Our Staff

• K. Benet Sandell , D.V.M.

  
  

  I graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992 and started my veterinary career here at Hill Country Veterinary Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Alton Smith.  I purchased the practice in January of 2000.  It has been my pleasure and privilege to continue in Dr. Smith's footsteps by providing quality veterinary care to all the families that have been faithful and loyal clients of this practice for so many years.  It is this very trait that drew me to this practice, the family oriented atmosphere and the personable staff.  I feel these qualities are what make this practice special and unique. I have had a passion for this field since I was five years of age, and I continue to enjoy all the different aspects presented to me in the practice of veterinary medicine.  My interests lie strongly in the field of surgery, both soft tissue and orthopedic, but I am constantly challenged and intrigued by my internal medicine cases.  I continue to strive to improve both my knowledge and skills so that I might always provide the best service to my clients and their loved ones. I am supported at home by my husband, Dean and my son, Zachary.  When not working, I am usually spending time with family and that time usually involves some type of water activity.  Swimming, skiing, boating or just hanging out at the lake, is what my family lives to do.  I have always had a love for Sight hounds and currently our house is blessed by two rambunctious Whippets, Jake and Zoe.

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• Monica Silvers , DVM

  
  I grew up in Miami Beach, Florida and received my BS in mathematics from University of Miami.  I went on to have a career as a software engineer/systems analyst for a major motion picture company in  Burbank, California, but my true calling "kept calling".  I returned to veterinary school at University of Florida 10 years later and received my D.V.M. in 1999.  I then moved to Pennsylvania and practiced both large and small animal medicine, which had always been my dream.  I returned to Southern California and practiced small animal medicine there until 2006, when I moved to Austin.  I love Austin, as everything I love to do I can do right here:  kayaking, gardening, reading, live music, horseback riding, hiking, shooting and camping.  At work, I particularly enjoy challenging medicine cases, dermatology, feline medicine, neurology and treating geriatric patients.  There is so much we can now do to extend both the quality and quantity of our pets' lives, and I look forward to helping people keep their pets happy and healthy well into their golden years.  I am very excited to join Dr. Sandell in a full time capacity, as I have worked with her part time for a year and a half, and really enjoy workng with both her and her staff. I admire Dr. Sandell's work ethic and never-ending energy, and Dr. Sandell and I share the philosophy of striving to provide progressive, compassionate care to pets and their humans!  I live in weird, South Austin with my two rescue pets:  a boxer, mastiff mix named Monkey and a setter mix named Ruby.

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• Lauren King , Head Technician Morning

  
  

  I was raised in Asheboro, North Carolina and have been living in Texas since 2005.  An avid animal lover from a young age, I have always wanted to work in the field of veterinary medicine.  Before finding a permanent home with HCVH in July of 2007, I had worked as an adoption counselor for the Humane Society and volunteered with both the SPCA of Manhattan and the NC Zoo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. I love working in the veterinary field because it is always evolving.  Each day presents a different challenge and the opportunity to increase, expand, and build upon the knowledge and training from the previous day.  There is nothing more rewarding or satisfying than being able to play a part in helping an animal.  My own personal pets include 2 dogs, 2 cats and a dwarf rabbit.  When not at work, I enjoy relaxing with my critters, going to the theater, reading and traveling.

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• Kelly Cauthern , Head Technician Afternoon

  
  

  I have been a veterinary technician for almost three years and have worked at HCVH for about 2 years.  This job is enjoyable to me because I like to work with animals.  I also like the fact that every day is different.  You never know who or what may come in next.  It is important to establish a bond with both the pet and the owner, in order to provide the best possible medical care and compassion. In my personal time I like to hang out with my friends and family.  I like playing and watching sports, such as basketball and football.  I also like to spend time with my dog, Abby and my cat, Deion.

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• Christine Davis

  
  

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• Lisa Ramos , Morning Receptionist

  
  

  My name is Lisa Ramos and I have worked in the veterinary field for about two years now.  I am married to my best friend David and we have a wonderful son, Daniel that keeps us busy and loving life.  We share our home with our three furry friends, Buddy, our mixed breed rescue pup, Sookie, our Border Collie, and mr. jones, our very old and grumpy kitty.  Even though I have spent most of my adult life as a studio photographer and a full time mom, I have always loved all animals.  I studied biology and animal behavior at the university of Texas-Pan American for a while, logging many hours at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, studying the differences in birds.  I am thrilled to be a part of the team at HCVH and love getting to know all of our clients and their pets.

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• Meghan K. Hannaway

  
      I am honored to be a part of the team at Hill Country Veterinary Hospital.  I have been working in the veterinary field for about two years and have loved every day of it.  I have always had a great love and interest for animals, both large and small.  As a family, we always had dogs and cats, and the occasional ferret, rabbit and bird.  My  family also began breaking horses when I was young.  I began riding for pleasure when I was barely big enough to fit my feet in the stirrups, and then found a true calling for team roping ten years ago.  
      In high school I became active in the FFA, then became District FFA President my sophomore year.  With the FFA, I had experience showing cattle, pigs, rabbits and chickens in the local livestock shows.  I grew up in El Paso, Texas and moved to the Austin area nine years ago.  I currently live in Point Venture with my boyfriend Sam, my Border Collie Bailey and our newly added kitten, Eko.  I look forward to every new day when I am able to meet new clients and their pets.

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• April Fisher

  
  

  I started coming to HCVH with my own pets, which there are many, about 12 years ago.  After a while, I became involved with a rescue organization which Dr. Sandell worked with, so I got to visit the hospital even more frequently.  I always appreciated Dr. Sandell's abilities and manner of conduct.  I was in contact with the practice nearly every other day for about 10 years.  When an opportunity arose for me to join the team as a kennel technician, it just felt like coming home to me.  I love being a part of the team here and enjoy doing whatever I can to help lend an extra measure of comfort to our patients.

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• Cassandra "Cassie" , cute/feisty

  
  

  I am the clinic cat. I got lost from my mother as a kitten and a nice lady brought me to HCVH, where I have stayed ever since.  I am my own boss and usually do whatever strikes my fancy. My favorite activities include running laps around the treatment area and attacking house plants in Dr. Sandell's office. I also love to spy on the pets in the reception area and plan how I might hunt birds that I see through the window. My aspirations include finding additional treats and accumulating a larger cache of mouse toys under Dr. Golden's desk.

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• "Atticus" , feisty

  
  

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