Our Staff

Doctor

Ken Sawyer , Owner

Dr. Sawyer graduated from the U.C. Davis College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, and has been in general practice (mostly in the South Bay Area) since then. He is a native of San Jose, having graduated from Del Mar High in 1984. Ken enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine especially dentistry, surgery, pain control, and internal medicine. He shares his life with his wife, also a veterinarian, two 3-legged cats (Carl Todd and Muggins), a cerebellar hypoplasia cat named Lippy, a Pit Bull named Smokey (yes, he is friendly and gets along with the cats, other dogs, and children very well) and a Boxer named Tyler. He enjoys playing volleyball and golf, coaching volleyball, mentoring students, gardening, and hiking with his wife and dogs in his spare time. He is also very active in the Sunnyvale community, belonging to Kiwanis, Rotary and Chamber of Commerce. He is also on the Sunnyvale Howl'oween Pet Parade Committee.

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Dr. Karen Lee, Associate Veterinarian

We are proud to annouce the addition of Dr. Karen Lee to our staff! Dr. Lee will be working with us full time. She completed her undergraduate degree at San Francisco State University and attended vet school at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Lee is a Sunnyvale native and is very excited about practicing medicine in her hometown! She enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, particularly preventative medicine, nutrition, and dentistry. She is owned by an adorable Dachshund mix named Ipo, (which means "sweetheart" in Hawaiian) and also has a Cockatiel, Ashton. When Dr. Lee is not working, she spends as much time as possible with her family, friends, and boyfriend, Ed. She also enjoys traveling, especially to Hawaii, reading novels, and craft projects, especially scrapbooking.

Management

Elizabeth Layson

Updated 5/09
Elizabeth came to us from a pet career background. She has worked for Carolyn's Pet Grooming, Reliable Pet Care, and volunteered for a local rescue group. She loves the fast pace of the Bay Area and loves to spend time in the city. Elizabeth and her husband enjoy traveling and spending time at the ocean. She also loves Thai and Mongolian food and the San Jose Sharks! They have a Chihuahua named Acapulco and two sweet (but slightly naughty) kitties, Emmett and Lilah. Elizabeth has been with us since April of 2007 and really loves the clients (and patients!) at the clinic. If you have feedback from an experience or need assistance, please let her know. She is always willing to find a solution for you if one exists!

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Veterinary Technicians

Stephanie Lemmon

Updated 5/09
Stephanie has been with us since February 2007. She has finished her schooling at Western Career College in the veterinary technician program and is now awaiting the national and state board exams before becoming a licensed veterinary technician. She is now with us full time! She loves animals and has an interest in behavior and emergency medicine. Her son, Dillon, is now 3 years old and keeps her very busy! She also shares her life with her kitty, Juneau.

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Sandra Gay

Updated 5/09
Sandra came to us in August of 2008 from the Auburn area. She has been working in veterinary clinics for 16 years, and worked at a clinic in Auburn for the last 10 before joining our staff. Sandra is great with our clients and patients and we're fortunate to have her on our team! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her kids, cooking, gardening, hiking, and camping. She has several pets: an American Bulldog named Dozer, a Chihuahua named Pepe, a Lhasa Apso mix named Buddy, and 3 cats.
Eugene Butler

Eugene is a recent graduate of Western Career College Veterinary Technician School. He is looking forward to taking the boards at the end of this year. We really enjoy having him with us as he is quick to learn and laugh, which is great here at MAPC.
Celeste Hay

Celeste is currently in the veterinary technician program at Western Career College. She will be graduating in June, 2010, at which point we really hope she will join us full-time. She is our Saturday technician assistant and does a great job helping us out and working well with our clients and patients.
Marco Carrillo

Update 9/09
Marco recently joined our staff after finishing the vet tech program at Western Career. He is a great addition to our clinic and plans to take the state boards in the next several months. Please feel free to introduce yourself to him as he learns the names of our clients and patients!

Reception

Lisa Dooley

Updated 5/09
Lisa is a warm, caring member of our staff who goes out of her way to ensure you are greeted with a smile and leave feeling good about your visit. She has been with us since May of 2007. Lisa and her fiance enjoy watching movies, working on their yard, and entertaining friends. Lisa also ejoys crocheting, reading, going to flea markets, and the SF Giants! Lisa is owned by a beautiful, lovable, and very sweet Siamese cat that she named Stella. She is the love of Lisa's life, much to the chagrine of her fiance (who secretly loves Stella as well).

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Kennel

Melvin Vegas

Updated 1/08
Melvin is our Jack-of-all-trades here at MAPC. He has been keeping Murphy Avenue Pet Clinic looking nice for almost a decade! Whatever we need, be it fixed, tightened, clipped, swept, washed, restrained, or cleaned, Melvin is always there. During his spare time, he enjoys being with his children and watching movies. During basketball and football season, he can be found in front of the television watching the Lakers and the Cowboys.

The picture is not of Melvin, but of Skylar. Unfortunately, Melvin is camera shy and wishes not to be photographed. (Even after much verbal harassing by the staff) :)

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Assistants

Alyssa Jackson

When Alyssa was 14, she wanted to work with us. We asked her to wait until she was 16, and if she was still interested in veterinary medicine at that time, then we would give her a job. She came back and has done a great job since then. She started out doing kennel and room cleaning, and now she is doing technician assistant duties. She is going to Santa Clara H.S. and plays on the softball team.
Emily Romanko

Emily is with us part-time and wishes to become a veterinarian for a career. She is currently going to Homestead H.S. She started as a volunteer in 2008. She did such a good job helping us out that we hired her. She comes in when she isn't going to school and doing homework.
Shadow

Shadow is the handsome hospital cat who joined us in 2005 at a weight of 32 pounds! After being on Hills' M/D cat food for a couple of years, he is finally 14 pounds--slim, active, and very mischievous. Feel free to try to say hello to him--he may or may not acknowledge your presence!

Tyler

Tyler was added to the staff family in January of 2007 after Dr. Sawyer's wife brought him home because a client of hers could not care for him anymore. He came to us un-neutered with 2 mast cell tumors, bladder and urethral stones, no training, and a ruptured right cruciate knee ligament. We have fixed everything except the training, which is an ongoing process. He is very sweet and makes a fabulous "older brother" for Smokey!

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Smokey

Smokey is our new office puppy! He is all too ready to lick (and unfortunately, leap on) our visitors. He is a beautiful brindle and white Pit Bull who is really friendly, and makes a great partner for Tyler. If you have ever wanted to meet a friendly Pit, please ask to meet him. He will change your opinions of the breed! Unfortunately, he likes to bark at "intruders" passing by our fence. If he says "hi" this way, just ignore him and continue on your way.

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Interns and Externs

Yoojin Kim

Update 2/09
Yoojin graduated from Konkuk University of Veterinary Medicine in South Korea and also passed the Korean national board exams. She is currently doing an externship at our clinic, so you will see her tagging along with Dr. Sawyer during his appointments! She has a natural affinity with animals--all of our furry patients seem to love her! Outside of work, Yoojin enjoys photography, music, and traveling.

MURPHY AVENUE PET CLINIC

Our Staff