BCAH Team
Dr. Stephanie Sainsbury; Veterinarian and Owner/Founder
Dr. Sainsbury has always known a passion and love for animals. When she was only 3 years old her mother was alarmed to find her petting her uncle’s bull while he munched on hay; seemingly enjoying the curious toddler talking to him! As a young child, she managed to convince her dad while trick or treating to take a “free puppy” from a house. This is the dog she knew as a constant companion until sadly, he was put to rest at the ripe-old-age of 16!
She chose to open the Byron Center Animal Hospital in 2006 with the goal of providing all animals with the highest quality, most compassionate care possible. She is extremely dedicated to her patients and human care-givers and feels very strongly that like us, our pets deserve the optimum in health and happiness. She thrives on the bond she creates with both her patients and clients!
Prior to opening the Byron Center Animal Hospital, Dr. Stephanie worked doing emergency and critical care at a 24 hour care facility. She completed her undergraduate degree from Lake Superior State University and veterinary degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario. Her hometown is in Canada, but she now lives here with her husband, Jeff, who has always called Grand Rapids home. They have one son, Zach, that they welcomed into their family in 2013. To keep him company, they have Cliff, a rescued mastiff mix, and a cat named Jack. Dr. Sainsbury loves to watch Zach giggle and play with his four-legged siblings! In her spare time, Dr. Sainsbury enjoys mountain bike racing, hiking and reading. She has always had a love of the outdoors and nature. Whenever she is able, she will gather up Zach, Cliff and Jeff and head outside!
Dr. Phoebe Miedema; Veterinarian
Dr. Phoebe Miedema joined BCAH in August 2018. Dr. Phoebe grew up in Portage, Michigan and has always had a deep-rooted love of animals and a passion for the human-animal bond. She grew up showing horses in 4-H, a hobby that carried over to the MSU Equestrian team during her undergraduate years.
Dr. Phoebe and her husband Alex enjoy spending time outside together. On the weekend, they can usually be found on the lake, hiking or in Spartan Stadium for MSU football games. They have one dog, Bailey, a foxhound mix who knows every trick in the book! Dr. Miedema also has a Quarter Horse gelding named Zip and enjoys trail riding in Northern Michigan.
Dr. Phoebe attended Michigan State University for both undergraduate and veterinary school. She found her true passion in small animal medicine during her final year of clinical rotations with a special interest in behavior, and internal medicine. Before joining the team at BCAH, she practiced at a small animal hospital in North Muskegon. Dr. Phoebe is committed to helping your pet live a long, healthy, happy life and is excited to meet you and your four-legged companion!
Renee; Practice Manager
Renee recently joined our administrative team in March of this year as the Practice Manager at BCAH. She grew up on the east side of Michigan in Port Huron, but has quickly fallen in love with Grand Rapids where she now lives with her rescue mutt Salem.
Her bond with animals began at age six when her parents took her to a small animal pet store and said she could pick out anything she wanted- she picked a rat! From there came more rats and eventually her first dog, a beagle named Spud.
Renee started her career in human medicine after earning her Master’s Degree from Wake Forest University in North Carolina. She worked several years in cardiac and pulmonary rehab before moving to Grand Rapids and exploring opportunities in business management which has now led her to the BCAH family.
Renee enjoys everything outdoors especially exploring new running trails and paddle boarding with her dog Salem. She also enjoys several recreational sports leagues including basketball, soccer and volleyball. Renee’s favorite time of the year is the beautiful Michigan summer and likes to fit in weekend road trips to the lake or camping trips wherever she can.
Jen; Veterinary Technician
Jen joined BCAH in October 2016 and has added a lot of experience to our team and truly enjoys creating lasting relationships with clients and their furry family members!
Jen grew up watching her aunt work at the zoo and then go on to become a veterinarian. Jen's passion grew out of her aunt's passion and she knew from a young age that she wanted to work with animals!
Jen got her start volunteering at the local animal emergency hospital in high school and then worked her way up to head veterinary technician at a day practice. Jen is an experienced veteran in the field of veterinary medicine with over 20 years of work. She said the time has flown by because she has always done work she loved.
When Jen isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her family (especially her adorable nieces!) and friends. She spends a lot of time up north at her family cottage, fishing, going on pontoon rides, and relaxing around the campfire. Jen has been blessed with many cats over the years and a beloved Pekingese named Sam, all of whom have since passed on. Jen's family, both two legged and four, is everything to her and she wouldn't change a thing!
Becca; LVT; Veterinary Technician
Becca has been practicing as a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2013. She has her Bachelors of Science in Wildlife Biology and comes to us with a range of experience working for zoos, the Humane Society and the Fish and Wildlife Service. She always has had a passion for animals and critters of all types and is thankful for a career where she can spend time with cuddly fur babies and use her knowledge to provide thoughtful and loving care.
