Meet the veterinarians
About Dr. Wendy Linderman
I grew up in Mission Viejo, a city in the heart of Orange County, California. I have been obsessed with animals for as long as I can remember, and becoming a veterinarian was my childhood dream. One of my first animal friends was my neighbor’s golden retriever, Clancy. After my neighbors moved away, my parents soon adopted Sampson, a terrier-poodle mix who became my first love. I also developed a passion for horses, and I started horseback riding lessons and spent as much time as I could with the horses.
While animals are my primary passion, music has also played a significant role in my life. I come from a musical family, so taking up the cello was a natural fit. I developed my passion through participating in many school orchestra groups, eventually performing in higher level groups and as a soloist.
As a young child, I attended a horse show at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona. I was obsessed! I decided then and there that it was the college for me. Many years later, I did in fact attend undergraduate school Cal Poly Pomona, where I gained many valuable experiences and met my future husband. After undergrad, I completed my veterinary degree and a master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Although the program was challenging, those were some of the most rewarding years of my life. Scotland is a wonderful place to live and study, and will always hold a special place in my heart.
After graduating from veterinary school, I moved back to California. I worked in the Fresno area for a few years, and then my husband and I moved to the Ventura area to be closer to family. I have spent the majority of my veterinary career in small animal general practice. I enjoy the challenges this type of medicine brings, and I love educating pet parents about caring for their beloved companions. After more than a decade, I changed career paths to help families with compassionate end-of-life care.
In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my husband and three cats. We love to travel worldwide, read, discover nature, see concerts, and participate in many more fun activities.
About Dr. Jessica Spitzer
I grew up in New York with Great Danes who were part of the family and although my family was full of doctors and nurses, I (unlike most veterinarians) had not considered veterinary medicine as a career. After graduating from Harvard College, I worked at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C, assisting the research and conservation staff. There I found myself increasingly drawn to what the veterinarians were doing and eventually left the zoo and went to work for a mixed animal vet who worked with dairy cattle, horses, dogs and cats. I knew I had found what I was meant to do.
After graduating from Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine, I fled to the warm weather of Southern California, married a native Californian, and settled in to small animal practice. After my daughter was born, I began to work part-time for a housecall practice. There I discovered how peaceful at-home euthanasia could be. The anxiety and discomfort that sometimes accompanies moving a very ill animal could be eliminated and the euthanasia itself could be tailored to the unique needs of each family. Having had to say good-bye to several dogs and cats I have shared my life which has made me keenly aware of how difficult a decision euthanasia is. I recognize how fortunate I have been to be able to be able to provide at-home hospice care and euthanasia for my own special pets, and would like to be able to provide that service for others.
My hope is that providing hospice care will extend the quality time a pet and his/her family can enjoy together. When it is time for euthanasia, I would like to make the experience as peaceful and stress free as possible, so that it’s more about appreciating the family bond and the time shared with your pet than just about loss.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Alexandra Au
I was lucky enough to grow up here in the quiet luxury of Ventura County. From endless hours of horseback riding, to catching frogs in the sprinkler box, to teaching my pet rat to play hide-and-go-seek - I did everything possible to be around animals, including choosing “Animal Science” as my undergraduate degree at CalPoly SLO. For me, pursuing a career in veterinary medicine felt like a natural progression.
Unsurprisingly, during my second year of college, I jumped at the opportunity to join a student-led project fostering ‘difficult’ dogs from the local shelter (a poorly veiled excuse to get a dog despite strict warnings from my parents) and ended up bringing home the love of my life, Sophie.
I won't lie, our beginning was rough. For weeks on end, 60 pounds of shivering, terrified pitbull hid in the relative safety of a dark corner in my closet. She jumped at every noise, waited until she was 100% alone to eat a single kibble, and would only venture out briefly to greet other dogs. It wasn't until 3 months later, when I picked her up from a pet sitter, that things changed. I will always remember that moment because, when she recognized me, her tail wagged. From that day on, Sophie chose to be my dog. Despite her wariness of strangers, fear of loud noises, and general distrust of changing furniture arrangements - Sophie could always be found nearby, watching me. Through the natural changes and growing pains of life, her silent guardianship over me never wavered. Even now, more than a decade later, there is always an ear trained in my direction and the inevitable click of her nails on the floor behind me, echoing my own. Her devotion is unconditional, even when I don’t deserve it, and I could never hope to find a truer friend.
