Meet Our Team

Dr. Ren Johnson, DVM, was born in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and raised in Meridian, Idaho. The son of a veterinarian, Ren was raised on a small farm and developed a love for animals. As a young man, he was active in sports, scouting, FFA, and farming. He graduated from Boise State University and then attended Washington State University, where he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. Ren has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Reno area since 1985. Ren and his wife Kelly are the parents of eight children and 12 grandchildren (and counting!). They enjoy their family, horses, and the outdoors.

Dr. Charles Andrus, DVM, was born and raised in Holiday, Utah, on a small ranch. His dad raised Tennessee Walkers, and Chuck spent much of his time caring for their many horses, dogs, chickens, cows, and cats. This is where his love of animals developed. In addition to his work on the ranch as a boy, Chuck was actively involved in Boy Scouts, hiking, and camping in the Wastach and Unita mountains. He went on to earn his Eagle Scout Award. He graduated from Utah State University with a BS in Zoology, and then in 1978, he decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins. There he received his degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1981. He then moved to Reno to begin practicing in the Reno/Sparks area. Chuck’s pets include a Doberman named Razor, chickens of various breeds, and his newest addition: four miniature Mancha dairy goats. When Chuck is not working, he enjoys being outdoors. He loves to hike, kayak, and geocache.

Marissa is originally from Portola, California. Growing up, she was active in sports and the 4-H program. She helped raise and take care of various animals at their home, including dogs, cats, chickens, horses, pigs, sheep, and goats, which led to her passion for veterinary medicine. Her devotion to animal health drove her to study animal science at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. Through Cal Poly’s learn-by-doing philosophy, the animal science program inspired her to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. She is driven to promote the companion animal and food animal industries that have, thus far, impacted her life to such a large degree. Upon graduation, she has decided to move back to the area to be closer to her family and support the community supporting her throughout her life. She has two dogs named Teddy & Hazel, who enjoy paddleboarding and swimming on the weekends. She is also currently raising two Nigerian dwarf goats named Thunder and Lightening. On her time off, Marissa enjoys hiking, camping, and horseback riding.

DVM

Dr. Robert Rishwain joined Fairgrounds Animal Hospital after spending some time in Carson City at an emergency clinic. After attending UC San Diego and internship in veterinary, he started his veterinary career and discovered veterinary was his passion. While gaining experience, he spent time working in shelters and shadowing veterinarians, eventually leading him to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St Kitts. His clinical training at Iowa State. Dr. Rishwain is originally from Stockton returning when he can to visit his family. When he is not at the clinic or visiting family, he can be found enjoying what Northern Nevada has to offer in outdoor activities such as running and playing soccer or just exploring Reno. He is looking to add to his Reno family soon by adopting a dog.

Robert was born in Tucson, Az, but moved to Las Vegas at an early age. Robert lived in Las Vegas for 16 years, graduated from high school, and then moved to Reno, Nv. He has been attending UNR since 2013. He is working on a dual-major in Veterinary Medicine and Biology, with a minor in Analytical Chemistry. Robert was an intern at the UNR Station Farm, where he acquired a basic knowledge of large animals but found his passion lies in companion animals. He is set to graduate this winter but is uncertain what he would like to pursue; his overall goal is to remain in the veterinary field. Some of Robert’s hobbies include hiking, camping, and listening to music. One of his main goals is to travel to another country.

Cheyanne was born and raised a Nevadan. She attended Bishop Manogue high school, Northern Arizona University, and is a student at UNR. Cheyanne is currently seeking dual degrees in Wildlife Management and Conservation and Biology. She has about 5 years of experience in the veterinary field and hopes to become either a veterinarian or a wildlife biologist working with endangered sea creatures.

Tiffany is a Veterinary Assistant at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. She was born and raised in Reno, NV. Tiffany has always loved animals. She decided to work in the veterinary field to help pets live long and healthy lives with their people.

