even when he is being ornery.

Sherman

Sherman joined Alpine in MV in the winter of 2021, as a tiny abandoned kitten. He quickly fit into his role as "therapy cat" for both the staff and the clients. The empathy and love he shows to anyone who is having a rough day is somewhat remarkable. His large "hay belly" is due, in part, to the treats he successfully begs and his lack of any real motivation to exercise. So, no, he is not pregnant.

Winnie

Winifred Margrett aka Winnie the social little butterfly wasn't such a social little butterfly when we found her. She was a stray kitten running around the out buildings. She developed mattery eyes allow us to catch her on the backside of the clinic. She quickly warmed up to all of the staff and clients! She is usually the first one to greet people as they walk through the door and occasionally likes to act like a parrot and perch up on someone's shoulder or neck. She very quickly stole the staff members' hearts!