Founder & Mentor
Thank you for everything
Veterinary Assistants
Dr. Williams grew up in Reno, Nevada. He attended Bishop Manogue High School and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno before heading off to Ohio State University to study Veterinary Medicine.
His special interests include ophthalmology and soft tissue surgery.
He has one dog, Elsie, a rescue who looks very much like a dairy cow. He enjoys spending time with his family, camping, spending time at their cabin in Eagle lake, and woodworking.
Dr. Maker began practicing veterinary medicine in 1989 at Pyramid Veterinary Hospital, where she became a partner.
Her interests include dermatology and reptile medicine. She has two daughters, two dogs, and four silcata tortoises.
Her family spends their free time exploring new places in the western United States.
She has a goal of traveling to a new place every year and has discovered that there is beauty and goodness everywhere, one only has to look for it.
Dr. Maker is one of TWO of our doctors that sees reptiles!
Melissa was born and raised in central Michigan where she attended the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. She moved to Reno and has been with Pyramid Veterinary Hospital since 2004. She is an avid runner and averages 2 marathons a year.
In 2006 she ran the Boston Marathon.
Dr. Palmer is one of TWO of our doctors who sees pocket pets!
Dr. Kate McFarren has a Bachelors in Biochemistry from Middlebury College in Vermont and obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2022 from UC Davis. Her areas of special interest include surgery, emergency/urgent care medicine, and ultrasonography. We welcomed her to Pyramid Veterinary Hospital in 2024!
Dr. Bessonov is originally from Russia, where he graduated from Leningrad Veterinary Institute in 1999. He currently is working as a Veterinary Graduate Awaiting Licensure in the US and is completing the last steps to obtain his US license. These final steps include an intense round of testing that many agree is more difficult than our US graduating veterinarians. We are honored that we can aid in his professional journey in the US!
Dr. Bessonov enjoys surgery, particularly endoscopy with surgery! He currently has no pets as his wife and 2 little ones at home certainly keep him running. He loves spending time with his family, skydiving, scuba diving, skiing, and traveling
What started out as a whim – Doug strolling home from the movies with his wife, Margaret in 1975, nonchalantly musing that he might make a good veterinarian – became a rewarding life long career and a rich legacy that he has now left in our hands. When Pyramid Veterinary Hospital first opened in 1982, Doug only had two employees and he and Margaret were expecting their second child. That was a tough year indeed; business was slow and finances meager, but over the years his practice grew and he brought on new veterinarians that shared his vision and his passion. He was a mentor to many young doctors – teaching everything from precise surgical technique to the art of compassion. Doug knew he owed it to every pet to use whatever tool he had to heal – a certain medicine, a scalpel blade, or even just his gut feeling. He was meticulous in his work, but never above scratching a dog’s ear and murmuring silly endearments of reassurance. Each person to join Doug’s team was expected to excel at medicine, keep patient care a top priority, and work hard as a team. Eventually, this made us more like a family, with Doug as our cornerstone.
Doug often reminded us of the Golden Retrievers that he loved – fiercely loyal, goofy, and a bit obsessed with his ball, in particular golf balls. He always said you can have fun doing anything, no matter what it was. Medicine can be emotionally demanding, but Doug knew how to keep us light-hearted and laughing. He might be singing during surgery or teasing someone without mercy. His smile always brought encouragement even on the hardest of days. Always young at heart, Doug hit the ski slopes, dominated the dodgeball court, golfed many a course, hosted annual sledding parties, traveled abroad, and spent hours playing with his grand kids. Doug believed in hard work, but he also believed in playing hard.
Pyramid Veterinary Hospital exists because of Dr. Doug Nesler’s passion for animals and commitment to their care. We miss Doug everyday, but we are committed to preserving his vision for this hospital. He taught us many lessons over the years, most of which you will never find in a text book. He shared not just his medical experience, but this laughter and his heart with each of us. Every day we will strive to practice veterinary medicine with his attention to detail and his commitment to quality and caring. By sharing in his memory, Dr. Doug Nesler will forever be he heart and soul of Pyramid Veterinary Hospital.
