Meet Our Doctors

Dr. Kalivoda, Medical Director

Although originally born in Kansas, Dr. Kalivoda spent the majority of her childhood training and showing horses on her family's ranch in Oklahoma. Her family later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and then again to Las Vegas, Nevada where she earned her high school diploma from the Advanced Technologies Academy.

For undergrad, Kalivoda attended the University of Nevada, Reno where she received a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science. While working towards her degree at UNR she was extensively involved in a wide array of extra-curricular activities such as the UNR Ambassador program and helping found an agricultural, business fraternity.

Following her success at the University of Nevada, Kalivoda chose to attend Oklahoma State University where she earned a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. While attending OSU she was once again heavily active in community service as a member of the Omega Tau Sigma fraternity. Upon earning her Doctorate, Kalivoda chose to continue her eduation and was selected into a small animal rotating internship at the VCA Veterinary Care and Referral Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During that internship she spent time working with and learning from multiple veterinarians and specialists, including: Internal medicine, emergency medicine, orthopedic and soft tissue surgery, cardiology, ophthalmology, dentristy and oncology.

Now part of the team at Advanced PetCare, Kalivoda is very excited to take on yet another new challenge and return to Reno/Tahoe with her two cats and Chihuahua named "Choppy!".

Dr. Paster, DACVS

Dr. Erin Paster graduated from the University of Minnesota, School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001, completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Michigan Veterinary Specialists, and a surgical internship at Veterinary Specialists of Rochester, in New York. She then pursued a post doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, where she ran the PennHIP clinic and pursued research interests in PennHIP screening, hip dysplasia and orthopedic disease. Dr. Paster’s surgical residency training was completed at UC Davis in 2008, and she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2009. Her clinical interests include soft tissue surgery for critical patients, extrahepatic biliary surgery, vascular surgery, thoracic procedures, small exotic animal surgery and orthopedics for sporting dog breeds.

Dr. Paster’s personal interests include music performance, the outdoors, fishing, rock hounding, gardening, studio art, and eating, especially Wisconsin cheese. She lives with her husband, Joel, their two enthusiastic Weimaraners, Aris and Hilde, 3 cats, a bunny and three turtles.

Dr. Burton, DVM

Also from Oklahoma, Dr. Burton was raised on an Arabian horse farm in the small, rural town of Okmulgee. In her youth, she focused most of her free time training & racing endurance horses, but enjoyed other activities, including basketball, SCUBA diving, and surfing on the east coast while visiting family in North Carolina.

After graduating from Morris High School, Dr. Burton moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where she attended Oklahoma State University playing for OSU’s collegiate horse Polo Team. In 2006, she was accepted into OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and became a classmate to Dr. Kalivoda. She was an active member of the graduate fraternity of Omega Tau Sigma, and participated in community service activities centered on volunteering and remodeling local animal shelters and humane societies. During her last few years of vet school, Dr. Burton spent time working with surgery and feral cat trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs across North Carolina.

After receiving her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, she pursued a Shelter Medicine and Surgery Internship at OSU where she would have the opportunity to gain a wide variety of surgical experience. In the internship, she worked as the veterinarian at the City of Tulsa Animal Welfare, becoming involved with animal cruelty & forensic investigations. She also was involved with teaching Junior Surgery Programs at both Oklahoma State University & the University of Florida. It was during this internship that Dr. Burton recognized the severe national pet overpopulation crisis, and the desperate need for action. To help control animal overpopulation, Dr. Burton became a Shelter Surgery Resident for Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine where she takes her team of Veterinary Students throughout the state teaching & performing high volume spay/neuters at local animal shelters.

Dr. Tiernan

Dr. Kathryn Tiernan was born in Tarzana, California. Shortly after, her family relocated to San Juan Capistrano where she lived until the age of 12. Her family then moved to Roswell, Georgia where she spent the rest of her teen years. She graduated from Milton High School and then attended Clemson University where she received her Bachelors of Science in Animal and Veterinary Sciences. While at Clemson, she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Rowing Team, a cadet in Army ROTC, and played intramural soccer. She commissioned as an Army Reserves Officer in the Medical Service Corps in December of 2006. Following graduation, Dr. Tiernan accepted a position as an extern at an Equine breeding ranch in Whitesboro, Texas. It was while she was in Texas that she received her acceptance letter to Oklahoma State Veterinary School. Following her externship, she returned to Georgia and worked as a veterinary technician at an emergency and referral specialty hospital, while concurrently completing her Army Officer Training at Fort Benning in Georgia and Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

In the fall of 2008, Dr. Tiernan began veterinary school at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. While at Oklahoma State, she was an active member of the professional fraternity, Omega Tau Sigma.  She participated in community service activities that included volunteering at the Stillwater humane society, fundraising, and donating canned goods to the local Goodwill organization. During her third year of veterinary school she was selected as a Morris Animal Foundation Student Scholar and worked on a research project that resulted in a publication in the Journal of Parasitology.

Dr. Tiernan lives in Sparks, Nevada with her Catahoula Lily Merle, who is a deaf rescue dog. In her free time she enjoys physical fitness, music, outdoor activities, reading, movies, spending time with friends, and getting to know the Reno/Tahoe area.