Your Veterinarians
Bert Blumenfeld, DVM
Veterinarian - Practice Limited to Surgery
Gabriel Benitez, DVM
Relief Veterinarian
Your Technicians
Veterinarian - Practice Limited to Surgery
Relief Veterinarian
Dr. Randy Aronson has dedicated his professional life to providing innovative veterinary care for companion animals of Arizona. He is never satisfied with the status quo and is determined to provide the best care for his patients and the people who love them. Advancing preventative and diagnostic capabilities as well as enhancing treatment outcomes is his passion.
Dr. Aronson augments his over 35 years of traditional veterinary experience as both a practice owner and an accomplished practitioner through the completion and certification in complementary modalities. Dr. Aronson has extensive training in rehabilitation therapy, Chinese food therapy, Chinese herbal medicine, and acupuncture. His gift is seeing the big picture, embracing the concept of optimum health and accurate diagnoses, caring for the whole animal, not simply treating disease symptoms.
Inspired by the synergy of integrating conventional and complementary medicine, Dr. Randy Aronson and his wife, Dr. Geren Thurston, set out to create a new paradigm of care for companion animals of southern Arizona. PAWS Integrative Veterinary Center is his passion and shared vision for the future of veterinary medicine.
Dr. Aronson grew up in Philadelphia dreaming of becoming an equine veterinarian or a NBA star. He received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University. He went on to pursue his Veterinary Medical Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1980 receiving the Leonard Pearson award, the highest honor of student achievement. He completed a combined small animal Internship in 1981.
When Dr. Aronson is not caring for animals and educating clients at PAWS, he is busy providing seminars, Skype conferences, Key note speaking, consulting for pet health product companies, providing consultations with pet owners through Google hangouts, and hosted a call-in talk radio show, Radio Pet Vet with Dr. Randy for over 10 years. He enjoys educating pet owners through both public speaking and column writing. He is a member of the National Speakers’ Association; he has published numerous articles in both national and local periodicals. To ensure quality and accountability for the safety and benefit of his patients, he directed and co-formulated 2Docs, a comprehensive line of vitamins and dietary supplements.
Although he loves biking, hiking, fishing, gardening, and reading, most of his free-time is spent goofing around with his son, Benjamin and daughter Livia.
For Dr. Geren Thurston, a passion and appreciation for animals combined with a love for science and problem solving shaped a childhood dream of becoming a Veterinarian. As soon as she had her driver’s license, she secured her dream job cleaning kennels and walking dogs at a Veterinary Clinic in Nebraska. Through this early experience, she was transformed by the profound human-animal bond, the magical connection of meaning and joy that we share with animals. Witnessing the important role medical care, disease prevention and education have in the lives of people and their beloved pets, resolved her to continue her pursuit of Veterinary Medicine. Sharing in, protecting and prolonging the relationships that we experience with animals is her enduring source of inspiration and fulfillment.
Dr. Geren Thurston fell in love with Tucson during her undergraduate education, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arizona in 1997. She attended Veterinary School at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and received her D.V.M. degree in 2001. She was recognized through varied academic and service achievements.
Upon completion of Veterinary School in 2001, Dr. Geren Thurston eagerly returned to Tucson to begin her career caring for dogs and cats. She enjoys the challenges and rewards of general practice, from puppy and kitten exams to end of life care, as well as the preventative, surgical and medical services in between.
After many years of planning, Dr. Geren Thurston and her best friend & husband, Dr. Randy Aronson, opened PAWS in July of 2008. PAWS is the embodiment of their shared passion and vision for the future of Veterinary Medicine, as well as their commitment of caring for pets and people of Southern Arizona.
In her free time, she loves goofing around with their son, Benjamin and daughter, Livia. She enjoys being outdoors, going to the movies, working around the house, hiking and horseback riding.