Since graduating from The Royal Veterinary College in London, England, my professional interests have primarily focused on emergency and critical care medicine but, as Sophie’s muzzle greys and our walks become more of a shuffling saunter, I find my heart softening for my senior patients and the families devoted to making their golden years joyful. Moreover, despite how much I enjoy helping pets and families in crisis, I have found an equally profound reward in helping pets facing life-limiting diagnosis and helping them to transition peacefully.
At the end of their time with us, I truly believe that allowing our beloved companions to pass with dignity is the ultimate grace we can give them. It is what I hope to be able to give my own pets; and it is what I hope to be able to give to patients whose final moments are entrusted to me. As a doctor, I am honored to walk alongside your family as we work to ensure your loved one is every bit as comfortable and happy in their final days, as they’ve made us over their lifetime.
About Dr. Morgan Weintraub
I grew up in Walnut, California, which is a very diverse area in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles county. I have always loved animals and am fascinated by physiology and medicine. I started working as a veterinary assistant in a small animal hospital when I was 17. After attending a large public high school, I wanted to try something different, so I moved to Upstate New York to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University. While there, I volunteered with the Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline, which helped me understand how to support people dealing with grief and loss. I loved the animal science and biology curriculum, and met a lot of interesting people, but I never got used to the cold.
After college, I spent time as a scientific diver, and also did marine mammal rehabilitation. I considered a number of career options, but my passion for medicine ultimately drew me to the veterinary field. I came back to California, and went to veterinary school at the University of California in Davis.
I have spent the majority of my veterinary career in emergency medicine, with a focus on trauma, hemorrhage, bleeding disorders, transfusion medicine, and feline urinary tract disease. I love being a veterinarian because I love helping families in need, even in times of crisis when emotions are high. I strive to be an advocate for my patients, and want to provide solutions that help the pet and their family.
The first pet I lost was my cat, Mozart. I got him as a kitten for my 14th birthday and he was with me from high school through the early part of my veterinary career. He was incredibly special, and he shaped how I cared for my patients and how I treated clients—I always want my patients to be cared for as if they are my own pets, and I want my clients to be treated as if they are family members. Mozart had a chronic disease, and deciding when it was time was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make. When the time came, another veterinarian came to my house and my family and I were able to say goodbye to Mozart while he was on my lap, surrounded by his loved ones.
I love helping families enjoy their senior pets and brainstorm ways to make life better for these special family members. And when the time comes to say goodbye, I want to be able to provide a comforting and stress-free experience for pets and their owners by helping them pass in the comfort of their own homes, as I have been able to do for my pets.
When I am not working, I love being outside, and especially enjoy anything related to the ocean! I love to hike and scuba dive and am learning to sail. I also enjoy cooking and baking.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Donnalee Dorman
I grew up in Fillmore, California, which is a small agricultural town in the southern part of the state. My parents owned a citrus ranch and I enjoyed being outside in nature. We had many cats and dogs during my childhood, and I have wanted to be a vet from a young age. I read All Creatures Great and Small as a young girl and that did it for me—I knew that I wanted to be a veterinarian so I could heal wounded animals.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and I loved my time there! I then attended veterinary school at University of California Davis. During veterinary school, I volunteered with UC Davis’s pet loss support hotline, helping grieving pet owners process their sadness and loss.
I enjoy small animal medicine, especially internal medicine, which involves diagnosing and managing complex disease processes. I worked in general practice for almost 25 years in Ventura County, and I enjoy working with clients and helping them make the best decisions for their pets.
I have euthanized a number of my own pets over the years, and I have been fortunate to be able to arrange for their passing at home. I believe it is important to provide a peaceful passing for pets, where they can be surrounded by their family’s love in a familiar environment. I find it equally important to minister to pet owners, helping them know they made the right decision to give their ailing pet peace and relieve them from pain.
In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, participating in church activities, going to the beach with my dogs, traveling, and curling up with my cats and a good book!
About Dr. Wendy Linderman
I grew up in Mission Viejo, a city in the heart of Orange County, California. I have been obsessed with animals for as long as I can remember, and becoming a veterinarian was my childhood dream. One of my first animal friends was my neighbor’s golden retriever, Clancy. After my neighbors moved away, my parents soon adopted Sampson, a terrier-poodle mix who became my first love. I also developed a passion for horses, and I started horseback riding lessons and spent as much time as I could with the horses.
While animals are my primary passion, music has also played a significant role in my life. I come from a musical family, so taking up the cello was a natural fit. I developed my passion through participating in many school orchestra groups, eventually performing in higher level groups and as a soloist.
