Our Hospital Veterinary Team

Dr. Connie Rippel knew she wanted to be a veterinarian from a very early age.  In kindergarten, she drew a picture (stick figure of course) of what she wanted to be when she grew up and it was a veterinarian.  As a kid she worked as a kennel person for a local veterinarian as well as at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas where she grew up.

She went to the University of Wyoming for her undergraduate studies and then back to Kansas State University where she graduated from veterinary school in 1988.  She moved to Twin Falls right out of college and worked at Green Cross Veterinary Hospital before opening up Magic Valley Veterinary Hospital in 1992.  She loves having the opportunity to see so many different pets and people.  She has been seeing some of her clients for over 30 years now and has watched some of them grow up since their parents are also clients.  It really does feel like we are all part of a big family.

In her free time she loves going on walks with her dogs as well as spending time taking care of her lawn and gardens.  Backpacking and hiking with her spouse and dog is a passion, but she laughingly admits that the backpacking trips have less altitude gain and are shorter than they used to be .  Much of her free time is spent with family and with her many nieces and nephews.

Michelle is a licensed veterinary technician. She started working for Magic Valley Veterinary Hospital in 1995 as a kennel assistant and found she enjoyed working in the veterinary hospital surrounded by animals and science. She graduated at the top of her class from the College of Southern Idaho Veterinary Technology Program as a member of the very first graduating class. She is an active advocate for the Vet Tech profession. She helped form the Idaho State Veterinary Technician & Assistant Association while in school and, after graduation, started the ISVTA Magic Valley Chapter and held the presidency for several years. Michelle is passionate about teaching and stays involved with the upcoming vet techs by sitting on the Advisory Board for CSI Vet Tech Program. When interns pass through the clinic, she enjoys helping them learn and sharing her love for their chosen career. You can always tell when she is working because she is generally chatting and singing whichever song suddenly pops into her head.

Michelle is married and has 2 grown children. Her favorite past time away from work includes being out in the sun fishing ( both locally & ocean), walking her beloved golden retrievers (Ole & Perry), chasing her gangster of a little dog (Capone, a chihuahua), spending time with her family, and going on Harley adventures with her husband, Darrin.

Of course, she is always hoping for world peace!

She loves reading, downhill skiing, camping, and traveling to see her family.

Originally from Washington, Mariah moved to the Twin Falls area in 2004. She graduated from the Vet Tech program at CSI in 2017 but has worked at Magic Valley Vet since 2016. She currently lives in Jerome with her boyfriend, four cats, a dog, a snake, and several saltwater fish. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, wood burning, working on home improvement projects, and taking her cat for walks.

Angela is a licensed veterinary technician. She had dreamed of becoming one since kindergarten and is so proud to be the first in her family to graduate college at the College of Southern Idaho. She will continue her education at the University of Idaho to better understand animal behavior and nutrition. She will be returning to Magic Valley Veterinary Hospital after completing her education. In Angela’s spare time, she loves spending time with her family, shopping, and taking long road trips.

Alicia has worked in the veterinary field since 2018. Born and raised in East Idaho, she loves the outdoors, especially horseback riding. Aside from being very passionate about the veterinary field, Alicia is also a mother and wife. She loves spending time with her husband and 2 children, as well as her animals, 2 dogs and 1 cat. Alicia prides herself on treating every animal she comes into contact with as her own.

Joshua recently moved to Twin Falls, Idaho to study Veterinary Technology at the Collge of Southern Idaho. He has been with Magic Valley Veterinary Hospital since October 2022.

My name is Avery. I am currently a second-year student in the CSI Veterinary Technology Program. I will soon be done with school and taking my boards to become a certified technician. I’m originally from Nampa, ID, and recently moved to Twin Falls for school. I started working at MVVH during my first externship in the summer, and really enjoyed it and wanted to stay. I have a dog and a cat of my own that are very spoiled. In my spare time, I like to pursue my other passion for photography.

Bio coming soon!