Tiffany attended school to become a Veterinary Assistant and plans to continue her education to get her Veterinary Technician License. Tiffany has 2 dogs, Ariel, a 7-year-old Border Collie, and Apollo, a 7-month-old German Shepard. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her 6-year-old son and 2 dogs.

Darby is a Veterinary Assistant at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. He was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. Darby loves helping animals and making sure they are feeling their best. Darby discovered that he wanted to work in the veterinary field by accident when he accompanied his grandmother to take her cat to the veterinarian. At this visit, he discovered to have both a talent and a desire to work with animals. After this visit, he began working at a veterinary clinic and started pursuing his Veterinary Technician certificate. Darby has 2 dogs he rescued from the Humane Society, Gizmo a sassy 2-year-old terrier mix that loves to play, and Cosmo, a hyper 2-year-old terrier mix that loves to cuddle. He also has a 2-year-old black cat named Ana and 12 koi fish. Darby enjoys creating ceramic art on a pottery wheel and caring for his carnivorous plant collection in his free time.

Shakira is a veterinary assistant at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. She was born in Reno NV. Shakira spent most of her childhood being raised in Colombia where she loved being surround by animals and sparked her interest in the veterinary field to help animals.

Shakira plans to continue her journey in helping animals and become a Licensed Veterinary Technician. Shakira loves spending time with her chickens outside or spend time at family farms.

Veterinary Assistant

Emily is a Veterinary Assistant at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. She has lived in Reno for over 10 Years, and she has worked in the veterinary field for over 5 Years.

Her love and dedication for animals lead her to pursue her career in the veterinary field. Her favorite part of being a Veterinary Assistant is helping sick animals feel better, building her knowledge in the area with continued education, and sharing that knowledge with her peers and clients. Of course, there are also the puppies!

Emily was born in Tucson, AZ, and lived in San Diego and England for a few years before settling here in Reno at the age of 15. She has two dogs she adopted named Sylvie(a Catahoula Mix) and Toby (a Blue Heeler Mix). Emily enjoys being at the lake with her two dogs, who love to swim and ride on the paddleboard in her personal time.

Ashley is a Receptionist at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. She is originally from a Navajo reservation in Cottonwood, AZ. Ashley moved to Gardnerville, NV, with her family, where she attended school, and moved to Reno, NV, when she graduated from high school. Ashley grew up interested in animals of all kinds. This interest led to her desire to work in the veterinary field. Ashley has one black domestic shorthair cat that she adopted from the SPCA. Her cat, Wednesday, which she named after the daughter from The Addams Family, is quite attached to Ashley and follows her wherever she goes. In her free time, Ashley enjoys being outdoors, camping, and fishing with her friends. She is also passionate about her creative time and enjoys painting, drawing, and doing miscellaneous craft projects.

Receptionist

Bio coming soon!

JD is an Animal Health Technician/Maintenance Supervisor employed at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital for the past 16 years. JD has been married for 22 years and enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and granddaughter. She and her husband have dogs, a cat, and a tank full of fish. JD enjoys hiking, reading, writing science fiction, gardening, doing community cleanups, and learning about history.

Inventory Manager

Jenny is our Inventory Manager at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. Jenny Has been in the Reno area for over 5 years, having moved from Las Vegas, where she was a receptionist for several years at a busy walk-in animal clinic. Jenny loves working with animals and enjoys interacting with all of the pets that come in to see us. When Jenny is not working, she likes to spend her time hiking with her Beagles “Duke” & “Reese,” camping and traveling. Some of her hobbies include sewing, practicing archery, and home DIY projects.

Sharon is a Receptionist at Fairgrounds Animal Hospital. She has lived in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area for more than 40 years. Sharon is passionate and quite knowledgeable about the field’s best practices with over 15 years of experience in customer service in the veterinary field. She sincerely enjoys being able to assist clients and their pets here at Fairgrounds. Sharon has two horses, four cats, and two Rottweilers, and she is always happy to show them off. Her other hobbies include horseback riding, hiking, and gardening.