An Integrated
Approach to Healing

Originally from Ventura, CA, Dr. Gina Joseph obtained a bachelor’s degree in animal science at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and went on to obtain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine as part of the first graduating class at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. She then returned to California to complete a rotating internship at a private practice in Sacramento, followed by a surgical internship in Columbia, South Carolina. She then completed her residency in Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation as part of the innovative Orthopedic Medicine and Mobility department at Colorado State University. While at CSU, she completed research focused on the use of awake extracorporeal shockwave therapy for musculoskeletal disease in dogs. When not hard at work, she likes to play with her tabby cat, Bogey, and her energetic Belgian Malinois mix, Dodger. She is a die hard baseball fan (go Dodgers!), an avid consumer of the latest movies and TV shows, and amateur “foodie,” always looking for a new recipe or restaurant to try. Dr. Joseph’s professional interests include diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, regenerative medicine and working up complex mobility disorders. She is excited to join the team at ASOC/SOUND and continuing the amazing care and client experience the team provides.

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Dr. Mark Ottinger’s interest in medicine came during high school while taking a physical therapy elective. Around this same time, he started working at a pet store and fell in love with working with people and their pets. After receiving a degree in microbiology, he then went on to obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oklahoma State University.

After graduation, he started working as a general practitioner and, during this time, continued to explore his interest in physical rehabilitation and pain management. He eventually obtained a certificate in canine rehabilitation and started incorporating physical rehabilitation into his everyday practice. After a few years of doing rehab part-time, he is excited to practice physical rehabilitation exclusively.

His current areas of interest include neurologic diseases, diagnostics, and feline patients, but is up to any challenge. 

When Dr. Ottinger isn’t treating patients, he can be found bicycling, hiking, playing in arcades, working in his vegetable garden and homebrewing.

The privilege of watching heart surgery done on a puppy was what tipped the scales for Dr. Cynthia “Cindy” Knapp to finally pursue her dream of veterinary medicine. She began her studies and earned her DVM from The Ohio State University in 1998. Dr. Knapp then completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine in Irving, Texas, eventually making Washington State her home. It was during her internship that Dr. Knapp realized she had a passion for caring for pets in crisis, leading to 19 years of practicing emergency medicine.

Over time, Dr. Knapp observed many clients who were concerned about their older/geriatric animals who were painful even taking multiple medications. It was hard for her to see clients having to make tough decisions about their loved ones’ quality of life when their pet still had so much spirit in them. Wanting to make a difference, Dr. Knapp decided to change her focus and began training to help manage pain for geriatric animals, but with a more holistic approach. She became a certified rehabilitation therapist through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and a certified small animal massage practitioner at the Northwest School of Animal Massage. Dr. Knapp has also finished her certification in small animal acupuncture at the Chi Institute and hopes to become certified in small animal spinal manipulation in the near future.

When Dr. Knapp is not helping animals, she is spending time with her husband, dancing with her two daughters and running around after her rambunctious golden retrievers, Bentley and Maui.

Vanessa is a Seattlite, born and raised in Seattle. Before she found her calling as a rehab technician she had a pretty diverse resume. She worked for the U.S. Coast Guard for almost five years and for Sound Transit as a Safety Technician. She even owned her own bookstore in Greenwood.

When her 5-year-old mixed-breed dog, Megan, tore her cruciate ligament, she was engrossed in the rehabilitation process. She read everything she could get her hands on about the subject and became Megan’s very own rehab tech. It was then that Vanessa decided to enroll in the University of Tennessee rehabilitation certification program.

For fun, Vanessa loves to hike and sell books and spends long hours combing the woods for truffles with her truffle-hunting dog, Rocky.

Teresa joined SOUND in 2018, relocating from Southern California. She was born and raised in Santa Fe Springs, CA, and knew she wanted to work with animals since her own dog was diagnosed with cancer when she was in high school. Teresa graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with a degree in animal science. For a little change in scenery, she moved to the Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis for veterinary school. It was in veterinary school that she learned about rehabilitation and she was immediately excited about the idea of options other than medication for injured/geriatric animals. After learning more about rehabilitation, Teresa realized this was where her true passion was and followed a new path and attended Mt. San Antonio College near Los Angeles for her veterinary technician license, followed by the Canine Rehabilitation Institute to become certified in rehabilitation.

One of Teresa’s favorite things about rehabilitation is that the field is always growing and changing to develop new modalities, therapeutic exercises and procedures like joint injections and shockwave treatment.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing softball, hiking, going to the lake and just spending time with friends. We think she chose the right place to be! She is a big Raiders fan, though, so we still have a few kinks to work out.

Peggy was introduced to the field of rehabilitation as a multisport athlete with five knee surgeries under her belt by the age of twenty. After logging countless hours in physical therapy clinics, it was an easy career choice. She attended the University of Washington and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 1984.  

Peggy has enjoyed a successful and rewarding career as a human PT for nearly 35 years. She has committed to extensive continued education focusing on manual therapy treatment of the spine and extremities, running and cycling biomechanics and rehabilitation of injured athletes.

After closing her private practice in 2016, she finally had the time to pursue her interest in animal rehabilitation. To get more familiar with behavior management and the training of dogs, she began volunteering at Seattle Humane. That wonderful experience confirmed that Peggy’s career was headed for a furry caseload. Peggy became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in 2020. She is thrilled to be working with animals alongside the incredible staff at SOUND Veterinary Rehabilitation Center.  

When she’s not working or walking dogs, you will find Peggy riding her bike, hiking, skiing, kayaking or participating in some kind of outdoor adventure.

Matt is a licensed physical therapist who has been working exclusively in the veterinary field for the past 7 years. He became certified in canine rehabilitation in 2024. He has a passion for animals of all kinds but feels especially connected with dogs. He has two small dogs at home and absolutely loves anything chihuahua.

