Our Staff

When I was 3, I wanted to be an astronaut. When I was 5, I saw what a veterinarian did for a living and immediately changed my career plans. When I was 10, I managed to talk the local veterinarian into letting me clean cages at his practice and decided that this was, indeed, the right place for me. It was not an easy path by any means, and I did work in the software field briefly before starting veterinary school. In 1996, I graduated from U/C Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and my life has not been the same since. I have worked at several different practices over the years, from San Francisco to King City, from Pacifica to Stockton, learning different techniques and approaches to help our canine and feline companions. I am excited to be part of this beautiful practice that is so close to my hometown of Los Gatos, with cutting edge equipment and a very progressive approach to veterinary care. I live in the Santa Cruz mountains with 5 chickens, 2 goats, 1 miniature horse, and I am a full-time servant to my two feline overlords who are named Rasputin and Buffy. In the times between work and home, I read fantasy/SF, knit, ride my motorcycle, and play tabletop role playing games. I am also the creator of this website, so if you have any comments please direct them my way!

I joined the South Bay team as an overnight emergency veterinarian, eager to help your pets while the rest of the city is asleep! Originally from Kansas City, MO, I attended University of Missouri for my undergraduate studies in Animal Science and continued my education at the University of Missouri-College of Veterinary Medicine. I am new to California, and currently loving everything about the weather, landscape, food, and people! My veterinary passions include emergency and critical care, pain management, surgery, and oncology. I also love hiking, kayaking, bass fishing, hot yoga, baking decorative desserts, and rollerblading with my Australian cattle dog mix, Lola (pictured), and my Australian shepherd, Bennett.

Dr. Key, as his staff and clients call him, earned his DVM degree from Shiraz University in 1996. He received his MS from Ontario Veterinary College in Canada in the field of urinary tract infections in dogs in 2010. He then participated in a training program in dermatology at the OVC with an emphasis on otitis externa (ear infection) in dogs and cats. He received his veterinary accreditation from Oklahoma State University in 2011 and has been working in general practice in the Bay Area since then. He lives in San Jose with his wife and his two children. When he's not practicing veterinary medicine, he enjoys traveling and swimming.

Mandy has been with our office since 1994. She is currently the Hospital Administrator. When she’s not working at the clinic, she’s working at home with an all male family with her husband, two sons, and two male dogs. She is multi-lingual in English, Punjabi, and Hindi.

Hello, my name is Barbara McManus and I am thePractice Manager for South Bay Animal Hospital & Pet Resort. I am a Registered Veterinary Technician and have been in the veterinary field since 1998. My favorite part of what I do is getting the opportunity to help so many wonderful pets and their people! From mice, to dogs and cats, to reptiles and birds, I am passionate about what I do and love coming to work everyday! When I am at home, I spend time daughter and our two kitties.

I started out as a veterinary assistant over twenty years ago. I have had experience with emergency and critical care but I really love to focus on preventative medicine with dogs and cats. I passed the National Veterinary Technician exam and became certified in my home state of Massachusetts in 2003 and practiced in Kentucky, Florida and now here in California. I am passionate about providing the best possible care to my patients and clients and my particular interests are in pain control, anesthesia, nutrition, and post-surgical rehabilitation. I have four cats, Mona, Peepers, Wendy (pictured with me), Marie and Johnny the lone dog. They are all rescues and two of the cats were bottle raised by me. I love to make a difference in the lives of my patients and their concerned parents. I honeymooned in California and loved the area so much that I moved here with my husband and all my furry children the summer of 2014. I have worked for Dr. Atwal since February 2015.

Veterinary medicine was a career change for me. I took classes at Foothill College and got an internship as a vet tech assistant, and I never looked back. I now have over three years of experience in this field and I love what I do because I do what I love. I have further plans for my career in the form of working towards my Registered Veterinary Technician license. When I'm not at the practice, I play a mean guitar, listen to as much rock and roll as I can, fix stuff around the house, and tinker with my '65 Mustang. (It will live again... eventually.) I have two puppies (one, Luna, is pictured with me), 3 cats, and a handful of assorted reptiles.

Hello, my name is Javier, and I am a technician assistant for South Bay Animal Hospital's emergency department. I started out working with animals after high school at a pet hotel where I took care of the dogs and cats staying overnight. I loved my job so much that it eventually led me to attend school to become a registered veterinary technician. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to learn and help take care of the patients being treated here at South Bay Animal Hospital. In my spare time, I like to read books and watch horror movies. I also like to spend time with friends, family and my little pack at home: my dog Precious, my two cats Luna and Poe, my bunny Bellatrix, and my turtle Shelley.

Hi, my name is Alex. This is my first job as a Veterinary Technician Assistant; before this, I worked in a kennel. My love for animals started at a young age. In 2013 I received my Veterinary Assistant Certification. I have one dog at home named Willie, he is a beagle/jack russel mix and is about 4 years old. In the future, I plan on going to school to become a RVT. When I'm not working I love to relax with my dog at home, go on hikes, ride my quads, and go fishing.

Amit has worked on and off for almost the past decade since starting high school. He was driven into the field by his curiosity and passion for animals. He currently handles any IT issues and assists, Dr. Atwal, whenever needed! He is multi-lingual in English, Spanish and Punjabi. Right now he is still deciding on a major; his interests span psychology, biology, and chemistry.

My oldest and happiest memories include animals and the pets I grew up with: life is just that much more beautiful with animals. I love almost all creatures (especially insects!). I currently have two feline companions (Gayatri and Marilyn Monroe) as well as a colony of Madagascan hissing cockroaches. Just think of them as large beetles... Medicine as a practice and customer service are two things I'm very passionate about, which is why I'm drawn to the veterinary field. When not working, I enjoy making art, hiking, cinema, volunteering, geocaching, and petsitting.

In 2002, I left the world of high-tech and found a true passion in working with animals. I worked at Humane Society Silicon Valley for 12 years where I was the Manager of Animal Care and had a lead role in working with the onsite Doggie Daycare, Boarding and Grooming services. One of my most important goals every day was to make sure the animals in my care received the gold standard of care. I am pleased to now bring it to the South Bay Animal Hospital and Pet Resort. I pride myself on looking at every animal as an individual, making sure their mental and physical needs are met, and doing everything I can to ensure they’re happy and comfortable at their home away from home. When I’m not looking after the awesome animals at the resort, I spend my time with my two- and four-legged family which includes my fiancé, three daughters, four cats, and one super-special dog.

I was raised in Pacifica and moved to San Jose in 2012 where I got my first job as a kennel attendant. I have always loved animals but working there helped me to figure out what I wanted to go to school for. I am currently attending a local community college to finish my prerequisites in hopes to join the vet tech program while having greater dreams of majoring in Animal Biology. In 2016 I joined the Pet Resort team at South Bay Animal Hospital and it's been a great experience. ​​​​​​​