Meet The Team

Dr. Preston received her DVM degree from Oklahoma State University in 1991. She worked in a busy, five-doctor small animal practice in San Antonio, Texas for 3 years before moving to Ft. Smith in 1994. Before opening Best Friends Pet Clinic in 1995, she worked as a relief veterinarian and also taught at Westark (now known as UAFS). When she opened Best Friends, she wanted a clinic that served housecalls for both small animals and exotic pets. Due to so many coming to the door, the mostly housecall clinic quickly became an in-clinic pet hospital. Dr. Preston enjoys everything from dogs to koi fish. She enjoys learning more about geriatric care for dogs and cats, and being outdoors. Dr. Preston and her husband have 2 children. In her words, "Being a mother is the most wonderful, but by far, the most difficult thing I have ever done."

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Dawn has been with Best Friends since 2006. When she's not in the clinic, she enjoys spending time with her kids and granddaughters, crafting, reading, and watching the Buffalo Bills games during football season. Along with earning her Undergraduate degree in Veterinary Practice Management in March of 2020 so she could better understand the ins and outs of the business aspect of a clinic, she also became a Pet Loss Bereavement Specialist in August of 2020, with the hope of being able to help pet parents through the grieving process when they lose a pet. Dawn loves all animals, but has a soft spot for the elderly and is interested in geriatric care. She's been known to sit with (and sometimes hand-feed) our boarding guests that may be frightened, anxious, or just missing their people. She has 3 senior dogs and 2 adult cats. 

Dr. Carmen is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. She is originally from Texas but has been living in Arkansas since 2004. She lives in Fort Smith with her husband, four rescue dogs, and six rescue cats. In her free time, Dr. Carmen likes to stay at home under a special homemade quilt and watch television with her husband and pets. They watch a lot of sports, documentaries, and play video games. Dr. Carmen has a special interest in small animal behavior medicine, shelter medicine, and hospice care.  

Julie is our newest addition to Best Friends Pet Clinic. She has been with us since June of 2023. Julie has worked in all aspects of veterinary clinics for more than 20 years. She lives with her husband, five dogs (Gypsy, Chunk, Roy, Gibson, and Geezer), and cat (Jasper). When she is not working she enjoys reading, walking in nature, and caring for her pets.

Bridgette has been with our team at Best Friends for 4 years now. She enjoys spending time with family, especially her 2 granddaughters Dakota and Samantha. She also has several fur babies to keep her busy, entertained, and exhausted.

Laci is the Senior Veterinary Technician at Best Friends. She has been working for the clinic since 2002. She is Fear Free and AAFP certified. Laci assists Dr. Preston in surgery, takes care of hospitalized patients, and helps out with whatever is needed. She enjoys working with all animals but especially cats and senior pets. In her free time she enjoys going to the movies, swimming in the summer, watching football, and playing with her large crew of cats! 

Blake joined Best Friends in August of 2022. She moved here from Texas where she worked in the animal shelters for 10 years. Blake likes spending time with her family and her own fur babies. She also likes to spend time in the mountains, riding trails on her side-by-side with her husband!

​Cierra is a veterinary assistant; she has been working in the field since 2014. She moved from California to Oklahoma in August of 2022 due to a loss in her family. She has an Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology, Associate of Science in Agricultural Business, and an Associate of Science in Animal Science. She is currently working on her schooling to become a Registered Veterinary Technician and her Bachelors of Science Animal Science: Business Production. She joined the team in May 2023. Cierra has a Queensland named Dixie, 3 cats named Salem (black), Dot (calico), and Nugget (seal point). She also has a beta fish named Blue and an American Quarter Horse whose AQHA registered name is Quixote Thunder, but his barn name is George. When she is not at work, Cierra spends time with her boyfriend and his family. She also rides and spends time with her horse. When she is not doing either of these things, she is sleeping or sleeping.

Sarah joined Best Friends in December of 2021. She has a Bachelors degree in chemistry but found her true passion working with animals. Sarah has a sweet spot for rescues after working in shelter medicine for a few years. She enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, kayaking, baking, and crafting. Her family consists of her fiancé and their 2 dogs - a mini Aussie and a rescue mix. 

Erin joined Best Friends in late June of 2021. She works in the kennels and loves befriending all of the boarding pets that come through. Her childhood dream was to become a veterinarian, and she's very excited to be working at Best Friends. Erin has two dogs and enjoys spending her off time reading, playing video games, and drawing.

Lindsay has been in the veterinary field for 8 years. She started in California as a CVA and is currently working on her RVT. She has been with us at Best Friends Pet Clinic since 2021. In her free time, she spends her time with her family. She has two kids, one dog (Kobi), and two cats (Dill and Pickles). 

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​Linda Ronstadt attended West Point Military Academy in early 2020 and went into administrative duties. She maintains our inventory and quality control (she knows if even a single Q-Tip is missing or if any treat containers are low). If you have any concerns about how the clinic operates or need any specific supplies, she's your girl. Linda is Gideon's first wife, but she is also in a casual relationship with Jamarcus.

Gideon specializes in marine biology and you will always find him studying water quality and marine life. He graduated from the University of Miami in 2019. Before joining us, he lifeguarded at Creekmore Park Pools. He does dabble in polygamy and is currently married to both Linda Ronstadt (the cat) and Trinity.

Gus was originally hired as our financial manager, but after serving time for gang fights, he returned to us as a client/clinic relations manager and local bouncer. If you ask him nicely, he will show you his ankle monitor.

Most of you may not know Jamarcus. He is a recovering agoraphobic and spends most of his time with Dawn in her office. He earns his keep by double checking the accounts and gathering his nerve to make quick runs out of the office and down the hall. He leads a happily single life but does enjoy visits from Linda Ronstadt a few times a week.

Trinity is head of security at Best Friends Pet Clinic. She trained in law enforcement and we feel very honored that she accepted the job position with us. Her hobbies include chasing springs and plucking feathers. She is now happily married to Gideon and spends most of her time being groomed by him when she isn't busy enforcing martial law with the birds or chasing down a wayward spring.

Biggie Smalls, a.k.a Notorious B.I.G is our oldest employed cat here at Best Friends. He is a radiology technician and received his training on the job. He is in charge of keeping the x-ray table warm between patients and making sure the clean laundry is folded with a few cat hairs. He was born into royalty and he never lets us forget it.

Fern is our newest resident feline member at Best Friends. She came to us after her last and almost fatal fire, Christmas of 2022. She has a long history of arson and has the scars to prove it. She is currently working on anger issues she has with the other cat residents. To help her work through this, she is in charge of the complaint department. Most all of the complaints against her are truly not her fault. But, be warned, if she tempts you to pet her belly, it's a trap. Her extra curricular activities include being president of BITE-OTB Club (Beauty is In The Eye Of The Beholder Club).