Payton
Stephanie
Shihloh
Brenda
Elerie
Sarah
Zaria
Ericka
Paiton
Jacob
CSR Supervisor
Shihloh
Shiloh was born and raised in Las Vegas and grew up with cats. Her passion was always animals, and her family always had animals around.
Before working in the veterinary field, Shiloh worked in convention centers and was doing odd jobs.
She loves the science and medical side of the veterinary field. As the Customer Service Representative Supervisor, Shiloh enjoys seeing the full care of the pets from start to finish and being the liaison between the client and the doctor.
In her spare time, she likes photography, playing video games, and reading.
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Sarah
Sarah is originally from New Hampshire. She grew up with pets but was terrified of dogs. Her sister always had stray cats she would nurse back to health and worked at animal sanctuaries where she bottle-fed tigers. Sarah always admired her sister’s work with animals.
After moving to North Carolina, where she spent 5 years, Sarah worked as a Barista. She initially thought this would be her career path because she didn’t envision returning to school unless it was for something she was passionate about.
While in North Carolina, Sarah researched schools offering veterinary assistant programs but found none in the area, so she started dog sitting and discovered she loved it. Following her husband’s family move to California, they relocated to Las Vegas, where she continued dog sitting. She again researched veterinary programs and found PIMA. With her husband’s encouragement, she decided to pursue her dreams.
Once enrolled, Sarah realized she wanted to go further and become a veterinary technician. In March of 2025, she achieved her goal and became a licensed veterinary technician.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys playing video games, writing music, and hanging out with her pets.
Veterinary Technician in Training
Zaria
A Las Vegas native, Zaria grew up with a Russell terrier who sparked her interest in animal care. Her professional journey began at Cafe Zupa before she found her path in veterinary medicine, progressing from kennel attendant to veterinary assistant, and now serving as a veterinary technician in training.
She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry in May 2025. Ambitious and dedicated, Zaria is working towards her ultimate goal of becoming a veterinarian. As a VTIT, she is eager to expand her clinical skills, particularly looking forward to performing dental procedures independently.
When not pursuing her veterinary career, Zaria maintains an active lifestyle through working out and enjoys expressing her creativity in the kitchen through cooking and baking, as well as unwinding with her favorite TV shows.
Veterinary Technician in Training
Ericka
Originally from a small rural area in Pennsylvania, Ericka moved to Las Vegas 3 years ago. She has always dreamed of being in veterinary medicine. While all of her friends watched Disney Channel, Ericka preferred National Geographic and Animal Planet.
When she moved to Las Vegas, she started working at Camp Bow Wow, a dog daycare facility. After less than a year there, she enrolled at PIMA in 2022 to earn her veterinary assistant certificate. In May 2022, she applied for a kennel position at Aliante Animal Hospital and steadily worked her way up, progressing from the kennel to becoming an assistant.
Ericka began studying at Penn Foster in August 2023 and achieved her VTIT status at the end of September 2024. As a Veterinary Technician in Training, she is excited about expanding her skillset and learning new techniques.
She particularly enjoys handling emergency situations, as that’s where she feels technicians truly shine. She also has a special interest in dental procedures.
In her spare time, Ericka enjoys reading romance novels, listening to murder mystery podcasts, and spending time with her four cats.
Veterinary Technician in Training
Paiton
Paiton was born in Chicago but moved to Las Vegas when she was 2 years old. In middle school, she was able to convince her parents to get a dog, which she fondly remembers as a great companion.
She has wanted to be a veterinarian since childhood, which led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in pre-veterinary medicine in Arizona. While pursuing her education, she worked as a bridal consultant for 7 years.
After graduating, Paiton took some time before enrolling at PIMA in 2023 to obtain her certification. Upon completion, she returned to Las Vegas in 2024.
She applied to Aliante Animal Hospital as a veterinary assistant and is currently applying to several veterinary schools. As a licensed technician, she looks forward to developing her skills and gaining the hands-on experience she’s been eager to acquire.
Her professional goal is to work with exotic animals or possibly serve as a veterinarian at an aquarium.
In her spare time, Paiton enjoys crocheting and watching reality television.
Veterinary Technician in Training
Jacob
Jacob was born and raised in Las Vegas.
He grew up with a variety of pets including dogs, a cat, guinea pigs, a hamster, a chinchilla, and lots of fish.
After high school, Jacob wasn’t quite sure about his career path, but he knew he wanted to work with animals. This led him to enroll in the CSN veterinary program. During this time, he worked at Kohl’s.
In 2024, he began attending PIMA Medical Institute. While completing his PIMA classes, he left Kohl’s to start his first position in veterinary medicine at Aliante Animal Hospital.
Currently, Jacob is a Veterinary Technician in Training (VTIT). He’s enthusiastic about growing in this field and aspires to eventually work with exotic animals.
In his spare time, Jacob enjoys reading, writing, playing games, and creating artwork.
