Raj Singh, DVM, MS, DABVP

Medical Director + Veterinarian

Dr. Raj Singh was born in Chicago and grew up in Indiana, where he attended Purdue University. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1986, his veterinary degree in 1990, and then continued his training for another year, completing a master’s degree in animal physiology in 1991. He then moved to California and has worked at several Bay Area animal hospitals. In 2002, he attained his career-long dream of owning his own veterinary practice when he and his wife Melissa purchased Sunnyvale Veterinary Clinic. In 2013, he achieved another long-term career goal by becoming board-certified in Canine and Feline Practice after an extensive application and examination process through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

Dr. Singh is a board-certified specialist in canine and feline practice. He also works (as a general practitioner) with rabbits, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

Dr. Singh enjoys being active in the local veterinary community. He is a Past President of the Santa Clara Valley Veterinary Medical Association and was also on the advisory committee for the San Jose Animal Care center while they planned their expansion. He has given presentations at several local schools to educate young people about the veterinary profession.

Dr. Singh lives in San Jose, and when he is not busy at the clinic or with his volunteer work, he enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and their two daughters, running with their two dogs Lacey and Howie, or relaxing with their three cats Lily, Teddy and Zara. He also enjoys cycling with San Jose Bicycle Club, competing in triathlons, mountain biking, and swimming.

Christine M. Hanney, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Christine Hanney treats cats exclusively.  She is a Bay Area native, and a veteran of the US Army. As an army helicopter mechanic, she was stationed in Ansbach Germany, and was deployed to Desert Shield/Desert Storm for five months.  After her military service, she attended George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, and then went on to earn her veterinary degree from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in 2002.

After graduating from veterinary school, she returned to the Bay Area and worked at a cat-only hospital for fourteen years. She decided to make the move to Sunnyvale Veterinary Clinic when our Cat Clinic opened in 2016.

She is married and is the proud servant to four cats at home: Knuckles, Skipper, Sherman and Olivia. She enjoys reading, hiking, scuba diving, and traveling. Her favorite adventure was a two-week safari to Kenya and Tanzania.

Dr. Hanney sees cats exclusively, at our Cat Clinic location, an AAFP Certified Feline Friendly Practice.

Why did Dr. Hanney become a veterinarian?

“I was recently asked, “Why did you become a veterinarian?” I had to pause and think about it for a moment.  It has been 19 years since I started Vet School, and it is sometimes hard to remember a time when I was not doing this job that I love.  I remembered though.

When I was in second grade we had a career day.  When they asked us to draw a picture of what we wanted to be when we grew up, other kids drew astronauts and police officers and ballerinas.  I drew a picture of me taking care of cats.  I wonder now if I even knew that there was really a job where you got to do that all the time.

By the time I finished high school, I had forgotten about that dream, but I still love cats! My cat Teqi had gotten me through much of my teenage angst by being a tiny shoulder to cry on.  I joined the Army right out of high school and traveled and learned amazing things like how to jump out of an airplane and how to fix a helicopter.  I spent a tour in a far-away desert in 1991 and helped liberate a country.  After the Army, I knew what I did not want to do for a career, but was still not sure what I wanted to do.

I attended George Mason University in Virginia for my undergraduate studies and started out as a geology major.  I loved how the land shows the history of a place, and thought that maybe that was my path.  And of course, I still loved cats.  I had adopted two while stationed in Germany and they got out of the Army with me.

After about a year in college, I realized that I still had not figured out what I had a passion for, what I really wanted to do “when I grew up”.  One day I was talking to my mom and told her about how I felt.  She said that she always wondered why I did not become a feline veterinarian, as that had always been my dream growing up.  She laughed and said, “Wait here for a minute.”  When she returned, she had that old drawing from 2nd grade.  She had saved it!

I realized then that I had always thought that being a doctor was something that other people did.  I had lost that absolute belief that one has when they are a kid, that I could be anything I wanted to be.  I spent some time thinking about what I loved and felt passionate about.  My dream was still there – I had just lost track of it.  I switched my major the next year and ended up the feline veterinarian in that picture from 1977.  I have loved my job every day since I first started.  Well, almost every day… And I still LOVE cats!