As a young child, I attended a horse show at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona. I was obsessed! I decided then and there that it was the college for me. Many years later, I did in fact attend undergraduate school Cal Poly Pomona, where I gained many valuable experiences and met my future husband. After undergrad, I completed my veterinary degree and a master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Although the program was challenging, those were some of the most rewarding years of my life. Scotland is a wonderful place to live and study, and will always hold a special place in my heart.
After graduating from veterinary school, I moved back to California. I worked in the Fresno area for a few years, and then my husband and I moved to the Ventura area to be closer to family. I have spent the majority of my veterinary career in small animal general practice. I enjoy the challenges this type of medicine brings, and I love educating pet parents about caring for their beloved companions. After more than a decade, I changed career paths to help families with compassionate end-of-life care.
In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my husband and three cats. We love to travel worldwide, read, discover nature, see concerts, and participate in many more fun activities.
About Dr. Jessica Spitzer
I grew up in New York with Great Danes who were part of the family and although my family was full of doctors and nurses, I (unlike most veterinarians) had not considered veterinary medicine as a career. After graduating from Harvard College, I worked at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C, assisting the research and conservation staff. There I found myself increasingly drawn to what the veterinarians were doing and eventually left the zoo and went to work for a mixed animal vet who worked with dairy cattle, horses, dogs and cats. I knew I had found what I was meant to do.
After graduating from Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine, I fled to the warm weather of Southern California, married a native Californian, and settled in to small animal practice. After my daughter was born, I began to work part-time for a housecall practice. There I discovered how peaceful at-home euthanasia could be. The anxiety and discomfort that sometimes accompanies moving a very ill animal could be eliminated and the euthanasia itself could be tailored to the unique needs of each family. Having had to say good-bye to several dogs and cats I have shared my life which has made me keenly aware of how difficult a decision euthanasia is. I recognize how fortunate I have been to be able to be able to provide at-home hospice care and euthanasia for my own special pets, and would like to be able to provide that service for others.
My hope is that providing hospice care will extend the quality time a pet and his/her family can enjoy together. When it is time for euthanasia, I would like to make the experience as peaceful and stress free as possible, so that it’s more about appreciating the family bond and the time shared with your pet than just about loss.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Alexandra Au
I was lucky enough to grow up here in the quiet luxury of Ventura County. From endless hours of horseback riding, to catching frogs in the sprinkler box, to teaching my pet rat to play hide-and-go-seek - I did everything possible to be around animals, including choosing “Animal Science” as my undergraduate degree at CalPoly SLO. For me, pursuing a career in veterinary medicine felt like a natural progression.
Unsurprisingly, during my second year of college, I jumped at the opportunity to join a student-led project fostering ‘difficult’ dogs from the local shelter (a poorly veiled excuse to get a dog despite strict warnings from my parents) and ended up bringing home the love of my life, Sophie.
I won't lie, our beginning was rough. For weeks on end, 60 pounds of shivering, terrified pitbull hid in the relative safety of a dark corner in my closet. She jumped at every noise, waited until she was 100% alone to eat a single kibble, and would only venture out briefly to greet other dogs. It wasn't until 3 months later, when I picked her up from a pet sitter, that things changed. I will always remember that moment because, when she recognized me, her tail wagged. From that day on, Sophie chose to be my dog. Despite her wariness of strangers, fear of loud noises, and general distrust of changing furniture arrangements - Sophie could always be found nearby, watching me. Through the natural changes and growing pains of life, her silent guardianship over me never wavered. Even now, more than a decade later, there is always an ear trained in my direction and the inevitable click of her nails on the floor behind me, echoing my own. Her devotion is unconditional, even when I don’t deserve it, and I could never hope to find a truer friend.
Since graduating from The Royal Veterinary College in London, England, my professional interests have primarily focused on emergency and critical care medicine but, as Sophie’s muzzle greys and our walks become more of a shuffling saunter, I find my heart softening for my senior patients and the families devoted to making their golden years joyful. Moreover, despite how much I enjoy helping pets and families in crisis, I have found an equally profound reward in helping pets facing life-limiting diagnosis and helping them to transition peacefully.
At the end of their time with us, I truly believe that allowing our beloved companions to pass with dignity is the ultimate grace we can give them. It is what I hope to be able to give my own pets; and it is what I hope to be able to give to patients whose final moments are entrusted to me. As a doctor, I am honored to walk alongside your family as we work to ensure your loved one is every bit as comfortable and happy in their final days, as they’ve made us over their lifetime.