Dr. Anne Schubach knew from a young age she would be involved with animals in one way or another. She moved to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands when she was 8 and began volunteering at the Veterinary Clinic on the island. When she moved to Tucson at age 11, she immediately volunteered at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, walking dogs, caring for cats, fostering kittens and adopting multiple rescue hamsters. When she turned 15, she worked at a local riding stable guiding tourists on trail rides and helping to care for the horses. She attended the Veterinary Assistant Program at Pima Community College and started work as a Veterinary Assistant in 2013. She continued her education at PCC in the Veterinary Technician Program. Dr. Schubach finished the Vet Tech Program and became a Certified Veterinary Technician in 2015. She then moved to Flagstaff where she worked full time as a CVT and Technician Manager while completing a Bachelor of Science Degree at Northern Arizona University. In order to reach her goal of being a Veterinarian, Dr. Schubach made the move to Palmerston North, New Zealand to study Veterinary Medicine at Massey University where she completed her degree in 2023. It was there she solidified her desire to work strictly with small animals and realized she never wanted to see a cow again. While studying, she also worked as a Locum Nurse in the teaching hospital and was a student leader of the cat desexing clinic run by the Veterinary School.
Even though living in New Zealand was an amazing experience, the unique desert of Tucson kept calling to her, and she knew she would be returning home after finishing the program. She is excited to join the PAWS team and begin her journey as a small animal General Practice Veterinarian and is deeply committed to providing the best veterinary care she can to her patients. Some areas of special interest include dentistry, surgery and creating a fear-free environment for patients. She is eager to learn more about the rehabilitation/integrative medicine done at PAWS. She has a special place in her heart for her feline friends and looks forward to meeting them.
In her free time, Anne enjoys the large variety of delicious food available in Tucson, going to the movies, playing games, horseback riding and spending time with her family after being away from them for 5 years.
Dr. Fallini grew up on a large cattle ranch in rural central Nevada. Her love of animals and caring for them started at a young age and it was early on that she knew her passion was to become a veterinarian. She never wavered in pursuing that goal and after working through high school as a kennel and veterinary assistant she attended the University of California at Davis earning both her undergraduate and doctorate degree in Veterinary Medicine. During her time at Veterinary School, she spent her summers doing extra rotations at the Veterinary college and earned the student surgery award given by the veterinary surgical society.
Since graduating in 1995 Dr. Fallini has worked in a variety of clinical settings including mixed animal, small animal, and a feline only practice.
Dr. Fallini’s love of the profession has only grown throughout the years. She loves the animals, the constant learning, and the gratification of promoting and nurturing the human-animal bond. She feels extremely blessed that she gets to live her life’s calling every day.
Although she enjoys multiple aspects of the profession, she has special interest in abdominal and cardiac ultrasound, soft tissue surgery and small animal internal medicine.
In her spare time she takes care of the multitude of animals she has surrounded herself with. This includes two English bulldogs, four cats, one Amazon parrot, and multiple horses and cows. She loves all things outdoors and enjoys team roping with her husband.
Dr. Fallini feels very fortunate to be joining the talented and dedicated animal care team at PAWS Veterinary Center.
Dr. Sandate was born and raised in Tucson, AZ. She attended the University of Arizona and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Veterinary Science in 2011 and Professional Science Master’s Degree in Applied Biosciences with a track in Molecular & Cellular Biology in 2015. She then attended Colorado State University and obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 2020. After veterinary school, she completed a small/exotic animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at VCA Valley Animal Hospital here in Tucson. She then continued working in general practice locally. Some of her interests include preventative medicine, internal medicine, dentistry, rehabilitation, geriatric care, and hospice care. Her other interests include exotic companion animal, zoologic, and wildlife medicine. Dr. Sandate enjoys listening to music, attending concerts, watching movies, reading, spending time with family/friends, and playing with her Chihuahua/Rat Terrier, Zazu. Dr. Sandate is a strong believer in providing quality care with kindness, love, understanding, and partnership. She is grateful to join the dedicated PAWS team and to have the opportunity to continue learning and growing as a veterinarian, especially when it comes to integrative medicine.
