Burke Forest Veterinary Clinic - Springfield Friendly Pet Nurses and Staff

Burke Forest Veterinary Clinic

6220 Rolling Rd
Springfield, VA 22152

(703)569-8181

www.burkeforestvet.com

                                                                                                                               
Meet the Staff of Burke Forest Veterinary Clinic

 


       


 

Susan - Licensed Veterinary Technician

Susan - Licensed Veterinary Technician

Susan is a proud Licensed Veterinary Technician, soon to be called Pet Nurses.  She is originally from the Hayfield area.  She lived here, moved to Florida, and came back for the four season weather.  She and her son live in Springfield, and frequently can be found fishing, or camping.  She is a proud Irving Middle school MOM.  She joined Burke Forest in March of 2016 and brings with her a wealth knowledge and training to help our team.

 

  

Brooke  - Practice Manager

Brooke  - Practice Manager

Brooke is originally from Vermont, where she worked with animals of all kinds both in and out of the veterinary field. Brooke is passionate about behavior science and helping animals and their owners. She enjoys adventuring, spending time with her family (especially the four-legged variety), and furthering her knowledge of the veterinary field. Whether she is working with exotics, large animals, companion pets or helping owners foster their human-animal bond, she is excited to be able to help animals grow to live their happiest and healthiest life.

 

  

Vanessa Callihan

Vanessa - Licensed Veterinary Technician

Vanessa is a Licensed Veterinary Technician with a deep-rooted passion for animal care. Originally from California, she earned her degree in veterinary technology from Yuba College. She is a proud military wife and the mother of two wonderful children—a teenager and a pre-teen. After dedicating 10 years to being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to follow her passion for helping animals and returned to school to become an LVT. This career shift has allowed her to combine her love for animals with her commitment to providing the best possible care to our furry friends. When she is not at the clinic, you can find her cheering on her son at his baseball games, supporting her daughter at her dance competitions, or enjoying a long walk with her labradoodle, Ivy. Vanessa is thrilled to be part of the Burke Veterinary Clinic team and looking forward to offering the best care possible to all the patients that walk through our door.

Xanny - Veterinary Assistant

Xanny - Veterinary Assistant

Xanny graduated from Mt. Vernon High School in 2010.  After three years at a bakery, he decided to look for a position in the veterinary field to help further fulfill his love of animals.  In 2013 he began working in small animal practice alongside Dr. Bowles and Susan.  He became part of the Burke Forest Team in July 2016.  In his free time, he enjoys exploring the outdoors, listening to all kinds of music, and watching movies.  Xanny aspires to be a Veterinary Technician in the future.

 

 

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Melanie - Client Care Specialist

Melanie started working at Burke Forest in August of 2024. Her passion for animals started when she was 9 years old, when she started bringing sick cats, dogs, and birds home. She researched how to nurse them back to health and often ended up keeping them. Mel volunteered at pet stores, animal shelters, and local farms, where she continued to educate herself and developed her skills. From there, she worked in a pharmacy, kennels, doggy daycare, and eventually transitioned into vet med in 2010 as a Veterinary Assistant. Wanting to strengthen her customer skills, she cross-trained as a client service coordinator.  She is looking to re-enroll in school to obtain her vet tech degree. In her free time, she likes to race her mustang and exercise. 

 

 

Grace Fernandez

Grace - Lead Client Care Specialist

Grace meandered into the veterinary field by joining the Burke Forest Team in February 2024;after dedicating four years as an IT Support Specialist and Technician, she decided that she wanted more human (and animal!) interaction. 

When not at the clinic, she enjoys trying new baking recipes, making her way through her stack of unread books, and attempting to wrangle her 4 cats; Skittles, Tesla, Trouble, and Rousey.

 

 

Jenna - Assistant

Jenna - Assistant

Jenna, originally from Corydon, IN, wandered into veterinary medicine after finishing her time in the U.S Navy as an Aviation Structural Mechanic Third Class. She loved going to volunteer at the animal shelters during her free time, and becoming a part of the community where ever the military moved her to. Jenna started out as a Veterinary Receptionist at the Louisiana SPCA New Orleans Campus Community Clinic. When the military moved her and her husband, Harley, again, Jenna was excited to continue her career in Veterinary Medicine at Burke Forest Veterinary Clinic as a Veterinary Assistant. She aspires to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician and continue her love for the shelter life and rescue community. In her spare time you can find her working on some kind of crochet project with her cat, Casey Rae, who most likely will endlessly be making biscuits.

 

  

  

  

Rin - Veterinary Assistant Supervisor

Rin - Supervisor

Rin graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, minors in Intelligence Analysis and Psychology. Late pandemic, they stumbled into the veterinary field and never left. Growing up in rural parts of Georgia, Nebraska, and southern Virginia animals have always been an integral aspect of their daily life, and now they plan to pursue further education to remain growing skills in the field. In their spare time Rin enjoys playing video games, DM-ing or playing Dungeon and Dragons, and cosplaying their favorite anime or video game characters. They have a Pomeranian named Eevee that is trained using Pokemon attacks as commands, and cats named Mew and Grimoire. By the animal’s choices and NOT Rin’s, they all share the same pillow (or try to). 

 

 

LeAnn - Assistant

LeAnn - Assistant

LeAnn joined Burke Forest in April of 2021 after living in Colorado Spring for about 3.5 years. During her time in Colorado she attended Apex College of Veterinary Technology and has intentions of finishing school and becoming licensed in Virginia. LeAnn has had a love for animals for as long as she can remember and enjoys working at a place where she can help and care for them. 

 

 


Carisa - Assistant

Carisa - Assistant

Carisa joined Burke Forest in June 2022 as a veterinary assistant. She has been passionate about animal care since childhood and learned the basic skills by caring for neighborhood pets. She is a WSHS alumni - go Spartans! Carisa graduated from the University of Mary Washington with her bachelor’s of science degree in psychology in 2022. She worked for Homeward Trails Animal Rescue as an animal care technician for 3.5 years. She learned that many cats and dogs are homeless because there is a global overpopulation issue. Carisa is a strong advocate for spaying and neutering pets to keep them healthy, manage their behavior and reduce overpopulation. In her free time she enjoys playing piano, watching anime, spending time outdoors and doing daily crossword puzzles with her family.

Rosa Picture

 Rosa - Assistant 

Rosa joined Burke Forest in May 2024. She entered the veterinary field to expand her knowledge and ability to help animals. She has a bachelor’s in psychology and is currently working towards a bachelor’s in computer science at George Mason. In her free time Rosa enjoy’s video games, working out, watching anime and hanging out with friends. She has 3 beautiful cats: Rusty, Cookie, and Ivy whom she enjoys spending time with and helping grow. She is excited to be part of the BFVC team and work alongside owners to keep their pets healthy and happy.


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