Meet Our
Veterinary Team

Dr. Lily Prado

Veterinarian

Lily Prado was born and raised in Orange County, California. She has been a part of the veterinary industry for nearly 20 years, working as a veterinary technician for 5 years while earning her bachelor’s in Animal and Veterinary Science from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Following her undergraduate studies, she worked for one year as a customer service representative at Antech Diagnostics, a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. She then started veterinary school at Ross University on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean and completed her clinical training at the University of Illinois.

After graduation, she began working as a small animal general practitioner in Las Vegas, where she met Dr. Allen and in 2020 moved with him back to his hometown of Jefferson City, Missouri. She then worked for a short time as a small animal general practitioner in Jefferson City before working at an animal emergency clinic in St. Louis. She is excited to be working in Jefferson City alongside Dr. Allen once again to help the people and animals of his hometown. In her free time, Dr. Prado loves spending time with her and Dr. Allen’s little ones, Maddox and Kaiya, scrapbooking, watching documentaries, and attempting to cook.

Dr. Matt Allen

Veterinarian

Matthew Allen was born and raised in Jefferson City, Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri for both his undergraduate and veterinary schooling, graduating from the MU College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Upon graduation, he moved to Las Vegas, where he remained for three years, working as a small animal general practitioner. In 2020, he moved back to Jefferson City to continue work as a general practitioner while concurrently working in an emergency animal clinic in St. Louis, where he developed a passion for emergency medicine. This prompted a career shift to work full-time at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center in the Emergency Department, which also allowed him to pursue his second passion ─ teaching. Since making the move to full-time ER, an opportunity was made available to come back to his hometown to serve his community. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with Dr. Prado, their kids Maddox and Kaiya, woodworking, and following MU athletics.

Elijah Pittman

Practice Manager

Elijah Pittman is a proud native of Jefferson City, Missouri, where he attended Jefferson City High school. After completing his education, Elijah started his journey in veterinary medicine, driven by a passion for animal welfare and care.

Joining the industry a little over a year ago, Elijah quickly found his footing, dedicating himself to his Jefferson City Animal Hospital role. Elijah prioritizes creating a positive and memorable experience for every patient.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Elijah leads an active lifestyle, prioritizing fitness and wellness in his daily routine. He has recently discovered the joy of traveling and plans to take more adventures in the future.

With a commitment to his community and a genuine love for his work, Elijah continues to make an impact in the veterinary field, embodying the spirit of service and dedication in all that he does.

Kaitlynn Patton

Veterinary Assistant

Kaitlynn Patton is currently enrolled at Columbia College and is working toward her bachelor’s degree in biology. She has been working in veterinary medicine for the past two years and loves having the opportunity to help so many patients while working with the clients to help educate and give them peace of mind when it comes to caring for their beloved pets.

When she isn’t working, Kaitlynn loves exploring the outdoors, fishing, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Allison Dudenhoeffer

Veterinary Assistant

Allison Dudenhoeffer attending Blair Oaks High School and has been working in veterinary medicine for the past six years. She truly enjoys educating owners on their animals’ behavioral issues and how to solve them. She also love talking to owners about pet allergies. Since there are so many different components to allergies, Allison wants to help the patient enjoy their lives. Allison also enjoys educating clients on the benefits of their pets oral health.

In her free time, Allison enjoys the outdoors with her animals. Whether it’s walking down a creek with her heeler, Chloe, riding her horse, Jasper, fishing, or hunting, it’s safe to say she is enjoying the great outdoors!

Ashley Myers

Veterinary Assistant

Ashley Myers grew up in the small town of Vienna, MO, and moved to Jefferson City in 2017 while going to college. Ashley has worked in the veterinary field with small animals for 7+ years and is currently enrolled in Ashworth’s Online Veterinary Technician program to pursue her knowledge/skills in veterinary medicine. In her free time, you can find Ashley walking/hiking with her dogs (Gossi, Keely, and Dax), winding down and relaxing with a book, or catching up on sleep!

Ashely loves working one-on-one with patients and helping sick pets get back to feeling 100%.

Sara Lutzke

Veterinary Assistant

Sara Lutzke has been crushing it in the veterinary industry for a little less than a year. Her favorite part about her career is when she gets to help a patient improve their health and gets to see the impact on the pet and the family.

In her free time, Sara enjoys being outdoors, discovering new restaurants, and coffee shops!

Makayla (Mak) Owens

Veterinary Assistant

Makayla (Mak) Owens is a Certified Veterinary Assistant III with 8 years of clinical experience. Makayla was born and raised in Jefferson City, where she began her career assisting at her family veterinary practice in 2016. She expanded her experience to exotic animal mixed practice, high-volume surgery, and emergency medicine from there. Makayla completed the highest level of formal certification for veterinary assisting through the AVMA and is attending Columbia College, working towards admission to Mizzou’s CVM. Her favorite areas of Veterinary Medicine are surgery, emergency, and higher education.

Makayla prides herself in her efficiency and ability to provide quality care under any circumstances. She is especially passionate about being a full-circle caretaker and creating a peaceful and dignifying experience during the hardest moments for pet owners.

Makayla enjoys artistic projects of all kinds, reading, and live music!

Jessica Brightwell

Customer Service Representative

Jessica Brightwell is new to the industry after deciding to change courses from human medicine. Jessica brings a heart filled with compassion to help patients/clients through difficult situations and wants every patient to know how much they are loved.

Most of Jessica’s free time is spend with her two boys and their dog, Sparky. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and different crafts. If the weather is nice, you can find Jessica and her family making different wood crafts outside.

Kayli Rackers

Customer Service Representative

Kayli is currently enrolled in Penn Foster to obtain her Veterinary Technician License and has been working in the veterinary industry for 4 years. She takes pride in her ability to help patients feel comfortable in what can be a stressful environment. During her free time, she enjoys weightlifting and spending quality time with her family.

Chris Allen

Customer Service Representative

Christopher Allen attended Jefferson City High School and the University of Missouri. He has worked in the industry for two years and works hard to make a difference for the families and pets he serves.

Chris is a Mizzou athletics fanatic and loves spending time with his family, and grilling.