Our Veterinary Team

Nellie Damrauer, DVM, CVA
University of California, Davis, 2003
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Nellie Damrauer joined the HSBV team in 2003 after completing her DVM at the University of California at Davis.

Dr. Damrauer  is committed to enhancing the quality of life of the animals that she treats and has special interests in the areas of soft tissue surgery, pain management and is certified in veterinary acupuncture.

When she is not working, Nellie spends her time caring for her family of children, dogs and cats, as well as the various foster animals that come through her home.

Becky Flemer, DVM
Colorado State University, 2008
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Becky Flemer originally hails from New Hampshire. She received a BA in chemistry from Amherst College, and her DVM at Colorado State University, followed by a one-year internship in California. She joined the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in 2014.

Dr. Flemer believes one of the most rewarding aspects of veterinary medicine is enabling her clients to make truly informed decisions regarding their pets' health care through education. Her professional interests include dentistry, surgery, and endocrinology.  

Becky enjoys the amazing outdoor opportunities Colorado has to offer, as well as traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family and their pets, including chickens.

Lesli Groshong, DVM, DAVBP (Shelter Medicine)
Chief Shelter Veterinarian
Colorado State University, 1992
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Lesli Groshong is a native Coloradoan who joined the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in 1994 and now manages the health of the animals in the shelter.

To share the successes of HSBV and because of her strong belief in nurturing the skills of new colleagues, she has mentored hundreds of veterinary students in spay/neuter techniques and shelter medicine. Dr. Groshong speaks nationally on shelter medicine topics.  She is board certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of  Veterinary Practitioners in shelter medicine practice.  

Lesli's free time is spent keeping up with the activities of her husband and children who all love to ski and spend time outdoors. Her animal family includes horses, peacocks and shelter adoptees.

Cristina Gutierrez, DVM, CVA
Colorado State University, 2005
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Cristina Gutierrez joined the Humane Society of Boulder Valley as a veterinary technician in 1998, before attending veterinary school.

Dr. Gutierrez is a co-founder of VIDAS (International Veterinarians Dedicated to Animal Health), an organization that provides free veterinary care in Mexico.  Her areas of interest include internal medicine, pain management and she is certifiedin veterinary acupuncture.

Cristina is married with two daughters, enjoys running, and has two dogs and cats adopted from HSBV.

Allison Kean, DVM, CVA
Chief Clinic Veterinarian
Colorado State University, 2008
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Allison Kean earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University and received a BA from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY where she majored in psychology with a concentration in animal behavior. 

After veterinary school, Dr. Kean practiced small animal medicine in Denver, and joined the HSBV in 2012. Her areas of interest include internal and emergency medicine, soft tissue surgery, cardiology, oncology, and she is certified in veterinary acupuncture.

Allison spends her free time hiking 14ers and the foothills and volunteering in Central America. She shares her home with three shelter dogs: Mattie, Nilla and Tilly.

Amanda Levesque, DVM
Tufts  University, 2014
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

Dr.  Amanda Levesque is originally from Rhode Island, and joined HSBV in 2015 after visiting as a vet student and vowing to become a “Boulderite” one day.  She graduated from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2014, and completed an emergency and specialty internship at WestVet in Boise, Idaho in 2015.

Dr. Levesque finds it most rewarding to help clients make educated, individualized treatment decisions.  Her professional interests include emergency and critical care, surgery, neurology, and behavior.  She enjoys volunteering for high volume spay/neuter clinics in the southwest US.

When not working, Amanda can be found hiking, biking, in a hot yoga class, cooking, or at the dog park with her shelter dog, Dante.

Suzanne Nelson, DVM
Cornell University, 2016
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

Shelter Medicine Intern 2016/17

Dr. Suzanne Nelson earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University after receiving a BA in Environmental Studies from Sarah Lawrence College.  

Dr. Nelson demonstrated her strong commitment to public service and shelter medicine by volunteering in shelters and on Native American reservations. Her professional interests include surgery, veterinary forensics, and international veterinary medicine.  She is completing a one-year internship in shelter medicine at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.  

In her free time, Suzanne enjoys cooking, yoga, and hiking with her beloved dog, Sharkdog. She looks forward to exploring the great state of Colorado this year!

Amanda Griffin, MA, CVT, CMT
Veterinary Technician, Patient Services Manager

Amanda has  her BS from Virginia Tech, and her Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University.  Amanda  graduated from Bel-Rea Institute in 2005 with an AAS degree in Animal Technology. Because of her passion for animal welfare she joined  the team at HSBV immediately after graduation.

She enjoys high volume-high quality spay/neuter and  working with the shelter animals.  She is certified in canine massage therapy.  In her spare time she enjoys all the great outdoor activities Colorado has to offer.

Becky Neumann
Veterinary Clinic Client Service Manager

Becky joined the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in 1993 after a career in banking. She worked with our volunteer department and did humane education. Becky managed our original mobile Pet Adoption Unit. She transitioned to the Veterinary Clinic in 1997 and loves getting to know the clients and their pets. She shares her life with a variety of pets at home and enjoys birdwatching both locally and internationally.

Kat Burns, CVPM, CAWA
Director of Operations & Veterinary Services 

Kat joined HSBV in 2005 as Shelter Supervisor, became Director of Veterinary Services in 2006, and now oversees HSBV Operations in addition to the veterinary practice. She is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator and a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager.  Kat currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association.   She enjoys creating mixed-media art and spending time with her spoiled pug and persian.