Amy graduated from Bellingham Technical college in 2015 with an Associates degree in Veterinary Medicine. She always knew she wanted to be a veterinary technician from a young age and never saw herself doing anything else until she learned about Veterinary Rehabilitation and is incredibly motivated to help her patients. Outside of work she enjoys music, hiking, playing soccer, cooking, hanging out with her husband and 2 kitties, Gracie and Louie. 

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Kathy, originally from southern California, has been living in Washington for 40 years now – that seemed to have gone fast!

In 1997 Kathy earned an A.A. degree in the Physical Therapy Assistant Program from Green River Community College and has worked as a Physical Therapy Assistant among several clinics in the Seattle area. Her patient load was quite diverse and stretched from working to rehabilitate high school athletes to increasing the mobility and function of senior adults. Kathy’s infectious enthusiasm and focus on her patients’ health goals were deeply appreciated within the practice.

While she immensely enjoyed working with people and building her knowledge base in this field, she was always an animal person and looked to use her skill set in the veterinary field. She enjoys working with her furry patients and getting them on the road to recovery.

In her free time, Kathy loves to bike, ski, and hike throughout the Pacific Northwest, camp with friends and family or relax at home gardening or hanging out with her aging cat, Lenny.

Jami has been passionate about veterinary medicine since her very first job in the field and hasn’t looked back since. She recently transitioned from general practice to focus on rehabilitation and is excited to expand her expertise. Outside of work, Jami enjoys spending time with her dachshund, Ava, and watching a good film!

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Shinya is originally from Osaka, Japan, and moved to Hawaii when he was 18. He graduated from Hawaii Community College and moved to Seattle in 2015. Shinya’s childhood dream was to work in the veterinary field, and he is incredibly excited to be living his dream. Prior to joining SOUND in 2020, he worked as a veterinary assistant in a local general practice.

Shinya shares his home with his wife and their 16 lb. tabby cat Lily, 

who loves people and purrs for pets. When he isn’t playing with Lily or caring for the pets at SOUND, Shinya enjoys art (drawing) and sports, especially cheering on the Hawks!

Meleah is an avid horseback rider who loves spending time with her animal family. She shares her life with Captain, a spirited Dalmatian; Rambo, a playful orange tabby; and Castle, her loyal Rottweiler/Doberman mix. Meleah has a long history working in the rehabilitation space and is excited to expand her knowledge at SOUND!

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With a lifelong love of animals and a background in biology, Elliott was drawn to veterinary medicine as a way to make a meaningful impact. Living near the clinic sparked a special interest in orthopedics and the rewarding challenges it offers. Outside of work, Elliott enjoys exploring creative pursuits and shares life at home with two cats, Morty, an orange tabby, and Bea (short for Beatrix), a tuxedo.

Bio TBA

Natasha hails from Manchester, England, where she spent the first half of her professional life as a graphic designer and illustrator.  She made her way to Seattle when her husband was offered a position at Boeing.

Before settling down in the PNW, she and a best friend traveled the world. An animal lover since childhood, she explained that the highlights of her trips were observing animals in their natural environments, from Orangutans in Borneo to sharks in the Great Barrier Reef.

When Natasha first arrived in Seattle, she volunteered at the Woodland Park Zoo and studied Natural Science Illustration at the University of Washington, which is where she thought she would resume her career. But, her heart kept returning to a story she had seen years earlier on a local news station in the UK. It featured a physical rehabilitation program for dogs who were suffering pain from injuries or illnesses. She was so inspired by their transformation into happy, healthy, pain-free pups that she decided to pursue veterinary rehabilitation as a career in her “next” life.

After being a stay-at-home “mum” for a while, she successfully completed the Veterinary Technician Program at PIMA. During her internship at ASOC, she spent time with the rehab team, learning as much as she could and hoping to finally land her dream job. Her dream came true in the fall of 2017.

Natasha shares her home with her four lovely boys, husband Mark, son Archie, Buddy, “the best cat in the world,” and their most recent addition Monty, a miniature Australian Shepherd.

Her interests include traveling, camping, movies, bike riding, movies and she still loves to pick up a pencil and doodle.

Simon's journey into veterinary medicine was fueled by his profound love for animals. His desire to make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners led him to pursue a career in the field. When choosing where to apply his skills, Simon was drawn to SOUND Vet Rehab for our reputation for excellence and our unwavering dedication to improving the well-being of animals.

Outside of work, Simon is a pizza enthusiast who never says no to a slice of his favorite food. He also values the importance of friendship and enjoys spending time with his close-knit circle of friends. With his warm personality and genuine love for animals, Simon is a valued member of the SOUND Vet Rehab team, dedicated to ensuring that every pet receives the care and attention they deserve.

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Issy, short for Isabella, hails from Nottingham, England, where she inherited her love of animals, big and small. She has been working with animals since she was 17 years old. She became a certified Animal Care Assistant for the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) and after completing her certification she moved to Thailand where she managed a small street animal clinic named PhaNgan Animal Care. It was there where she met her American-born husband, Chase, and the two of them took off to China where they both taught English to children in Beijing and Chongqing.

After a while, they both yearned to put down roots, so they moved to the Seattle area where her husband is originally from. She dove right back into the animal care field and worked at PAWS as Animal Care Lead before making her way to ASOC.

Issy may have settled down, but her adventurous spirit remains. She has climbed Mt. Rainier and is currently in training to become a marathon runner! She shares her love of corgis with The Queen and enjoys spending time with her spunky corgi, Arthur. She also enjoys cooking, trying exotic cuisines and traveling. She believes that if you dance for 10 minutes a day, you’ll increase your happiness by at least 50%. When you encounter Issy, be prepared to be charmed by her English accent and her infectious positivity!