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 (Perry and Manny), 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!

Kimberly has been working as a vet tech and receptionist at MVVH since 2006 and has worked in the veterinary industry since 2000. She feels rewarded by the challenges and really enjoys opportunities to assist our patients and their owners. She loves dogs, but cats will always hold a special place in her heart. She currently has two at home that appreciates a very spoiled life.

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.

Samantha is  a native to the Magic Valley and knew she wanted to help animals from a young age. Following that dream, she graduated from CSI’s Vet Tech program in 2021. In her free time she is  either at home enjoying a good book or hiking with my dogs.

My name is Sarah, I am a kennel assistant at MVVH. I started working in July of 2022 and have very much enjoyed the time I have spent here. In my free time, I enjoy taking my dogs for hikes, spending time with friends and family, going on road trips or traveling, doing art, and designing tattoos. I’ve lived in Twin Falls, Idaho, my entire life and am happy to be a part of such an amazing team.