Outside of work, Becca’s two toddlers keep her and her husband very busy and light up their life. She loves to do art projects and play outside with them. During the summer they enjoy camping and hiking. She is also an avid runner and swimmer. Becca’s family is rounded out by two cats and two fish. Orion has been in her life for 10 amazing years. She took him home as a stray kitten after he attempted to befriend a lion at the zoo. And Freya is the most recent addition, a playful kitten, who went home with Becca after being found by one of our veterinarians. Becca hopes to instill a love and respect for animals into her own children. They each take ownership of their own fish, GooGa and Minni (the best feed fish around). Becca’s family bring so much joy to her life, and in her words, “I am truly fortunate.”
Carly; Veterinary Technician
Carly came to us with an extensive previous career in the animal field and with a desire to gain more hands-on opportunities being directly involved in their care.
Carly grew up in the Rocky Mountains and has always loved spending time with animals and learning about them. Her interest in animal welfare started at age five when she began "rescuing" neighborhood toads and frogs to keep them safe from traffic.
Carly started her professional career with animals in 1999 working at a large animal shelter in the Denver area. That experience instilled lasting strong values on the importance of respect and compassion for the people and the pets she provides for. Over the next twenty years, Carly worked on continuing her education in animal behavior and training and managed several programs for shelters in Colorado and Michigan. Carly is a Certified Training Partner with Karen Pryor Academy; and one of her favorite things about her work is helping people and their pets understand each other better.
When Carly isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their quirky Australian Cattle Dog mix, Bailee. Together they spend as many days outdoors as possible enjoying camping, fishing, kayaking, walking in the woods, and exploring new places.
Bethany; LVT; Veterinary Technician
Bethany joined our team in the summer of 2019 and her extensive experience in the field has further elevated the care we provide to our patients.
Bethany became interested in veterinary medicine in high school and began college with that major. During that time, she started working as a veterinary assistant at a clinic in Hastings, Michigan, and stayed there for over four years. While at this clinic, Bethany learned her love for the nursing and laboratory aspects of the field and enrolled in Michigan State University's Veterinary Technology program. Upon graduating with her bachelor's degree in 2010, Bethany joined a clinic in Owosso as a licensed technician and stayed there for nine years. She grew professionally and came to love the clientele and patients in Owosso.
Companion medicine and veterinary nursing are a passion of Bethany’s; however, she also loves spending time off the job on a few hobbies. When she is not caring for your furry family, she is at home with her cockapoo Benji, her cat Rosie, her husband Aaron, and their five children. Bethany’s family just recently moved back to the area and are excited to begin a new chapter of life here. Bethany and her family enjoy camping, kayaking, visiting extended family and occasionally going on road trips together. Bethany is happy to become a part of the BCAH family and looks forward to getting to know and care for your beloved pets.
Natalie; LVT; Veterinary Technician
Natalie started working at BCAH in 2007 following her graduation from Baker College and earning her veterinary technician license.
Natalie grew up caring for gerbils, guinea pigs, cats, dogs and horses. She always knew that she would work with animals, but not sure in what capacity until her Grandma sent her an article about the growing field for veterinary technicians.
Her favorite part of working with animals is caring for senior pets. "I love the long histories between families and their senior pets! I want to keep them happy and healthy so they can keep making memories with their families!"
Natalie currently lives on a lake in Middleville with her husband Jordan, their son Waylon, and their boxer mix Kinley (and no, Kinley does not like to swim)! They enjoy spending time boating, swimming and wake surfing! She also plays beach and indoor volleyball. Their families live in the greater Grand Rapids area and they get to spend a lot of time with them, which is a blessing.
Jonelle; Receptionist
Jonelle became a team member at BCAH in November 2015. She brings a lot of expertise to our practice having been working in the veterinary field since 2001! Jonelle enjoys working with our pet owners and strives to treat every pet as if they were her very own!
Jonelle shares her home with three cats - Augustus, Corbin, and Norton, and two dogs - Camille, a Maltese mix, and Andy, a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix. They’re quite a mix!
When Jonelle is not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends while camping or sightseeing in Northern Michigan, attending Grand Rapids Griffin’s hockey games, running a variety of 5K races, partaking in a great microbrew, or socializing her pups at the Grand Ravines or Wyoming Dog Park. Jonelle also volunteers with BeNice.org and Habitat for Humanity. You may also find her at various other dog or cat benefit events throughout the year, so be sure and say hi if you see her!
Caylin; Receptionist
Caylin is always there to greet our clients as they first come through the doors at BCAH and will often times be the one checking the furry patients in. Caylin graduated from Grand Valley State University and has over eight years of experience in the veterinary field.
Passion and respect for animals and the people that call them family were values instilled in Caylin at an early age. These values are evident in the work she does as a receptionist and the unconditional care she gives to everyone.
Caylin lives in the area with her husband and together they share their home and hearts with one canine child and four feline children. Kenzie is a rambunctious nine-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix and Sonoma, Maverick, Nigel and Miss Jolie round out the cat gang. It’s a full house, but Caylin says she wouldn’t have it any other way. Outside of work Caylin enjoys getting out locally and shopping. She also enjoys traveling and spending time family and friends.