A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Curtis Press graduated from veterinary school at Tufts University in 1995. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery, Curtis began working at Mission Pet Hospital.

 

"I have basically come to MPH to stay. Working in a  constructive environment that allows me to practice very high quality medicine has always been my highest career priority," Curtis says, describing MPH as a collaborative space that emphasizes camaraderie and family values.

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Curtis met his wife, Dr. Mary Press, at Tufts, although they are both proud undergraduates of UC Berkeley, as well. The two veterinarians have five children; Joe, Emily, Jason, Sarah, and Curtis Jr (better known as Fiver). If you're wondering about their pet situation, rest assured: adding to their stable are two dogs, two cats, both of whom are named Charlie, three chickens, a horse, a Flemish Giant rabbit and a giant tortoise named Lou.

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As a coach of basically every sport except curling, which is a thing, Curtis spends most of his time outside of MPH with his children, "although I am trying to hang on to skiing and sailing".

 

MPH is certainly feeling the luck of the Irish in welcoming Dr. Dana Al-Nazer, a graduate of University College Dublin, whose passion is small animal medicine.

 

Having previously attained a degree in pharmacy and a diploma in International Business, Dana worked as a managing pharmacist before returning to university to study Veterinary Medicine.

 

Due mostly to the demands of their cat, Cleo, who insisted she needed to live in a place “with less whiskey and more whiskers,” Dana and her husband moved from Ireland to the Bay Area in August 2016. After Cleo gave MPH her resounding endorsement, Dana joined the team in November 2018. When not working, Dana enjoys traveling, hiking, and any other activities that allow her to explore the beautiful Bay Area.

 

A Bay Area local, Dr. Claire Blumstein grew up in Berkeley, graduating with a BA in Anthropology from UC San Diego in 1996. She graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2004.

 

Claire found a home at Mission Pet Hospital after working at several small animal practices around the Bay Area. She says MPH's unique and familial community has anchored her to the practice.

 

On her days off, Claire's partners in crime include a bashful shepherd named Thea and a vocal toddler who plans to become an "animal doctor-firefighter-princess" when she grows up. 

 

A San Francisco native, Dr. Jill Fortuna has enjoyed staying local, earning double bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley. Jill then obtained her veterinary degree from UC Davis in 2008, joining Mission Pet in 2010.

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Jill counts preventative medicine, internal medicine, and behavioral studies among her top professional interests. A small but lively flock of chickens, two dogs, Jill, and her husband share a home in Broadmoor Village. Outside of work, Jill enjoys traveling, listening to music, or curling up with a good book in her garden.

 

Another Bay Area local, Dr. David Gordon grew up in San Jose and studied environmental science and forestry at UC Berkeley. He subsequently worked as an organic farmer and environmental educator.

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Taking his love of all things nature-related to the next level, David returned to school to study Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, after which he began working at Mission Pet.

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At work, David focuses most of his time on surgery, ultrasound, and the  realm of alternative therapy. His extra-professional focuses cycle between his love of biking, photography, playing music -- and, of course, which new hiking trail he's planning to explore with his canine bffs.

 

Also from St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Amanda Perman attended the University of Missouri- Columbia for her BS in biochemistry. She continued on at Mizzou to earn her DVM degree in 2012. Wanting to expand her skills and knowledge, she then went on to complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

 

Following that, she completed another internship focusing solely on ophthalmology before moving to the bay area to enter small animal practice in 2014. She joined our family here at Mission Pet Hospital in 2018.

 

Along with her special interest in ophthalmology, Amanda also enjoys internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, and dentistry. Outside the clinic, Amanda can be found walking around the city, or hitting the trails with her Siberian husky, Kyuzo.

 

In Dr. Chloe Read’s household, her passion for veterinary medicine may only be rivaled by her puppy’s love of foraging for food in the wilderness known as “the floor.” A Rhode Island native, Dr. Read did some solid state-hopping for her degrees, attending Bates University for Neuroscience, and Tufts University for her doctorate. 

 

Dr. Read says her decision to join Mission Pet in 2019 was easy because of the strong sense of community. The familial atmosphere she felt at MPH was only amplified by introducing the practice to what she felt was probably “the most competitive snuggler anyone could imagine” — a tiny, shepherd-mix puppy who had been hospitalized after a congenital esophageal problem. When Dr. Read first met Rooster, it was love at first sight, and also first bite — her new family member started teething, cuddling, and eating food off the ground as soon as her successful surgery was complete, and Dr. Read brought her home. 

 

The strong collaborative atmosphere and dedication to excellence have made MPH the perfect fit for Dr. Read, who now proudly calls San Francisco home.