Sarah is a graduate of Pima Community College’s Veterinary Technology Program, and has been nationally- and AZ state-certified since 2010. She spent the first eight years of her career in general practice as a Lead Technician. She has two years of experience as an Emergency ICU Technician, where she sharpened her nursing skills & cared for critical patients. Prior to PAWS, she spent several years as a Veterinary Ophthalmology Technician on a busy team, assisting with cataract and corneal procedures and gaining experience in advanced anesthetic monitoring. She joined the PAWS Family in April 2019. She became a Certified Veterinary Business Leader in 2022, and is working on obtaining her Certified Veterinary Practice Manager accreditation.
Sarah is passionate about patient care and is Fear-Free certified. She has been extensively trained in Low-Stress Handling techniques. She has special interests in behavior, nutrition, dentistry, and neonatal care. She is an experienced kitten foster with a soft spot for single orphans.
When not at work, Sarah and her husband can be found seeking out great concerts and traveling to fun destinations. Sarah shares her life and home with Cedric Diggory the Dachshund/Pug mix and Lollipop the calico kitty.
Lisa is a native of Arizona, born and raised in Tucson. Lisa graduated from Pima Medical Institutes Veterinary Program in 1987. She has devoted her career to veterinary medicine by working in many different roles, expanding her knowledge over the years.
Lisa worked in two local veterinary hospitals before relocating to the White Mountains, where she worked for several years at a veterinary hospital in Lakeside, Arizona. She returned to Tucson after many years and joined the PAWS team in early 2013. Lisa loves spending her time with her husband Marc, their two dogs, Ava, Sadie, and their cat Cheeto. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, camping, gardening, cooking, and reading.
Meet Chloe! Chloe is a native of Tucson, Arizona, and has been in the veterinary field since 2012. In 2015, she decided to follow her dreams & enroll at Pima Medical Institute in the Veterinary Technician Program. In 2017, she graduated with honors and passed her national and state board exams & became a Certified Veterinary Technician. Chloe has worked at both urgent care & emergency facilities but has found her true passion with Integrative Medicine here at PAWS.
Chloe is a Fear Free Certified Technician, Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional, and certified in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, she is pursuing further education as a Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Canine/Feline Clinical Practice.
In her spare time, you can find her in her garden, reading mystery novels, lifting weights, or playing video games with her husband. She has an English Mastiff/Great Dane mix named Lily, a lynx-point Siamese cat named Miso, an orange creamsicle cat named Mango, a 150-gallon saltwater reef & fish tank, and a 4-foot-long ball python snake named Layla.
Diana has over a decade of experience in the veterinary field. She graduated from Pima Community College’s Veterinary Technician program in 2010, and gained her Certified Veterinary Technician credentials shorty after. After learning and growing in a specialty veterinary surgical facility, Diana’s interest turned to the recovery process. Her love of companion animals drove her to seek out novel ways to help her patients enjoy a long, healthy life of joy with their owners. Seeing patients healing through rehabilitation proved to be very rewarding, and revealed a path to continue to grow her passion for patient care.
Patient recovery was only one of the motivators for Diana to change her focus to canine rehabilitation. Diana’s health journey cemented her love of helping others gain back the quality of life they were meant to have. With the help of her father, she gained a new life after losing weight and training her mind and body to push for excellence. This new life has ignited her passion to see her patients get their quality of life back too.
Diana graduated from the University of Tennessee’s Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner Program and received her CCRP accreditation in December 2019.
Alex was born and raised in Tucson, AZ. She has grown up around animals her whole life, so it was an easy decision for her to choose this career. Alex graduated from Carrington College, from the veterinary program and will be continuing her education to become a CVT.
She has 5 fur babies, Kahlua, Canela, Pepper, Dakota, and Oscar. On her spare time, she loves to spend time with her family and attend sporting events.
Annise was born in San Diego, California, and has lived in Tucson since 2008. At a young age, she spent a lot of her free time caring for and learning from her grandmother’s many pets – including over 40 dogs!
In college, she volunteered at PAWS and fell in love with the atmosphere and team-oriented work environment. After graduating from the University of Arizona’s Veterinary Science Program in 2016, she spent 4 years in general veterinary practice where she learned many vital skills and obtained more knowledge in animal health. Ultimately, she wanted to return to where she was first introduced to a veterinary setting, PAWS Veterinary Center!
