MEET DR. LILY CHEN AND THE INTEGRATIVE PET TEAM

Maria, a California native, is a registered veterinary technician with many years of experience in multi-specialty and critical care. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of California, Davis. Maria also attended the University of Tennessee’s Canine Rehabilitation Program as well as Ojai’s School of Canine Massage.

She enjoys working with all types of animals and seeing the results of integrative medicine. In her eyes, all animals can benefit from manual therapy, including massage, stretching, and range of motion exercises. Maria enjoys working hands-on with pets and supporting their individual needs. Her passion is to support the wellness path of our furry friends and their caretakers.

Maria also has a keen interest in animal behavior. There is so much welcome and, at times, unwelcome behavior from our furry friends. She likes to smooth out any wrinkles for a stress-free life for both pets and their caretakers.

In her time away from work, she likes to be out in nature. Maria loves hiking, yoga, photography, and restoring furniture. She lives with her two beloved dogs, Toochi and Lili, and her cat Eliza.

Mickie was born and raised in Torrance California. She found a love for animals early on in life through horses and family pets. The day after she graduated high school she moved to the southern sierras to work as a Wrangler. During that time she adopted a German shepherd who she named Dog. After working for 3 years, she decided to come home. With no plan she found vet assisting school, and for her externship she was placed at Integrative Pet Wellness Center. Although she was skeptical, she learned new ways of medicine and has been able to form relationships with the team and pet parents. Seeing how much everyone cares for one another, and a community that continues to grow everyday makes her exceptionally happy and proud to be a part of this team!

Encouraged by a friend to return to school, Karen made the bold decision to follow her true passion—working with animals. During her studies, she completed an externship at Integrative Pet Wellness Center, where her dedication and skills impressed the team so much that they offered her a permanent position. Karen is incredibly proud of her decision to follow her passion and is thrilled to be part of such a wonderful team.

Her advice to anyone unsure about their career path is simple: follow your dreams and never let obstacles stand in the way, as the journey is truly worth it.

After graduating from Temescal Canyon High School, Royce was accepted to Cal State San Marcos. He entered college with an interest in veterinary medicine but discovered that the school did not offer a veterinary technology program, which led him to explore other fields of study. Over the course of two years, he explored several majors—including Kinesiology, Communication, and Biology—while working to find the right direction. Eventually, financial pressures required him to put school on hold and begin working full time to support himself.

Royce spent over five years working as a customer service representative in Temecula. Later, he moved to Bellflower to care for his grandfather and began working as a FedEx delivery driver. Although he appreciated the stability of these roles, he continued searching for a path that would allow him to work more directly with animals. He even considered massage therapy, with the long-term goal of applying it to animals. While researching massage therapy programs, he came across California Healing Arts College (CHAC) because they offered one. That’s when he discovered their Veterinary Assistant Program—and he knew he had found a second chance to pursue his original passion.

While studying at CHAC, Royce and his mother rescued two pregnant dogs, giving them a safe place in his grandfather’s home to give birth. One had nine puppies, and the other had seven. They kept both mother dogs as pets—one of them, a German Shepherd named Juno, is especially loyal to him. They raised the puppies in the backyard and successfully found homes for them through social media and with the use of adoption contracts to ensure that they would never end up in shelters. Rescue work has since become something Royce contributes to whenever he can. (And if you ever want to see pictures of the puppies, he’s always happy to share—it’s one of his favorite memories.)

After completing the academic portion of the veterinary assistant program, his instructor offered him the opportunity to do his externship at Integrative Pet Wellness Center (IPWC). When he learned that the clinic offered massage and physical therapy for pets, he was pleasantly surprised and felt like he had landed exactly where he was meant to be. At the time, Royce was grieving the recent loss of his 14-year-old golden retriever. Being welcomed by such a compassionate team provided the supportive environment he needed to begin healing. He feels incredibly fortunate to be working alongside people who genuinely care and to be part of a work environment where he feels supported, valued, and truly happy.

Outside of work, Royce enjoys weightlifting, martial arts—including Taekwondo (he holds a 2nd-degree black belt) and Jiu-Jitsu—camping, hiking, swimming, watching movies, and exploring new foods. He currently lives with five dogs, who make every day feel rewarding and full of purpose.