Our Veterinarians

Veterinarian

Kurt Mychajlonka, D.V.M.

As a young boy Dr. Mychajlonka knew that he wanted to become a veterinarian. This childhood dream of veterinary medicine led him from his home town of Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania, to Phoenix, Arizona, where he completed his undergraduate training at Northern Arizona University.

Dr. Mychajlonka has been a fixture at Craig Road Animal Hospital since it’s founding in 1996 and is fondly known by many of his clients as “Dr. Mych”. He serves as attending veterinarian to the Nevada Task Force search and rescue dogs. In the past he has also served as president of the Nevada Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Mych earned his D.V.M. at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1993. During his college years, he worked at a small animal emergency hospital and an equine surgical center, which fostered his interest in high quality, cutting edge veterinary care.

Dr. Mych’s veterinary interests include general and orthopedic surgery, advanced dental procedures and laparoscopic procedures. In his leisure time, he enjoys the outdoors, fishing, photography, and reading. Dr. Mych resides in Las Vegas with his wife Debbie, also a veterinarian, and two adopted children: Nikki, a beautiful Bouvier Des Flanders, and Boss, a Shih-poo-kie.

Read Dr Mych’s Posts Here

Veterinarian

Cathy Whitcraft, D.V.M.

Dr. Cathleen Whitcraft has been at Craig Road Animal Hospital since 2004. Prior to becoming a veterinarian, her background included a degree in Business finance and a career with U.S. Treasury Department. After participating in a dolphin research vacation, she discovered her interest in animal medicine. Later, she went on to earn her biology degree and her D.V.M. from Colorado State University. Her special practice interests include internal medicine, endocrine disease, cardiology, and ophthalmology.

Dr. Whitcraft is active with community outreach and participating in Career Day talks at local schools, inspiring others to pursuing a veterinary career. Dr. Whitcraft has two birds, two cats and a batch of Bichon Frise and Poodles that consume much of her love. Besides her household of critters, she enjoys world travel including all over Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. Her favorite leisure activities are scuba diving, biking, climbing trees and reading.

Read Dr Whitcraft’s Posts Here

Veterinarian

Jennifer Finder, D.V.M.

Dr. Finder grew up in Maryland outside of Washington D.C. She attended the University of Maryland College Park where she received a bachelor’s degree in animal and avian science. Dr. Finder received her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Before graduating from vet school she worked in small animal practices in Nevada and in Maryland as a veterinary technician. Before vet school she also worked in a wildlife rehabilitation facility, where she cared for an array of animals including squirrels, snapping turtles, and rabbits.

Dr. Finder is interested in most areas of general practice and surgery. In her spare time, Dr. Finder enjoys playing sports, cooking, and traveling. She has visited several countries including Canada, Mexico, Israel, Spain, Costa Rica and India. She has had two opportunities to study abroad, in Costa Rica and India. Her adventurous spirit took her through a suspension bridge in Costa Rica, while studying sustainable ecosystems there, where she remembers the bridge cable snapping while she crossed it! In India she worked with stray animals, and gained a great deal of experience in infectious diseases and the importance of vaccination. The highlight of this experience was working with Indian elephants, which she fondly remembers as “Mostly playing with baby elephants.”

Dr. Finder has been a member of our staff since 2013. When she is not dedicating herself to her patients she is caring for her mischievous cat, which she adopted after becoming her foster pet. She has a very sweet tuxedo colored cat named Jane of the Jungle whom she describes as very “inquisitive, and gets into everything!”

Veterinarian

Ukachi Ugorji, D.V.M.

Dr. Ukachi Ugorji has always had an interest in taking care of animals, from a young age she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. In the spring of 2016, she graduated from the University of Georgia with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. However, this isn’t her first experience with Craig Road Animal Hospital, she was part of our extern program in 2015.

She says that because animals can’t necessarily speak up, owners should try to bring their pet in for professional care. “It’s important that people know the value of having a physician examine your pet on a regular basis,” she said. “Specifically preventative care as a focus. Detecting things before something happens and talking to a professional can save a lot of animals.”

At home, Dr. Ugorji has two standard poodles and a flame point Siamese cat that keep her company.

Read Dr. Ugorgi’s Posts Here

Veterinarian

Emilee Larkin, D.V.M.

Emilee Larkin, D.V.M., is a graduate fromTexas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, where she also attended for her undergraduate studies.
Over the past few years Dr. Larkin had gained experience from her involvement in numerous externships, most notably her experiences in St. Kitts,

West Indies and Africa. Her main professional interests are large exotic animals, internal medicine, and diagnostics.
Dr. Larkin enjoys time with a few four-legged friends of her own, a Rottweiler named Riddick, a Bluetick Coonhound named River, and her cat Orion. When she isn’t caring for animals, Dr. Larkin enjoys weaving, reading, and hiking in her spare time.

