Darlene began her veterinary career in 1986 at a hospital in Alvin where she started as a technician and then advanced to hospital manager. In 2000, she joined VCA Animal Emergency Hospital as the overnight veterinary assistant. Darlene is our lead trainer. She holds several certificates in Dentistry, Nutrition, Laboratory, Pharmacology and her most recent certification is in CPR: Basic Life Support from the College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. Darlene has received 2 VCA Recognition Awards. She has two cats, a tortoise named Kizzy, and two dogs. Darlene's specialty is handling aggressive animals (we call her the cat/dog whisperer). She also enjoys assisting in the birthing process. Darlene has more than 20 years of emergency medicine experience.