
.png)

Meet Our Doctors

Dr. Chitra Natarajan
Dr. Chitra Natarajan, better known as Dr. C to her clients, opened Pets First Veterinary Clinic in 2012. She has been in practice since 1996 after graduating with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Dr. C is certified in small animal acupuncture by the Chi Institute and has taken extensive courses in different alternative medicine modalities, including Chinese herbs, western herbs, and homotoxicology. She tries not to play favorites, and don't let the other dogs and cats know, but she is particularly fond of Dachshunds and orange tabbies. She also tries to kiss every animal on the head, even if they're not totally into the idea. When Dr. C isn't at Pets First, she enjoys playing tennis, improving her proficiency in Italian, and spending time with her family and friends. If Dr. C could have any superpower, she would choose to have at least six extra arms.

Dr. Patrick Mitchell
Dr. Patrick Mitchell moved to Chicago in 2006 with his wife and daughter. Before joining Pets First in July of 2013, he practiced in Lincoln Square for 5 years, and before that, in Florida, Hawaii, and South Carolina. Dr. Mitchell graduated from Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. His special interests in veterinary medicine include soft tissue surgery and internal medicine. His non-veterinary interests include Diet Coke, cult films, and 90's grunge, which can be heard drifting out of his office at any given time. When he isn't at the clinic, Dr. Mitchell enjoys spending time with his family, including his four cats and rambunctious Husky, playing guitar, and exploring the sights and sounds of Chicago. He used to surf all the time in Hawaii, but unfortunately Lake Michigan isn't very conducive to that hobby. If Dr. Mitchell could have any superpower, he would choose the ability to teleport.

Dr. Kurt Larson
Dr. Larson has been practicing in the Chicago area since 2002, initially in the Elgin area, then in Bucktown, and now in the Lakeview area for the last decade. He was excited to be able to join the Pets First team in April of 2022. Dr. Larson graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. He strives to be the best general practitioner he can be, and works hard to help his clients navigate modern veterinary medicine in the way that best suits them and their animals. Dr. Larson lives in the neighborhood with his wife and young son. When not living the clinical life, he tries to spend as much time outside with his family as he can. They can often be seen at the lakefront, by the river, on bikes, or in a canoe. The family’s current animal companion is a rambunctious, but very child-tolerant, young male orange tabby cat. If Dr. Larson could have any superpower, it would be having the boundless energy of a 5-year-old boy.

Dr. Jennise Fermoso brings her diverse veterinary experience and passion for animal care to Pets First. A Chicagoland native, she joined our team in September 2024 after building valuable experience as a mobile veterinarian and practicing in Chicago's western suburbs. Dr. Fermoso earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2020 from The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana-Champaign.
Her professional interests focus on ophthalmology and shelter medicine, and she takes particular joy in educating clients about veterinary care. This commitment to client education helps pet owners make informed decisions about their beloved animals' health and well-being.
When not caring for patients, Dr. Fermoso embraces life's pleasures through food exploration and quality time with family and friends. She's an avid listener of "The Fred Show" and brings rhythm to her life through Latin dance, particularly bachata, merengue, and salsa.
Dr. Fermoso's love for animals extends to her own family of pets, including three dogs: Dolly (a boxer mix), Ember (a shih-tzu/chihuahua mix), and Ruby (a chihuahua). Her household also includes Mattie, a special orange cat born without eyelids, and two guinea pigs named Horchata and Taz.
A fun fact about Dr. Fermoso: she's a Batman enthusiast who dreams of having unlimited resources to make a difference in the world - much like her favorite superhero!
Dr. Jennise Fermoso

Dr. Robert Plourde
Dr. Robert Plourde has been practicing in Chicago since 2012. He has provided veterinary relief services at Pets First for many years before joining the practice in 2024. Dr. Plourde graduated from St. George's University in 2011. His special interests in veterinary medicine include advanced dentistry and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Plourde has a pet cat and dog. When he isn't at the clinic, Dr. Plourde enjoys spending time with his wife and son, exploring the sights and sounds of Chicago. If Dr. Plourde could have any superpower, he would choose the ability to manipulate time.
Meet Our Care Team
Amy started working in dog rescue fifteen years ago and then never really left the animal field despite her Bachelor’s Degree in French. Her interest in the medical aspect of animal rescue led her to work at an animal hospital, which is where she met Dr. Mitchell, and in 2013 she followed him over to Pets First. With a Master’s degree in Zoology, Amy has been working at Lincoln Park Zoo for over six years, both in volunteer management and education. Amy has no furry critters of her own, but she does have three leopard geckos, an anole, and over forty houseplants. When Amy isn’t at work, she loves traveling, reading, and scuba diving - she volunteers at a local nonprofit dive shop where she helps teach new students, plans international group diving trips, and manages new volunteers. Amy is also working toward her NAUI Divemaster certification. If she could have any superpower, she would want to manipulate time.
Amy Veterinary TechnicianManager


