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OUR TEAM
Our Team
Dr. Ariel Fagen, DVM, DACVB
Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist
Medical Director
(she/her/hers)
Dr. Fagen graduated from Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She went on to complete an intensive one-year rotating small animal internship at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital. In 2017, she completed a 3-year residency in the American College of Veterinary Behavior at Behavior Vets of Colorado and Florida Veterinary Behavior Service. In 2018, Dr. Fagen became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior, the highest level of veterinary behavior specialty degree possible. This degree makes her one of 86 of the most highly trained veterinary behavior specialists on the continent and one of two veterinary behaviorists in the state of Colorado.
Outside of the office, Dr. Fagen has lectured in the US and internationally. She has conducted research studies in shelters, hospitals and wildlife breeding centers and has published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, AAHA Trends Magazine and NAVC Clinician’s Brief. Dr. Fagen was awarded the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior Student Excellence in Applied Animal Behavior Research Award and the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Best Field Research Award for her work training elephants to participate in their own medical care in Sauhara, Nepal. She currently serves on the Fear Free™ Advisory Board.
A Colorado gal to the core, Dr. Fagen plays in the mountains hiking, camping and downhill and cross-country skiing. She loves to travel with her adventuresome husband, giggle with her young son and share meals with friends. The four-legged love of her life, Libby, was with her through her veterinary education and taught her a great deal about living with and loving a dog with aggression problems.
Dr. Stacey Jones, DVM
Veterinarian - Practice Limited to Behavior
Fear Free™ Certified
(she/her/hers)
Dr. Stacey Jones graduated from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. After graduation, she completed a one year internship in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care at New England Animal Medical Center in Massachusetts. Returning to her native state of Colorado, Dr. Jones cultivated a special interest in Greyhound medicine, anesthesia, behavior and pain management. She is proud to have participated in collaborative research into a life threatening elevation of blood potassium (hyperkalemia) that occurs in Greyhounds under anesthesia.
During her 16 years as a small animal veterinarian, Dr. Jones cultivated a practice focused on decreasing fear, listening to patient body language and including families in veterinary visits. In this way, she could increase access to detailed care for all patients, especially those historically demonstrating anxiety or reacting aggressively. Providing for medical needs through this behavioral lens led Dr. Jones on a journey to further understand and treat problem behaviors that were causing frustration and suffering for patients and their people, in and out of the hospital. Dr. Jones furthered her education in the field of behavior and veterinary psychiatry through mentorship with field experts, attendance at the national Clinical Animal Behavior Conferences, and coursework on learning theory and applied behavior analysis, including Dr. Susan Friedman's course, Living and Learning with Animals. Before coming to The Veterinary Behavior Center, Dr. Jones treated behavior cases within the scope of her general practice for 7 years. She is currently a Fear Free certified professional and serves on the executive board of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior as a member-at-large.
Dr. Jones, her husband, and their two children, share a home with numerous dogs, horses, chickens, and aquatic creatures.
Dr. Asher Feldman, DVM
Veterinarian, Pursuing a Residency in Veterinary Behavior
Fear Free™ Certified Elite
(he/him/his)
Dr. Asher Feldman graduated from Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. It was in veterinary school that Dr. Feldman discovered his passion for veterinary behavior, taking every opportunity he could to spend time with the behavior department there. After graduation, he completed an intensive one-year rotating small animal internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, DC.
Through veterinary school and his internship, Dr. Feldman built on prior experience training horses and dogs to develop and refine a passion for veterinary behavior. He loves research and is currently involved in multiple studies, including one on the behavioral effects of progressive vs. sudden blindness in dogs. He has pursued additional education outside of his veterinary degree and internship in behavior including the completion of a Human-Animal Bond certification.
In his spare time, Dr. Feldman enjoys sewing, board games, and science fiction. He shares his home with his partner and a perfect labrador mix named Padfoot, who has guided him through helping a dog with behavior problems adapt and flourish.