Read Dr. Larkin’s Posts Here

Veterinarian

Celia Galanti, D.V.M.

Dr Galanti was raised in St Louis, IL. She attended Arizona State University for her Bachelors in Biological Science. She then attended University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine for her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Galanti had a love for animals since the age of five. She would bring all types of wildlife home to her parents whenever she had the chance. The first profession she imagined making a career out of was a veterinarian and she solidified her decision at the age of nineteen. Dr. Galanti finds client education to be one of the most important aspects of being a veterinarian. She has witnessed a lot of animals not get the treatment they need.

Dr. Galanti wasn’t cut out for the cold weather of the Midwest. After attending college in Arizona, she fell in love with the Southwest. Craig Road Animal Hospital peaked her interest due to the size of the facility, and the number of doctors on staff. She intends to collaborate with the other doctors to pull their collective knowledge to help her patients. She also finds Craig Road Animal Hospitals emphasis on workplace culture to be very important. She looks forward to polishing her skills in surgery, preventative medicine, and ophthalmology.

When Dr. Galanti has spare time she enjoys hiking, CrossFit, baking, cooking, jigsaw puzzles, but she is not opposed to staying in and binge watching a show on Netflix. She is a mother to four big dogs: Goose, Ellie, Luna, and Mellow.

Veterinarian

Kimberly Lutz, D.V.M.

Dr. Lutz grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Purdue University and majored in Animal Science for her undergraduate degree. She stayed at Purdue University and attended the College of Veterinary Medicine for her doctorate.

Dr. Lutz spent most of her childhood terrified of animals. At the age of twelve her family adopted a dachshund puppy, she instantly formed a bond and became his caretaker. At sixteen, she applied for a kennel position at the local veterinary clinic across the street from her high school. She worked her way up to being a veterinary assistant, after three years of working in the field, she knew she wanted to become a veterinarian. “I truly enjoy getting to be a voice and advocate for my patients.”, says Dr. Lutz. “They can’t tell us what their problems are so it’s up to us to figure it out!”

Dr. Lutz is no stranger to Craig Road Animal Hospital. She completed our externship program at the beginning of 2018. “I like that Craig Road offers a nice mix of wellness and preventative care as well as surgery and emergency work.” she said. Prior to her externship, Dr. Lutz had never been this far west. Since she has been in the Midwest all her life, where it is mostly cold, she gained an appreciation for sunny Las Vegas. Dr. Lutz’s special interests include soft tissue surgery and emergency medicine. She looks forward to interactions with clients and patients and providing quality animal care.

When Dr. Lutz has spare time on her hands her hobbies include traveling, exercising, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. During her undergraduate study she frequented Central America, visiting Costa Rica, and Ecuador to study at a low-cost veterinary clinic. She has three pets at home. Brownie and Snickers (dachshunds) and a pit bull mix named Cindie.

Read Dr. Lutz’s posts here!

Veterinarian

Aimee Trujillo, D.V.M.

Dr. Aimee Trujillo was born and raised on a farm on Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean but moved to Lafayette, Louisiana when she was 10-years-old. She said that growing up with cows, chicken, and pigs sparked her interest in veterinary medicine.

“I even rode horses,” Dr. Trujillo said. “I just loved all the animals.”

She started studying at the University of Louisiana in Layfette and volunteered at various shelters for two years, and shadowed an equine veterinarian before transferring to Louisiana State University, where she obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree. Dr. Trujillo said she fell in love with exotics and small animals while studying at LSU.

“I really like exotics, but I also really like cats,” she said. “So, I’m more of a cat person than a dog person.”

Dr. Trujillo also had an externship in Raleigh, North Carolina that specialized in exotics. She said she saw squirrels, frogs, honey badgers, and everything in between.

In her spare time, Dr. Trujillo dabbles in acting and enjoys hiking and riding her horse, Galvea. She also owns a cat named Mimi-Siku, two guinea pigs named Bellatrix and Narcissa Malfoy after the “Harry Potter” series, and a fish named Bully.

Veterinarian

Solitaire Goldfield, D.V.M.

Dr. Goldfield is from Columbia, South Carolina, and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She is also a former extern at Craig Road Animal Hospital.

“There is a video recording of me saying that I wanted to be a veterinarian and guaranteeing my aunt free vet care for life,” Dr. Goldfield said. “I was four, and it now seems like I might be living out that promise.”