Cynthia Huang, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Huang was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. She earned her DVM degree from the University of California Davis in 2015. She then completed a one-year rotating internship at a specialty hospital in Ventura, California that focused on critical care and emergency practice. In 2016, Dr. Huang moved to the bay area and started working at a busy small animal practice in Santa Clara. She joined us at SVC in November 2017.

Dr. Huang enjoys educating owners about preventative medicine, dentistry, routine surgery and managing chronic cases.

​Dr. Huang is a yoga enthusiast, and she likes to travel, cook, sing and is currently learning to play the ukulele. She also enjoys hiking and exploring national parks and the California redwoods with her husband and her Labrador mix dog.

Why did Dr. Huang become a veterinarian?

“I have always had a special interest and connection with animals, even before I decided to work with animals. My father is also a veterinarian, in Taiwan, mainly working with livestock. I loved listening to him telling me stories and explaining the physiology to me. This is what inspired me to become a veterinarian.

I love seeing the human-animal bond – between the pet and the owners, between the family members, and between multiple cross-species pets. I am so happy to be able to not only provide medical services but also become a part of this bond where so much trust is involved.  Even after working in the field for a few years, I am still learning new and interesting things every day from each patient I see.”

Andrea Sherman, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Andrea Sherman grew up in the Bay Area and attended the University of California, San Diego for her undergraduate degree. She went on to attend Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and completed her clinical training at the University of Minnesota.  After graduating in 2017, she moved to Southern California to work at a busy small animal practice.

Dr. Sherman and her family recently came back to the Bay Area to join the Sunnyvale Veterinary Clinic team.  At SVC, Dr. Sherman will further explore her areas of special interest including exotic animal medicine, surgery, and internal medicine.

Outside of work, Dr. Sherman loves spending time with friends and family, whether it’s outdoors going hiking and swimming, or indoors reading and playing board games. She especially enjoys quality time with her husband Alan, daughter Emmi, and lab mix Pippin.

Why Dr. Sherman became a veterinarian:

“When I was a kid, I loved listening to James Herriot audiobooks with my parents. Hearing these stories of how veterinarians connected with animals and eased their pain warmed my heart and ignited a passion for veterinary medicine.

Over the years I have had the joy of caring for a wide variety of species, and some of my favorite experiences were when I had the opportunity to work with wild and endangered animals at zoo and wildlife rehabilitation hospitals. Getting to play my own small part in improving these special animals’ lives was amazing. These experiences have created a special place in my heart for exotic species.”

Julie Hermansen, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Julie Hermansen was born and raised in Oroville, CA.  She graduated from CSU, Chico with a BS in Biology.  She then went to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.  While at UC Davis, she was active in the Feline Medicine Club and was club president during her third year.  Upon graduation, she was awarded the American Association of Feline Practitioners senior student award.

She has been a feline veterinarian for 15 years.  After graduation, she worked for a short time at a feline practice in Southern California and then moved to Seattle where she worked at the Cat Clinic of Seattle for nearly 4 years. In 2010 she returned to California where she worked at a feline practice in the Bay Area for over ten years.  She joined the Cat Clinic at Sunnyvale Veterinary Clinic in September of 2020.

She is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

In 2018, she earned the Advanced Certificate in Feline Behavior from the International Society of Feline Medicine. Her interest in cat medicine goes beyond domestic cats.  She volunteers for the Cheetah Conservation Fund with their project in Somaliland involving cheetah cubs rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, and she is honored to play a small part in saving this endangered subspecies and the world’s fastest land animal.  Further, she enjoys seeing and photographing wild cats in their natural habitats and has traveled to Tanzania to see lions, leopards, and cheetahs, and to Brazil’s Pantanal to see jaguars. Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys running, travel, and restoring her yard in her native habitat.

Why did Dr. Hermansen become a veterinarian?

