About

Dr. Susan O’Brien followed her life-long aspirations of becoming a veterinarian.

She graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2010 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. She is a 2006 graduate of Sweet Briar College in Virginia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. 

 In her final year of veterinary school, Dr. O’Brien completed a rotation in a rural Peruvian village treating dogs, cats, donkeys and horses. It started a drive to continue philanthropic efforts and volunteerism throughout her career. 

 Following veterinary school, Dr. O’Brien completed a year-long extensive internship at a mixed animal practice in her native Ohio. She stayed on as an associate veterinarian at this practice for two years once she completed the internship in July of 2011. A lot of her focus during this time was general medicine and emergency care of horses, dogs and cats. She made the move to Colorado and began working at a small animal veterinary clinic while she developed her business. 

 Her inspiration behind Colorado On-Site Veterinary Services was to provide enhanced preventative care of dental maintenance, vaccination protocols, strategic deworming as well as nutritional guidance to maintain optimal health. She pursued several advanced certifications in the modalities of acupuncture, chiropractic care and laser therapy in order to offer a full array of services to her patients. Dr. O’Brien is certified in veterinary acupuncture by Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians. She is certified in chiropractic care by the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association and the Options for Animals College of Veterinary Chiropractic. 

 In her free time, you’ll find her riding, hiking, fishing and enjoying the great state of Colorado with her husband Kenny and daughter Violet. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a haflinger and two quarter horses and a host of ducks and chickens.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Phoebe moved to Colorado in 2014.

After moving around the state from Durango to Denver, she found herself in the Valley to complete a degree in Veterinary Technology at Colorado Mountain College graduating in May of 2021. With a background in small animals, she quickly discovered her passion for animals of all sizes and species, which is how she found herself at On-Site Veterinary. Phoebe is a fur-mom to two dogs Biggie and Archie. In her free time, you'll find her working towards her goal of summiting all of Colorado's 58 14ers, rock climbing, and running various trails training for her next big race.

Karely was born and raised in Colorado.

She has grown up around horses, dogs and other farm animals. After graduating, she wanted to find a job that would suit all of her interests and that is how she found On-Site Veterinary. Karely loves helping others, being able to work around animals and provide our team any help that they need. In her free time she loves to do anything involving nature or traveling. She also values quality time with her family and friends.

Lacey is a Colorado native.

She has grown up in Gypsum/Eagle area. She is a 2024 graduate of Colorado Mountain College's Veterinary Technician program, she will work towards being credentialed by this fall. Working along side her family raising cattle, who are also pets, and spending her free time riding in the mountains with her mule, or at home with her cats and dogs.

Lauren has lived in the Gypsum/Eagle area her entire life.

She grew up on her family's cattle ranch, which truly sparked her love for animals. Inspired by her sister Lacey, she hopes to deepen her knowledge of the veterinary field while caring for On-Site Vet patients in her current role as an assistant. Her hobbies include escaping to the mountains with her mule Turtle and spending time with her cows, cats, and dog Stella. She is looking forward to gaining more experience here at On-Site Vet and is excited for the adventures to come!

Dr. Steve comes to us from Ocala/Marion County, Florida, The Horse Capital of the World.

Here he solo practiced for over four decades. He worked a predominantly thoroughbred broodmare practice evolving into a multifaceted practice with the addition of exotics and student doctor clerkships from University of Florida. For over twenty years, he earned the moniker of FatherDoctorMister Murphy with his service to Sunshine Region Pony Club. He was a designated Dad to Pony Clubbers at rallies, Doctor to his patients, and a liaison to parents. He then made the move to Colorado with his high school sweetheart Teresa to be near their daughter, an equine veterinary surgeon. Along came homebred thoroughbred Booker, two miniature ponies, two German Shorthaired dogs, two cats, and an African Grey named Westly.

After completing her schooling at Colorado State University, Dr. Schmidt has made the Western Slope her home.

She is a strong supporter of the human-animal bond and believes in an individualized approach for each family. She has a passion for surgery and geriatric care. She also enjoys treating small mammals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rats. 

 Dr. Schmidt spends her free time going on adventures with her family. In the summer you can find her hiking up a mountain or floating down the river and in the winter she'll be snowshoeing or out on the slopes. They have two gray kitties that make their house a home and two dogs that are up for all the adventures.

Trudy is our current clinic cat.

Trudy rose in the office ranks quickly and now takes the role of Director of this production very seriously. She excels at delegating much of the work to Frannie, who frequently goes upstairs and reports back on the people and animals who come through while Trudy completes the much more important business of napping in the basement. Trudy’s real passion, when awake, is staring down anyone nearby until they give her some love and attention.

Frannie is our current clinic cat.

Coming off a very successful career of normal house cat activities, Frannie continues to stun in her current role as Cat Who Will Often Be Found Napping At The Front Desk. It is hard to predict when she will be found performing and despite numerous negotiations with her agent, this continues to be the case. Nevertheless, the On-Site hospital is lucky to have her as an artist in residence for the foreseeable future; her only fee is a carefully calculated caloric intake.

Gayle was our 18-year-old clinic cat.

She was the original clinic cat at On-Site Veterinary. She was adopted from a local shelter as a senior cat and lived her best life at the clinic. She was diagnosed with kidney disease while in our care. The disease quickly progressed and we made the painful decision to let her cross the rainbow bridge. May Gayle rest in peace and may her legacy live on!