Meet the team at Homeward Bound
Debbie McDonald, CVT, Veterinary Technician
Debbie graduated from the Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology outside Denver in Arapahoe County with a degree as a certified veterinary technician in the summer of 1999. She has long been an animal lover of all kinds, but she does have a particular fondness for pigs. Both her and her husband Ricky, a Denver firefighter, sit on the board of directors for Hog Haven Farm, a pot bellied pig sanctuary based out of Deer Trail in eastern Arapahoe County. Their own little farm is home three pigs named Schrodinger, Heisenberg, and Juniper, two box turtles, two African sulcata tortoises, a ball python, and Merlin, a blue and gold macaw. In addition to her little animal family, Debbie is the proud mother of four children, grandmother to twelve children, and great grandmother to one. When not spending time with her children, grandchildren or animals, she enjoys knitting, crocheting, and making vegan cheese and a variety of tasty vegan dishes.
Mistie Pruitt, CVT, Veterinary Technician
Mistie started full time in veterinary medicine as an assistant in her home state of Alabama when she was 18. After ten years honing her skills as an assistant on the job, she moved to Colorado in 2008 to attend the Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology. After graduating in 2010 as a Certified Veterinary Technician she worked at several small animal practices before settling at a mixed animal practice caring for dogs, cats, and exotics. It was there that Mistie got involved with practicing emergency and critical care. She found she had a passion for that aspect of veterinary medicine and is currently studying to get her Veterinary Technician Specialties Certification in Emergency and Critical Care. Mistie started doing relief at Homeward Bound in late 2016 and then joined the team full time in mid-2019. Mistie has a daughter that was born in August of 2014 and is engaged to awesome guy and hoping to be married some time next year. In her almost non-existent free time, she loves horseback riding, reading mystery and fantasy books, and relaxing with family.
Vicki Saxe, CVT, Veterinary Technician
Vicki has been in the Denver area since 2012 when she moved here from NC. Once an archaeologist, she has been a licensed veterinary technician since 2000 and has worked at a number of different facilities including several ERs, small and large animal hospitals, an MRI for pets and the North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She lives in Lakewood with her husband Steve, a goofy Golden Retriever (Riley), a FOMO “Bossie” (aka Border Collie/Aussie) named Skeet, and a 20 year old young-at-heart cat, Crow. On the weekends, Vicki sells her handmade pottery at local Farmer’s Markets and festivals.
Danielle McCarty, Veterinary Assistant and Technician:
Danielle began her journey as a veterinary technician 9 years ago in her native Wisconsin. Her love for the mountains brought her to Colorado in 2015, and her career at Homeward Bound started shortly after. Danielle has always felt a close bond with animals, and is devoted to their care and well-being. She is a passionate advocate for rescues; her two doggy kiddos, Ellie and Dory, were both adopted from shelters in Arkansas. When she's not in the clinic, she can be found hiking, snowboarding and exploring in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Miranda McCarty, Veterinary Assistant
Miranda is a recent transplant from New Orleans, LA. She moved here after completing a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University. After two years as a veterinary assistant, Miranda continues to accrue experience in hopes of returning to school to get a DVM and study Conservation Medicine. In the meantime, you can find her skiing, birdwatching, or hiking with her dog, Lilo. She also spends her free time volunteering at Nature’s Educators, caring for the rehabilitated raptors, reptiles, and rabbits used to educate locals about Colorado’s magnificent wildlife.
LaDeana Perez, Reception
LaDeana is ready to get your pet’s appointment scheduled, make sure your visit is comfortable, and see to it that you receive all the information and services you and your pet need. LaDeana is 100% an animal enthusiast who was raised in Idaho surrounded by cats, dogs, Guinea pigs, and horses. At home LaDeana dotes over Lily, Lacy, Divine, and Fancy, her very special Appaloosa horses. LaDeana’s house is also full with her husband, four children, Sarah, son-in-law Kyle, Christopher, Matthew, and Dakota. She is a proud grandma to boot! Little Pearl recently joined the Perez family and is getting much attention.