Our Team.

Dr. Taemi Horikawa received her veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis and completed a rotating internship in Pittsburgh, PA and a comparative ophthalmology residency in Rocklin, CA. After her board certification, she has practiced and lectured in Northern California and Western Australia.

Dr. Horikawa is thrilled to be back in California and to call the Santa Cruz/Aptos area her home. She enjoys all aspects of ophthalmology but has special interests in minimally invasive procedures as well as cataract and glaucoma surgeries. She has had the pleasure of working closely with local wildlife and small animal rescue groups and the SPCA throughout her career and enjoys serving the Santa Cruz/Aptos community. As the Vice President of the Monterey Bay Area Veterinary Medical Association (MBAVMA) and a recent past board member of the ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation (VAF), Dr. Horikawa is committed to improving your pet’s eye health by advancing vision science and education.

Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, hiking, windsurfing, salsa dancing, and spending time with her family, including her two cats (whose hobbies include parkouring and fetching). 

Dr. Lavallée enjoys all aspects of veterinary ophthalmology and is dedicated to providing compassionate and informative care to all her clients and patients. She has special interests in corneal disease, cataracts, and glaucoma intervention and surgery. 

Dr. Lavallée received her veterinary degree from Montreal University in 2006 and worked for 10 years in emergency veterinary medicine in the Montreal area. Upon discovering a passion for specialty veterinary medicine, she completed an ophthalmology internship at the University of Saskatchewan and relocated to Santa Cruz in 2019 to start a comparative ophthalmology residency locally with Dr. Ann Gratzek before receiving her ACVO board certification.

Outside of work Dr. Lavallée enjoys hiking, yoga, travel, and spending time with her husband, two children and their adorable Rottweiler Bronson. She is also known to throw the most wonderful dinner parties for her grateful coworkers!

Dr. Kerry Gunsalus received her veterinary degree from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where she developed her interest in ophthalmology. Since graduating, she has completed a rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, worked for a year in general practice, and completed ophthalmology specialty internships in New York and Ohio. Dr. Gunsalus is thrilled to be back in her home state of California – she recently completed her ophthalmology specialty internship at Ophthalmology for Animals and has now started her residency training with our team. Outside of work, Dr. Gunsalus enjoys hiking, baking, reading, going to the beach, and spending time with her family.

Dawn worked for a large emergency clinic for over 20 years working reception, operations, and finance. Dawn studied accounting at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA. She joined Ophthalmology for Animals after taking a break to have a family. Dawn enjoys horseback riding, snowboarding and spending time with her family and friends.

Rachel moved to Aptos from Southern California at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. What was meant to be a temporary adventure in veterinary medicine ended up being the perfect fit for her, and in her words, the most rewarding career to date. What Rachel loves most about working at OforA is that “There are no bad days. You can start the morning worried or stressed, but as soon as that first wagging tail walks in, it all melts away. Our patients provide constant doses of happiness.”

When not in the office, Rachel loves exploring the Bay Area with her dog Dakota, baking, creating succulent/plant arrangements, and traveling. With fifteen countries already visited, the next on her travel wish list are Singapore, Greece, and New Zealand.

Jodi has been in veterinary medicine for over 30 years. She graduated from Hartnell College with her degree in Animal Health Technology. Jodi has worked in multiple specialties including oncology, internal medicine, cardiology, surgery, and emergency medicine. She is married with 2 children and 1 dog. When not at work, Jodi enjoys taking her Australian Shepherd Oakley to training, camping with her family, off-roading, and reading a good book.

Amanda has always had a strong love for animals. She graduated from the Foothill College RVT program and got her license in 2013. Particular interests for Amanda are analgesia and anesthesia. When not at work, Amanda enjoys whale watching, painting, hiking to find cool flowers and hanging out with her fur babies, Maeve Marie, Bill and Logan.

Reyna was born and raised in Salinas and has always loved animals. She graduated from Hartnell College and completed the Animal Health program in 2010, then became a Registered Veterinary Technician. Reyna has worked in small animal general practice since graduating college and started working in ophthalmology in 2018. She is bilingual and enjoys helping people learn and understand how to care for their pets. She has a merle chihuahua named Lucy, who is the light of her life and spoiled as can be. Outside of work she loves to travel and spend time with friends and family.

Jennifer graduated from Foothill College’s Veterinary Technology and received her RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician) license in 2024. Prior to working in veterinary medicine, she spent 22 years as a professor of economics in Iowa. Jennifer and her husband moved to California in 2021 which gave her the opportunity to pursue her long-time dream of becoming an RVT.

Jennifer joined our team in September 2025 and already knows that she loves veterinary ophthalmology! She also has interests in anesthesia/ analgesia and veterinary dentistry. We are so lucky to have her as a part of our OforA family. She is incredibly kind and compassionate, and her love for animals and connection with our clients create a welcoming and positive treatment experience for all.

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys scuba diving, disc golf, walking on the beach, reading, word puzzles, and spending time with her husband and their dog, Clara.

Christa is a native Santa Cruzian and a dog lover. She has been an integral part of the OforA team since 2019. She enjoys creating a stress-free environment for our patients and incorporates spa music, where appropriate, to help them relax in the examination rooms. She also has an esthetician license and hopes to one day own her own spa (for people). Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoors, dancing and spending time with her family including her adorable children, corgis and a cat.

Shauna grew up on a horse ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where she developed a lifelong love of animals large and small. After high school, she attended Cabrillo College and earned a degree in Health Science.

While pursuing a nursing degree in human medicine, Shauna began working at a local animal hospital. It was there that she discovered her true passion for veterinary medicine and chose to dedicate her career to the field.

With 17 years of experience in general practice, Shauna is proud to be part of the team at Ophthalmology for Animals, where she continues to provide exceptional care and compassion for patients.

Shauna lives with her husband, their two children, and a beloved crew of pets.