Wickenburg Veterinary Clinic Team

Dr. Kelly Pettinger obtained her veterinary degree from Murdoch University, Western Australia. She has been in the veterinary field for over 20 years and has enjoyed working with all different kinds of animals. Her professional interests/specialties are Feline medicine, dermatology, and surgery. She emphasizes education in all areas of practice and is a strong advocate for continuous learning for doctors, staff, and clients. She feels strongly that caring for our pets is a team effort, and clients who are well informed about their pet’s health, medications and options for the best care can make better decisions to ensure that their furry family members are well-taken care of.

In her free time, Dr. Kelly enjoys trail riding and competing in Trail/obstacle courses around the area. She often visits Lake Pleasant with her family and her horses to keep cool in the summer heat. Dr. Kelly has 6 cats, 2 horses, and fosters various cats and kittens through a local rescue organization. Fun fact: She is a former circus artist! For several years, she trained, performed, and taught classes in aerial silks, dance trapeze, hammock and lyra.

After a particularly cold snowmagedon winter, she moved out to Arizona for an internship, never imagining she would meet her husband and end up staying in the sunny southwest. He has since taught her everything she never needed to know about rodeo, bull riding, and Star Wars.

An equine practitioner at heart, she spent 10 years in mixed animal practice, working on everything from dogs and cats to horses to the occasional alpaca. She has developed a passion for sports medicine, treating working dogs and rodeo animals alike. While she primarily practices Western medicine, Dr. Elise is very interested in Complementary Medicine, becoming AVCA certified in Animal Chiropractic in 2013, and finishing an Acupuncture program in 2022. When she isn’t working, you can find her home on the ranch in Wickenburg with her husband Jake, their 2 sons Guy and Sean, and their menagerie of dogs, cats, horses and bucking bulls. She loves baking and all things Disney!

Usually, when I’m not at work, I’m at home with even more animals (including my husband) or with my wonderfully energetic grandbabies!

I’ve been working in the Veterinary Field for over 5 years and I started with Wickenburg Veterinary Clinic about mid-2023. When I am not at work I am playing pickleball. I’ve been playing doe the last 11 years. Or you can catch me out on a hike with my dogs Chip and Rafa.