She enjoys cuddling with her kitties, Hershey and Kit Kat, playing with her dogs, Rolo and Junior, and hanging out with her red-eared slider turtles, Whopper and Timmy.
Hayley may not be from Tucson, but Tucson is definitely her home! After years of working in the restaurant industry, Hayley decided she needed major change and applied to PAWS in hopes to become apart of their amazing team. Since being hired, every day is a new opportunity to learn something new and expand her education. Hayley came to realize working with animals is passion of hers and plans to attend college and become a certified veterinary technician. Until then, Hayley enjoys hiking with friends and family, going out to try new and exotic foods, and constantly cuddling her miniature dachshund Benny. She lives by the motto, “life is hard, but dogs are soft!” and is excited to see where working in this industry will take her.
Alex was born in Tucson and raised mostly in Arizona. From a young age, she knew she needed a career in veterinary medicine after she revived a small kitten with CPR and saved its life.
Alex’s passion is special needs care, rehabilitative therapy, and holistic medicine. This made it an easy decision to join the PAWS family. Alex plans to continue her education to become a Certified Veterinary Technician, as well as a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, to continue providing quality care to all pets.
In her free time, she likes to hike the mountains with her 3 dogs, Tiny, Minnie & Maliah. She enjoys playing with her cat, Baby Boo, and her newest “tri-pawed” kitty, Honey.
Amelia is a native of Arizona, born and raised in Phoenix. She moved to Tucson to pursue a career in the veterinary field. She recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelors in Veterinary Science. Amelia’s favorite activity includes spending time with her family and her 2 year old German Sheppard, Dodger. She is excited to continue her education and work toward attending veterinary school.
Kassandra was born and raised in Tucson, and graduated from Pima Medical Institute in 2019. She always felt the need to help and rescue animals, in any way she could, because just being around them makes her feel like the world is a better place. She joined the PAWS team in August 2022.
Outside work, Kassandra enjoys cooking new meals (cooking is her love language!), painting rocks, exploring the outdoors, and watching shows. Her favorite movie genre is horror, and she decorates for Halloween all year round.
Brittany is a country girl born in Springfield, Missouri. She split her time growing up between Missouri and Tucson. Brittany’s childhood dream job was to be in the Veterinary Field. She graduated from the Veterinary Assisting program at Pima Medical Institute in 2016 and has been living her dream ever since. There are 4 pets that currently reside in her heart – 2 cats named Parry James and Amara Echo, and 2 dogs named Denver Boy and Odin Son. When not at work, Brittany is a frequent Zoo visitor and enjoys going on fishing/camping trips.
Kim is a proud Tucson native. After working in retail and finance for years, Kim followed her passion and went back to school earning her degree in Veterinary Technology and passing her state- and national-board exams in 2021. Kim has a love for all things Disney and enjoys traveling, reading, and rooting for the Green Bay Packers. She has four dogs: a tripod Puggle named Jordi, a Jack Russell named Maximus, a Border Collie named Sparrow, and a miniature Dachshund named Julep.
Chantage is a Tucson native who graduated from Pima Medical Institute, where she earned her Veterinary Assistant certification. She has been in the veterinary field for 10 years. Growing up, Chantage always had a passion for helping animals and had a variety of pets. She currently has a betta fish Phineas, 2 cats Philip and Poe, and 3 dogs Wicket, Sadie, and Frank. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and supporting Tucson’s local businesses.
Natalie joins the PAWS team with over 11 years of clinical experience, and being a veterinary technician is her true passion and she still loves what she does every day!
Her best friend, tj, is 12 years young and furry with 4 paws. Natalie has serious appreciation for a cup of coffee and some great music, and speaks mostly in movie quotes. Natalie is a plant mom working toward filling her home like a jungle of greenery!
After bouncing around a few different career paths, Jesse has decided to join the PAWS team as a Patient Care Assistant in hopes of becoming a full-time technician in the future. Jesse joins the team with two years of animal experience under her belt and knows that animals are her passion. Not a day goes by that she is not working with animals in some capacity and learning something new to help grow her knowledge. Whenever she isn’t wrangling the hounds, Jesse enjoys relaxing at home and getting lost in a book or traveling and going to events with friends. Jesse looks forward to learning more and more about the veterinary industry and can’t wait to see where this path takes her!
