Esmeralda is a Salinas Valley native who has always had a passion for animal welfare. She attended Central Coast College and earned her veterinary assistant degree before joining the VCA All Pets Salinas team in 2025 as a member of our veterinary assistant team.
At work, Esmeralda loves to help our patients and clients alike: she enjoys performing gentle blood draws for lab samples, placing IV catheters for safe sedation procedures, and educating our clients on how best to care for their furry family members. She pays special attention to patient comfort, giving extra care and time to our patients who may be nervous or scared.
Outside of work, Esmeralda likes going to the gym and walking her dogs Simba (a miniature poodle mix) and Eevee (a cocker spaniel mix). She also likes to travel and spend time with her loved ones. Esmeralda loves flowers and seafood boils, and has a special place in her heart for golden retrievers and spicy Chihuahuas alike. She will also tell you that she finds it much easier to remember pet names than people names!
Esmeralda's favorite parts about working at VCA All Pets Salinas are bonding with different species and breeds of all shapes and sizes, knowing that her work is important and valuable in both simple and challenging cases, and helping our community as a bilingual associate through her translation abilities. Her greatest reward is seeing sick or injured patients make full recoveries and return home to their families.