Jessica has been with the PVH family since September 2011 and has been a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2008, graduating from TMCC Veterinary Technology program. She has always had a love of animals which she shows day in and day out. She has 3 cats at home. Jessica and her husband have a son, Lucas, and recently welcomed their daughter Penelope in July 2016!
Nancy is originally from Las Vegas, she graduated from the Community College of Southern Nevada with an associates in Veterinary Technology.
She has had her veterinary technician license for 15 years. She has 2 sons (Bryce & Cole) with her husband Mike. She enjoys teach youth baseball and participating in all of her kids sporting events. She enjoys hiking, camping, music and movies.
They have 2 dogs, Buddy & Carma. Nancy joined the PVH family in May 2015!
Ashley started working at Pyramid Veterinary Hospital in July 2005.
She moved here from Denver, Colorado and is a huge Denver Broncos fan. She has a playful cat named Kirk, as in Captain Kirk because she loves Star Trek so much, she also has a Border Collie named Raxacoricofallapatorius, Rax for short! She hopes to one day have an Irish Wolfhound.
She graduated from TMCC’s Veterinary Technology program in 2016 and received her license shortly after.
Meet Josie! She began with PVH in 2023 as a receptionist and soon after entered the Veterinary Nursing program at TMCC, obtaining her license in 2025! Her favorite part of working in a hospital is all of the different things that happen all day! So many pets, so many clients, so many ways to help. She is an amazing tech and we love having her with us!
Amanda has been in veterinary medicine for more than 20 years! She previously worked here as an LVT from 2009-2020 before moving away for a few years. We were so excited for her to return to us in 2025. She loves being part of a team whose main goal is taking care of animals and their humans. In her free time, she loves fishing, hanging at the pool, traveling, and hanging out with friends. Welcome back Amanda!
Marla grew up in Carson City and really loves this area.
She has a plethora of animals at home, and enjoys barrel racing with her horse, Wrangler. She has worked in the veterinary field since 2001 and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Jonathan is new to PVH as of 2023, but not new to this industry. His first job was in 2015 as a kennel attendant and he has loved it ever since! He loves being a part of helping sick animals get well in any way he can. His future will see him as a DVM with his own hospital and a herd of Guinea Pigs! At home, he already has 2 Guinea Pigs (Sugar and Cinnamon), a kitty named Angie, and his Lab named Sunny.
Meet Angela! She is new to the field as of 2025 and has completed the veterinary assistant program at TMCC. Her love of animals was inspired by her late grandfather, and his love of animals. She plans on completing the Veterinary Nursing program soon! At home she has 4 parakeets: Kiwi, Pixie, Cece, and Juno.
Jasmin came to us from TMCC’s Veterinary Assistant program. Her favorite part of working in this field is seeing the clients trust for us and love for their pets. She has a passion for veterinary medicine and will be pursuing a plan to become a veterinarian in her future. At home, she has a little Maltese, Khloe, and a black Bombay kitty name Kuromi.
Abigail was brand new to veterinary medicine in July of 2025. She is currently attending UNR for Veterinary Science and will be attending vet school after graduation. At home, she has a dachshund, Otis with ENDLESS energy, and a horse, Echo, who Abigail competes with locally.
Meet Isabelle! She is new to the veterinary field and is currently attending UNR to pursue her degree in Veterinary Medicine. She is originally from Las Vegas and happy in our “not quite so hot” climate. She has a sweet Pit Bull mix named Ricky that she visits whenever she makes it home to Vegas. We are so happy to have her as part of our team!
Jennifer joined the PVH family in 2010. She has been in the animal field since she was 17 years old. She has a son, Gavin, with her Husband Tim. In her spare time she enjoys camping and going to the lake. Jennifer’s favorite part of her job is client education.
Sammy has been part of veterinary medicine for over 20 years! She’s worked in most areas of the hospital and has been a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2009. She loves veterinary medicine for the chance to build bonds with clients and patients over time. Every day is different and the loves the demands it puts on her for personal and professional growth.
At home, she has an English Cream Golden Retriever named Montana Joe. She says he’s the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet!
We are so happy to welcome her as Practice Manager at Pyramid Veterinary Hospital in 2025!