Bridgette Chesne
Relationships and Programs Manager
Fear Free™ Certified
(she/her/hers)
Bridgette joined The Veterinary Behavior Center in 2022 after a long and loved career at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. For more than 25 years, Bridgette’s leadership at HSBV included the positions of Director of Animal Behavior and Sheltering, Community Resource Manager, and Volunteer Manager. Bridgette enjoys developing programs that advance a learner’s capacity to objectively assess animal behavior with a goal of low-stress handling and opportunities to reinforce desired outcomes. A self-proclaimed junkie for scientific literature, Bridgette enjoys her role of lifelong learner and hopes to engage others along the way. Curating and maintaining healthy relationships between pets and people are the cornerstones of Bridgette’s commitment to animal welfare. She joins The Veterinary Behavior Center with her Fear Free ™ certification and plans to achieve her Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner credentials this year. Bridgette and her husband, Greig, own the Barking Dog Café in Lyons, Colorado, and love spending time in the outdoors with their son, Landin, a University of Colorado Boulder graduate. Bridgette shares her home with two dogs, the most magnificent cat, and three box turtles.
Sarah Swing, KPA-CTP
Lead Behavior Therapy Technician
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner
Fear Free™ Certified
(she/her/hers)
Since high school, Sarah has dipped her toes into a variety of opportunities to work closely with animals, ranging from a dog daycare, to zoo volunteer work, wildlife research, and more. After adopting her dog, Zuri, Sarah became interested in training and behavior as she navigated Zuri’s insecurity with dogs and body handling sensitivities. This experience was so rewarding that Sarah pivoted her career to focus on animal behavior professionally. She has since graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy and is a Fear-Free Certified Professional.
Now with three years of experience working in the field of veterinary behavior and animal welfare, Sarah provides science-based behavior support for pets with anxious, fearful, or hyperactive behaviors. She finds improving the quality of life for both pets and their guardians extremely rewarding, and recognizes the importance of empowering guardians to support their pets during the behavior treatment process. The ins and outs of challenging behaviors continue to be Sarah’s favorite behavior “niche”, and she feels privileged to work where her skills and joy collide!
Sarah shares her home with her husband, Brandon, and dog, Zuri. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, Disney movies and musicals, and time with friends.
Jessica Char, CPDT-KA, CSAT
Behavior Therapy Technician
Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed
Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer
Fear Free™ Certified Trainer
(she/her/hers)
Jessica grew up in Littleton, Colorado and after a long time living elsewhere, returned to her home state in 2020. She has fond memories of training her childhood dog, but only started thinking about dog training as a career after volunteering as a dog walker at a shelter. Eight years later, she has worked as part of the behavior team in multiple large shelters and provided private behavior consulting to help keep pets in their homes.
Happy to call herself a "behavior nerd", Jessica is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, and Fear Free Certified Trainer. She loves guiding and supporting pet guardians through tough challenges and helping both them and their pets live happily together.
Jessica and her partner share their home with a chihuahua named Aspen and a very opinionated rabbit named Dewey.
Lola Wallen
Lead Client Experience Rockstar
(any pronouns)
Lola, a native of upstate New York, moved to Colorado in the summer of 2020 after living in Charleston for 3 years. Although they graduated with a bachelor's degree in Music, Lola has been working with animals for over a decade, providing services as an in-home pet sitter working as an office administrator for animal daycare, boarding, and training facilities.
Lola is passionate about helping others -- animals and humans alike -- and is eager to explore how their skills and interests can contribute to the welfare of pets and their people. They share their life and home with their dog, Poppy.
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Sammi
Client Experience Rockstar
(she/they)
Sammi has held a lifelong passion for animals, both domestic and wildlife. Having cats her entire life, Sammi has always been interested in the medical and behavioral aspects of her furry companions. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology, Sammi was introduced to the world of behavior through classes such as Animal Behavior and Mammalogy. Having immediately fallen in love with the non-human animal world, Sammi made it her career goal to better the welfare of our four-legged friends.
From fostering kittens to cleaning kennels, Sammi has volunteered at various shelters and previously worked at Denver Dumb Friends League. After dipping her toes in the medical world of animal welfare, Sammi refocused her interests on the behavioral side and is passionate about furthering her knowledge in this area of expertise. Providing support for clients and patients alike, Sammi strives to positively contribute to the world of animal welfare.
Sammi shares her home with her loving husband and two amazing cats, Midnight the Precious Princess and Onyx Rose. She spends her time hiking, swimming, video gaming, and playing pool.
Adjunct Support
