Dr Matt Schmitt:

Dr. Schmitt has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Reno/Sparks area since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Medicine in Philadelphia in 2001. As the sole owner, he opened South Reno Veterinary Hospital in August 2004 in an area that was at that time underserved.

In seventh grade he knew that he wanted to be a veterinarian and attended a vocational agriculture high school and joined the Future Farmers of America. Due to other circumstances, he accepted a U.S. Congressional appointment to the United States Merchant Marine Academy where he earned a BS in Marine Transportation. As part of the curriculum he traveled throughout the world on merchant ships as a ship's officer in training. After graduating he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Coast Guard, He spent time in Kodiak, Alaska as a department head in charge of 30 people, as a navigator, federal law enforcement officer and tending to multiple collateral duties aboard a 213 foot cutter. Normally a two year tour, it was cut short, and he was selected as the executive officer (second in command) of a U.S. coast Guard cutter in Gloucester , Massachusetts where he spent over two years. His final tour was spent as a watch officer at Vessel Traffic Service (air-traffic control on the water), and he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on Governors Island in New York City. A calling for veterinary medicine remained with him, and he began work with a veterinarian who also had a contract with the Staten Island Zoo.

In an accelerated two years, he completed the prerequisites for veterinary school at the University of Nevada Reno and was accepted to Penn. In addition to several years of working as a veterinary assistant in high school and also later in life, he volunteered with a veterinary group offering free veterinary services to Native American reservations and in foreign countries. He spent a part of several summers on Sioux reservations in North Dakota and in Guatemala vaccinating, spaying and neutering cats and dogs, and also castrating and caring for horses, some of them wild and unbroken.

Dr. Schmitt has been a Big Brother three times and has volunteered with several organizations including Catholic youth groups, feeding the homeless, and recently collecting and shipping “gently worn” shoes to children in Iraq and Afghanistan . He is also the Assistant Cubmaster for Pack 14. He is an avid downhill skier, spins regularly and enjoys military history. At the end of the day he looks forward to eating dinner with and spending time with his wife and kids.

Dr. Schmitt is married to the former Stephanie St. Jeor of Reno . They have for children: Nathan, Alyssa, Maximilian, and Spencer. They own a female St. Bernard named Ketchum, a family consensus that took several days.

Kellie Guzman:

Kellie is a Licensed Veterinary Technician and a third generation native Nevadan. She earned her BS in biology with concentrations in zoology and marine biology from California State University Stanislaus in 2005. After returning to Reno she decided to pursue her long term dream of joining the veterinary field. She graduated from the TMCC Veterinary Technician program in May of 2007 and is now a licensed veterinary technician. In her spare time she volunteers at the Sierra Safari Zoo caring for the animals and helping with programs dealing with education and awareness. In the future she hopes to travel to Africa to help with conservation and animal rehabilitation. She enjoys any kind of crafting, swimming, hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and watching movies with friends. Her furry friends include a Dalmatian, Rose, and five cats: Ume , Gwen, Julius, Laverne, and Shirley; a turtle named Jelly Belly; and Baby Bear, hamster.