About Dr. Morgan Weintraub
I grew up in Walnut, California, which is a very diverse area in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles county. I have always loved animals and am fascinated by physiology and medicine. I started working as a veterinary assistant in a small animal hospital when I was 17. After attending a large public high school, I wanted to try something different, so I moved to Upstate New York to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University. While there, I volunteered with the Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline, which helped me understand how to support people dealing with grief and loss. I loved the animal science and biology curriculum, and met a lot of interesting people, but I never got used to the cold.
After college, I spent time as a scientific diver, and also did marine mammal rehabilitation. I considered a number of career options, but my passion for medicine ultimately drew me to the veterinary field. I came back to California, and went to veterinary school at the University of California in Davis.
I have spent the majority of my veterinary career in emergency medicine, with a focus on trauma, hemorrhage, bleeding disorders, transfusion medicine, and feline urinary tract disease. I love being a veterinarian because I love helping families in need, even in times of crisis when emotions are high. I strive to be an advocate for my patients, and want to provide solutions that help the pet and their family.
The first pet I lost was my cat, Mozart. I got him as a kitten for my 14th birthday and he was with me from high school through the early part of my veterinary career. He was incredibly special, and he shaped how I cared for my patients and how I treated clients—I always want my patients to be cared for as if they are my own pets, and I want my clients to be treated as if they are family members. Mozart had a chronic disease, and deciding when it was time was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make. When the time came, another veterinarian came to my house and my family and I were able to say goodbye to Mozart while he was on my lap, surrounded by his loved ones.
I love helping families enjoy their senior pets and brainstorm ways to make life better for these special family members. And when the time comes to say goodbye, I want to be able to provide a comforting and stress-free experience for pets and their owners by helping them pass in the comfort of their own homes, as I have been able to do for my pets.
When I am not working, I love being outside, and especially enjoy anything related to the ocean! I love to hike and scuba dive and am learning to sail. I also enjoy cooking and baking.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Donnalee Dorman
I grew up in Fillmore, California, which is a small agricultural town in the southern part of the state. My parents owned a citrus ranch and I enjoyed being outside in nature. We had many cats and dogs during my childhood, and I have wanted to be a vet from a young age. I read All Creatures Great and Small as a young girl and that did it for me—I knew that I wanted to be a veterinarian so I could heal wounded animals.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and I loved my time there! I then attended veterinary school at University of California Davis. During veterinary school, I volunteered with UC Davis’s pet loss support hotline, helping grieving pet owners process their sadness and loss.
I enjoy small animal medicine, especially internal medicine, which involves diagnosing and managing complex disease processes. I worked in general practice for almost 25 years in Ventura County, and I enjoy working with clients and helping them make the best decisions for their pets.
I have euthanized a number of my own pets over the years, and I have been fortunate to be able to arrange for their passing at home. I believe it is important to provide a peaceful passing for pets, where they can be surrounded by their family’s love in a familiar environment. I find it equally important to minister to pet owners, helping them know they made the right decision to give their ailing pet peace and relieve them from pain.
In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, participating in church activities, going to the beach with my dogs, traveling, and curling up with my cats and a good book!
About Dr. Wendy Linderman
I grew up in Mission Viejo, a city in the heart of Orange County, California. I have been obsessed with animals for as long as I can remember, and becoming a veterinarian was my childhood dream. One of my first animal friends was my neighbor’s golden retriever, Clancy. After my neighbors moved away, my parents soon adopted Sampson, a terrier-poodle mix who became my first love. I also developed a passion for horses, and I started horseback riding lessons and spent as much time as I could with the horses.
While animals are my primary passion, music has also played a significant role in my life. I come from a musical family, so taking up the cello was a natural fit. I developed my passion through participating in many school orchestra groups, eventually performing in higher level groups and as a soloist.
As a young child, I attended a horse show at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona. I was obsessed! I decided then and there that it was the college for me. Many years later, I did in fact attend undergraduate school Cal Poly Pomona, where I gained many valuable experiences and met my future husband. After undergrad, I completed my veterinary degree and a master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Although the program was challenging, those were some of the most rewarding years of my life. Scotland is a wonderful place to live and study, and will always hold a special place in my heart.
After graduating from veterinary school, I moved back to California. I worked in the Fresno area for a few years, and then my husband and I moved to the Ventura area to be closer to family. I have spent the majority of my veterinary career in small animal general practice. I enjoy the challenges this type of medicine brings, and I love educating pet parents about caring for their beloved companions. After more than a decade, I changed career paths to help families with compassionate end-of-life care.
In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my husband and three cats. We love to travel worldwide, read, discover nature, see concerts, and participate in many more fun activities.