“My earliest childhood memory is when I got my first cat.  I was barely 3 years old and my parents let my sister and me each pick out a kitten.  We thought this was the greatest thing ever and constantly played with our new friends.  When I was around 4 years old, I told my Mom that ‘”hen I grow up I’m going to be a kitty doctor.”  My Mom loves telling this story, especially since after many years I realized this childhood dream.”

Allison Coyle, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Coyle completed her undergraduate degree at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. She grew up in Concord in the East Bay Area, and couldn’t be more excited to be back in the Bay and joining the SVC team! She has a special interest in internal medicine and feline practice and is Fear Free certified. When she isn’t at the clinic, Dr. Coyle enjoys skiing, horseback riding, landscape and wildlife photography, and hanging out with her cat, Rosie, and her dog, Trinity. She also loves to travel and spent two summers in Africa doing One Health and conservation genetics research.

Why did Dr. Coyle become a veterinarian?

“A deep love of animals from a young age drew me to veterinary medicine. As a child, I shed tears over dead squirrels in the road who had hit by cars and spent many afternoons poring over encyclopedias of cat, dog, and horse breeds and colors. My passion for animals never waned, and it has been my life goal from seven years old to become a veterinarian.

I have found this career to be more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. Being a veterinarian is both intellectually and emotionally rewarding. I enjoy the variety of cases that come through each day, from the puzzle of diagnostically challenging cases to a new puppy or kitten appointments to urgent and critical care cases. Having the opportunity to help animals and their humans make every day satisfying.”

Amanda Thaler, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Amanda Thaler was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and grew up moving around every few years in a military family before calling Omaha, Nebraska home. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with bachelors’ degrees in animal science and veterinary science in 2012. She then attended Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee to earn a master’s degree in 2016. She earned her veterinary degree in 2020 from Iowa State University. Interests include surgery, dentistry, and dermatology.

After getting married in August 2020, she and her husband and 2 corgis moved to the Bay Area. Outside of work Dr. Thaler enjoys hiking, horseback riding, running, rock climbing, drawing; and spending time with her husband, Aaron; and corgis, Pippa and Elsie.

Why did Dr. Thaler become a veterinarian?

“I’ve always had a passion for animals, and wanted to become a veterinarian since I was in the second grade. We’ve had a variety of pets growing up including: cats, a hamster, goldfish, horse, dogs, and a rabbit. Over time that passion grew and developed from learning the biology and science about animals to helping owners and their pets. I love talking to people about their pets; the human-animal bond is truly amazing. In addition, there is always something new to learn in veterinary medicine. So I’m excited to see where this career takes me.”

Katrina Larkin, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Katrina Larkin was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She then moved to sunny California, graduating from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021.

Dr. Larkin has a special interest in dermatology, internal medicine, and preventative care. She is committed to developing transparent and patient-focused partnerships with her clients. She prioritizes both her patient’s physical and emotional wellbeing with the goal of empowering clients to make informed decisions that align with their individual circumstances and goals. She is an Elite Fear Free professional.

Outside of work, Dr. Larkin loves staying busy by hiking California’s beautiful trails, cooking and baking, traveling to visit friends, and taking care of her far too numerous houseplants. She also has a brown tabby named Cooper, who loves long road trips and stealing food. She can’t wait to get to know you and your furry family members!

Robert

Practice Manager

Kailyn, RVT

Lead Registered Vet Technician

Anthony, RVT

Registered Veterinary Technician

Terri, RVT

Registered Veterinary Technician

Nanami, RVT

Registered Veterinary Technician

Alma, RVT

Registered Veterinary Technician

Shawna

Veterinary Assistant

Bryan

Veterinary Assistant

Eneida

Veterinary Assistant

Michelle

Veterinary Assistant

Jessica

Veterinary Assistant

Alisa

Veterinary Assistant

Doreen

Veterinary Assistant

Monica

Veterinary Assistant

Brynne

Veterinary Assistant

Jenna

Veterinary Assistant

Rumiko

Veterinary Assistant

Celeste

Veterinary Assistant

Amanda

Veterinary Assistant

Ana

Receptionist

Krislyn

Receptionist

Natalie

Receptionist