Jenny Lead Surgery Technician
Jenny is the Lead Surgery Veterinary Technician at Pets First Veterinary Clinic. Jenny began working in veterinary medicine in February 2017 and quickly realized she loved the hands-on work with dogs and cats as much as educating their humans on how best to care for them. She began training in surgery in late 2019 and quickly fell in love with every aspect of the process. Jenny takes great pride in keeping her dog and cat patients safe during all anesthetic events, as well as assuring their humans that their beloved pets are being well cared for at Pets First. Jenny especially loves dental cleaning surgeries and has worked diligently to improve her oral examinations, probing, and radiograph skills. Outside of veterinary medicine, Jenny loves spending time with her two cats, Arya and Lady Gaga, along with her mom’s dog, Artie. When not spending time with animals she enjoys taking yoga classes, swimming, volunteering for political campaigns and causes she cares about, as well as working as an Election Judge for the Chicago Board of Elections.

Omar Veterinary Technician
Omar has been a veterinary technician for 8 years and joined Pets First in 2024. He's always been an animal lover, but he particularly has a soft spot for cats. Over the years, he has worked in small animal practices as well as shelter medicine. When Omar isn't taking care of his patients at Pets First, you can find him volunteering at vaccine clinics in his spare time.
Elisa Veterinary Technician

Pursuing her lifelong passion for learning, Elisa earned a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2020. After a year teaching undergraduates about animal behavior, she decided that working in academia was not a good fit for her. Elisa believes that all animals deserve to be treated with respect and compassion. She longed for a chance to work with animals directly and to help them live healthier, happier lives. Her cat, Maximus, was a patient at Pets First, and so she reached out to Dr. C and was delighted to learn that the clinic had room for her on its staff. Elisa joined Pets First as a veterinary assistant in October of 2022. Today she lives just around the corner with Maximus and with her husband, John. When she isn't at work, Elisa enjoys reading and writing fiction (mostly sci-fi and fantasy), knitting, social dancing, and baking delicious vegan treats for her friends.

Sonia Veterinary Technician
Sonia joined PFVC in 2022. Prior to PFVC, she worked at a small animal and exotics hospital. She started out as a vet assistant in the summer of 2021 and was trained up to become a vet tech in early 2022. Anyone who knows Sonia knows that she loves animals even more than she loves herself. She started volunteering at animal shelters in 2014 and continues to volunteer at Evanston animal shelter to this day every week. Sonia eventually became an employee and later a shift lead at one of the cat shelters where she worked. She has a soft spot for cats and has spent a long time working with them and learning about cat behavior. She even was the lead behavior counseling staff member at that cat shelter. She enjoys helping clients and cat owners alike help their kitties thrive in their homes. But overall, Sonia loves both canines and felines with all her heart. Although she holds a bachelor's degree in English from Loyola University, Sonia loves working with animals and plans on remaining in vet medicine and animal rescue work for as long as possible. She is currently working toward becoming a credentialed vet tech and a published fiction author… slowly but surely.
In her free time, Sonia can be found either volunteering at EAS, pet sitting, walking dogs, sleeping, being a fool online, writing, reading, shopping at Target, getting tattoos, consuming copious amounts of caffeine, or spending time with her close friends. If she could have one superpower, it would be invisibility so that she could sneak onto trains and planes and travel for free.

Stephanie Veterinary Technician

Jocelyn Veterinary Technician

Kayla Veterinary Technician

Alex Practice Manager
Alex studied video production in his home state of Michigan, but when he moved to Chicago in 2012, his lifelong love of animals lead him to a career as a veterinary technician. Alex enjoys making new dog and cat friends and loves forming relationships with owners and seeing their pets grow from little babies into happy, healthy members of the family. He especially likes assisting in surgery and dental cleanings. Outside of work, Alex enjoys cooking, reading, podcasts, and checking out new restaurants throughout the city. If Alex could have any superpower, it would be to freeze time so he could nap more.