Pam was born in Indiana and moved to Tucson when she was two years old. Her love for animals has been there as long as she can remember. Pam graduated from the Pima Community College Veterinary Technology program in 2007, and worked in general practice for 19 years. Pam was looking for a change and a new way to help animals, and joined the PAWS family in 2025 to continue her journey of learning every day. In her free time, she enjoys being active and spending time with her fur babies and family. Her pets at home include Hank – a Mastiff mix, Gertrude – a Basset Hound, and Billie the cat.
Autumn joined the PAWS team with three years of veterinary experience and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Science at the University of Arizona. Growing up surrounded by animals, she spends much of her time at her family’s farm and rescue in Oracle, Arizona, caring for creatures of all shapes and sizes. At home, she has a beloved cat, Stetson, and a loyal dog, May. Outside of work, Autumn is a passionate fan of musicals and movies, always eager to enjoy a good story on screen or stage.
Alivia was born and raised in central Ohio. She moved to Tucson about 4 years ago to explore the West Coast and soak up the sunshine! She found her passion for animal care through raising and training service dogs in college for children and veterans with disabilities. Alivia joins PAWS with 5 years of clinical experience in Internal Medicine and General Practice. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Zoology from Kent State University. Alivia’s dream is to continue building on her growth, education, and passion animals by attending veterinary school. She currently has 3 cats (Winona, Lydia, and Howl) and 1 standard poodle (Zissou) all named after movie characters. In her free time you can find her hiking, camping, and painting.
Carol comes to Oro Valley, AZ from South Texas. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian and she enjoyed rehabilitating all types of injured critters that would somehow find her. After 10 years in retail, Carol finally had the courage to step into the veterinary world. Carol worked hard and joins the PAWS team with 3 years of experience as a veterinary technician. Carol is now set on gaining her Certified Veterinary Technician credential, and is here in Tucson while she accompanies her partner who is attending the U of A College of Veterinary Medicine for their DVM. Carol’s ultimate dream is to one day have her own personal shelter for all the four-legged friends in need of tender loving care. Carol’s hobbies include soaking up the sun at the beach, singing at karaoke, fishing, working out, snapping pictures for her personal vlogs, and spending lots of time with her 2 fur babies. Her heart belongs to a creme Siberian husky named Jordan and an orange tabby cat named Alley Cat, aka “The King.”
Michelle was born in Michigan and raised in Tucson. She was raised with dogs her entire childhood. And In her early 20’s she took in and raised abandoned kitties. Currently, Michelle and her husband, Don, have 2 dogs, Rascal- a Bichon mix (Zuchon), and Roxy- a Terrier mix, and a cat, Shadow. Together, they have 5 kids and 2 grandkids.
After working 25+ years in the fast-food industry, Michelle was ready to try for something new and was graciously given an opportunity to work with her love for animals at PAWS. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, singing, and spending time with her family and friends.
Jenn is new to PAWS but not new to Veterinary Medicine. After a 12 year hiatus, she has finally found her way back to her calling again. Jenn came to Tucson in 2001 from Washington State, and it was then that she realized that working with animals was her calling. With an awkward and needy doggo, plus three cats at home, her life is filled with joy. In her free time, Jenn enjoys family time with her kids. Her oldest daughter, Jessica, is attending the U of A seeking a Music Production/ Interior Design degree. She fills the rest of her time with her boys William, and Lucas, just doing family stuff like going to the Park or the Zoo or hanging out at home — family time is a must! Jenn is all about genuinely enjoying life one day at a time.
Analisa is from Southern California and comes from the San Diego & Orange County areas. After relocating to Tucson, AZ to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science at the University of Arizona, she joined the PAWS Team in 2024. Her calling in life is working with animals, and Analisa has a special interest in Rehabilitative Care and Nutrition and is excited to continue to expand her knowledge and experience. Back in CA, Analisa has a sweet and sassy Maltipoo named Coco. She loves to run and visit farmer’s markets in her free time.