She completed her Bachelor’s at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, and took some time off after graduating. During that time, Dr. Goldfield’s interests led her to spa management with a staff of 50 employees. She also looked briefly into human medicine, and then decided to start working on a Master’s Degree in Public Health.

After a chance encounter with a veterinarian, Dr. Goldfield started working as a technician in an animal hospital and attended the Virginia-Maryland School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Goldfield is particularly interested in surgery, internal medicine, and imaging. She enjoys the diverse cases and fast-paced nature of Craig Road Animal Hospital.

“The variety of cases is incredible and I really like that there are always other doctors to talk to and get their opinions,” she said. “It’s amazing to see all the things that we hear about in school.”

In her spare time, Dr. Goldfield enjoys photography, reading, going to the movies and spending as much time outdoors as possible. She has a Chihuahua (who she says might as well be a cat) and two cats.

Veterinarian

Sarah Jansen, D.V.M.

Dr. Sarah Jansen graduated from Ross University with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and is a former extern of Craig Road Animal Hospital. She’s originally from the Philadelphia area and grew up around horses. Dr. Jansen said she knew from a young age that she wanted to become a veterinarian.

“I knew I always wanted to do something with animals, but I would say, not until I was entering high school, I realized I really wanted to do it,” she said. “I started shadowing one of the vets that took care of my horses, and then, when I was in college I started doubting myself, thinking I wasn’t smart enough or couldn’t do it. But I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did.”

Before attending Ross University, Dr. Jansen obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from the University of Alabama.

As a student, Dr. Jansen volunteered at local shelters in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and on a mission trip to El Salvador to build houses and a new water system for a small village. Dr. Jansen also did an externship in Belize during her first year at Ross University. Her main interests are in oncology and surgery.

In her spare time, Dr. Jansen enjoys hiking with her 2-year-old Island dog, Mowgli, reading, spending time with her friends. She also explored the beer brewing culture in Colorado during her clinical year at Colorado State University.

Veterinarian

Danica Wilson, D.V.M.

Dr. Danica Wilson is a former extern at Craig Road Animal Hospital and is from Martinsburg, West Virginia. Growing up, Dr. Wilson always had a dog in her family’s house and even owned a cat at one point. She said she hadn’t initially considered a career in veterinary medicine until she was in high school. A lover of science, Dr. Wilson was trying to figure out what career path she wanted to pursue.

“Someone suggested veterinary medicine to me, so I started shadowing vets and I fell in love with it,” she said. Dr. Wilson volunteered with the local Humane Society and helped prep animals for spay and neuter surgeries, and helped with handling the dogs during their walks.

“After that, I got an actual position at the hospital, similar to an ERA,” Dr. Wilson said. “I would help get medications together, get rooms ready, take down a patient’s history, things like that.”

After graduating high school, Dr. Wilson received her Bachelor’s in Biology from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She went straight to vet school at Mississippi State University where she graduated in 2021. Dr. Wilson said she loves internal medicine and likes the challenge of putting the different pieces together to understand the bigger picture.

In her spare time, Dr. Wilson enjoys weight lifting, playing video games, and reading. She has a 3-year-old Pitbull-mix named Freya she adopted while in vet school.

Veterinarian

Aaron Deml, D.V.M.

Dr. Aaron Deml is from Camas, Washington, a suburb of Vancouver, Washington, and recently relocated to the Las Vegas Valley. He said he knew he wanted to work with animals since he was in elementary school, and that he enjoys the puzzle aspects or determining an animal’s diagnosis when they visit an animal hospital. Growing up, Dr. Deml had a variety of pets, including dogs, lizards, and cats.

Dr. Deml attended Washington State University (Wazzu) for both his Bachelor’s and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and was a member of the Honors College. He graduated from Wazzu as a D.V.M. earlier this year.

Some of his volunteer experience includes working with the local Humane Society as a high school student and raising money for the Hunstman Cancer Institute as part of his fraternity while an undergrad at Wazzu. Dr. Deml also volunteered in shelter medicine when he was a veterinary medical student. He said he’s most interested in internal medicine and responsible canine reproduction.

“I have a passion for passing on the knowledge of ethical breeding in dogs, plus the puppies are fun,” Dr. Deml said.

In his spare time, Dr. Deml enjoys water sports like wakeboarding and wake surfing. He’s also interested in backpacking, hiking, and enjoys being outdoors. Dr. Deml and his fiancée have a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Stark, a cat named Noodle, and a Leopard gecko named Fran.