Yesenia Veterinary Technician Manager
Yesenia joined the Pets First crew in 2018. She has always wanted to work in veterinary medicine, so she spent her time volunteering at PAWS in college while working on her Bachelor's degree in Biology. After college, Yesenia got a job as a veterinary assistant and is currently in school to become a certified veterinary technician. At work, she enjoys snuggling our feline patients, as seen in her photo, and cleaning dirty ears. In her spare time, Yesenia likes to nap, shop, and play with her own pets - she has a dog and three cats. If she could have any superpower, she would want to be able to read minds - specifically dog and cat minds, to be able to better help her patients.


Kylie Veterinary Care Coordinator
Kylie has spent most of her life caring for animals and has accumulated four years of experience in the field. Prior to joining the profession, she volunteered leading animal-assisted therapy for disabled children and adults, as well as developing skills with her equine veterinarian when her horse, Sebastian, suffered an eye injury. Every late night they spent together sparked her interest in veterinary medicine. Watching him start treatment with a 5% chance of keeping his eye, to noticing a viable vein delivering life back to the area, to ending treatment with nothing but a bit of clouding on his cornea is something she'll always be amazed by. I mean, who wouldn't want to learn how to a "subpalpebral lavage system" at midnight?! In 2020, Kylie joined her hometown's walk-in clinic as a veterinary technician, where she discovered her passion for the more challenging aspects of the job. She spent considerable time in the isolation unit and with end-of-life patients, finding purpose in witnessing the progress of her isolation patients and feeling the responsibility to advocate for them when recovery wasn't possible. She considers it a privilege to have supported many families and their pets during their journey across the rainbow bridge. Kylie is eternally grateful for the her patients placed in her and the faith her team had in her potential. The knowledge and experience from her first veterinary position are invaluable to her. Lakes Animal Clinic will always hold a cherished spot in her heart, and she credits her success to the team that became her chosen family. In August 2023, life led her to Chicago, where she joined the front desk at Pets First. She loves connecting with clients and sharing the knowledge she has acquired. When she isn’t answering calls, you can find her managing the clinic's website and social media. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her partner and their furry family and advocating for human rights.

Nancy Lead Veterinary Care Coordinator
Nancy has been involved in veterinary medicine for 15 years. Before joining Pets First in May 2022 Nancy gained a varitey of skills as a receptionist, technician, and even as a adminsiter. Although she doesn't have any pets of her own Yorkies have always had a special place in her heart. When she isn't at the clinic she enjoys spending time with her husband and son. If she could have any super power she'd choose to fly mostly to skip 8:00am traffic.

Meagan Veterinary Care Coordinator
Meagan became a part of Pets First in November 2023. While this is her first job in the veterinary field she is no stranger to animal care. Growing up in Virginia, Meagan was surrounded by dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, and even horses. She dreams of having a golden retriever one day, alongside her cat, George. If she could choose any superpower, it would be teleportation to easily visit her family back home.

Basil Veterinary Care Coordinator
Our Furworkers




Pea
Treat Inspector
Pea has been in veterinary medicine since she was 8 weeks old! She joined Pets First in August 2023 along with her mom. Her special talents include walking on her hind legs, zoomies, locating snacks, and giving hugs. One day, she hopes to be recognized as the fastest girl in Chicago.
.jpg)

Weasley
Client Control
Weasley was previously unemployed until he moved to Chicago to join Pets First in November 2023. His favorite pastimes are growling at his dad, eating Cheerios, going for stroller rides, and hanging out with Dr. C. He hopes to one day take over the world.

Biscotti
Staff Support
Meet Biscotti, in rotation for the unofficial "Employee of the Month" at our veterinary clinic! This 2-year-old Shih Tzu mix might be small, but he’s got a big personality and an even bigger snaggletooth, thanks to his lovable wonky underbite. He rolls into work a few days a week, demanding cuddles, treats, and attention from everyone in sight. When he’s not busy being the clinic’s number one treat connoisseur, you can catch him zooming down the hallways, chasing his toys like the office’s fastest pup. He’s fuzzy, he’s quirky, and he’s definitely a clinic favorite!