Dr. Deah Hessian is the owner and Medical Director of Palisades Veterinary Hospital. She purchased the fledgling PVH in 1993, her vision was to create a world class facility with a small-town feel. In the spring of 2000, Dr. Hessian moved the hospital into its own building near the center of Fountain Hills and the fountain.

A native of California, Dr. Hessian holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Arizona in Animal Health Science, Education, and Agriculture Engineering. She attended Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 1990. She worked at the World Health Organization’s primate lab, the Hawaii Zoo, and the Hawaiian State Veterinarian. After graduating from veterinary school, she spent three more years honing her craft at Tri-City East and Main Street Veterinary Clinics.

Dr. Hessian traces her love of animals to her childhood, where she spent countless hours caring for and developing a deep understanding of animals. She purchased her first Quarter Horse while in veterinary school and soon became a competitive rider. Today, she competes in both American Quarter Horse Association and National Reined Cow Horse Association shows and has won multiple world championships.

In addition to her many years of service to the Fountain Hills, Rio Verde and North Scottsdale communities, Dr. Hessian is an active and respected member in the veterinary and animal care community. She has served on the Boards of the Arizona Reined Cow Horse Association, A Dog Owners Group (ADOG, Fountain Hills), Arizona Quarter Horse Association and The Watumull Trust for the Preservation of the Indian Elephant. She also is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), and the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association (AzVMA), where she is recognized as an AzVMA Academy member with more than double the amount of continuing education credits required for membership.

When not working or riding, Dr. Hessian enjoys giving back to her community through work with various non-profit organizations. She is married to Scott Ruple, her best friend and business muse since 1990. They share their Fountain Hills home with their French Bulldog, Hudson.

Dr. Juetten is a resident here in beautiful Fountain Hills. She grew up in Mesa and worked in Scottsdale from 1974 – 2022. She knows the labor of hard work and began her animal care career working as a kennel cleaner for an animal hospital in 1976. From there she certified as a veterinary technician while she worked towards a Bachelor of Science degree from ASU’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She later received her doctorate from Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1985.

She started out training Arabian and other horses at McCormick Ranch Stables (back when Pima and Shea were gravel roads), and is now a wonderful small animal veterinarian. An animal lover for life, with a particular penchant for cats, she is now a member of our caring staff here at Palisades.

Originally from New Mexico, Morgan is now a full-time resident of Arizona. She received her Veterinary Assistant Certificate from the Animal Behavior College and has put it to practical use doing everything from pet sitting/fostering, dog walking, pet nutrition, first aid, CPR to pet massage.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and doing a variety of sports including soccer, softball, swimming, and bowling. In fact, she’s a certified professional bowler and a member of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association. Morgan is currently in a Veterinary Assistant role and has expanded her family with the addition of Raven, her German Shepherd.

Always smiling and willing to help, Alex has been with us since May of 2022. She is currently training to transition from her role as a Customer Service Representative to Veterinary Assistant. She loves to paint, travel, and go backpacking almost as much as she loves her two adopted fur-kids Sasha and Leili. She hopes to someday live on a ship to sail around the world and experience as much of life as she can.

Shannon is a native of Fountain Hills and has been a member of our team since 2017. When she isn’t at Palisades taking extraordinary care of your furry friends, Shannon is home taking care of hers. She enjoys going for walks, a good, scenic hike, and sometimes just relaxing.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Michael moved to Fountain Hills in 1999. He earned his degree in Veterinary Technology from Kaplan College in Phoenix, and has been a Vet Tech since 2013. Michael hired on with Palisades as a Veterinary Technician in early 2022, but is now the Practice Manager.

An ailurophile (cat lover) at heart, Michael is also a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and is working toward certifying Palisades as an AAFP Cat-Friendly Practice. He is a proud father, and has one furry grandkid: a plump grey kitty named Fizzgig (Fizzy for short). One day, he would like to bring an Oriental Short Hair Cat into his family as well.

In his spare time, Michael enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, video games, and collecting cat-themed silver jewelry. His future goals are either to retire to a cabin in the woods somewhere and become a writer, or to open a tabletop roleplaying game store/cat cafe.

Hannah is from Palmyra, VA, but currently lives in Tonto Basin with her Husband and two canine kids (Chief and Billy the Dog). Having graduated from Park University, Hannah joined Palisades in 2022, and quickly became a valued part of the team. When not at work, Hannah enjoys the outdoors, kayaking, and hanging out with her dogs while watching movies.

Sebastian grew up in Fountain Hills, and graduated from Fountain Hills High School. He is an accomplished musician who mainly plays bass and guitar, but has recently expanded to learning the synthesizer. Sebastian is very involved in the local community, and has plans to become a veterinarian himself in the future. He can often be found skateboarding with his dog, Beegee, or relaxing at home.

Stephanie moved to Arizona in 2019 from New York. She is a graduate of Suny Canton, where she was a member of the Tau Phi Zeta Honor Society for Veterinary Technicians and made the university’s President’s List every semester. Stephanie was a Licensed Veterinary Technician in New York, and is a Certified Veterinary Technician here in Arizona. She joined our team and moved to Fountain Hills in 2023.

In addition to swimming, tennis, and other outdoor activities that let her soak up the sun, she has an adorable German Shepherd/Golden Retriever named Charlie, and a handsome cat named Marvel that love spending time with her at home. She has a soft spot in her heart for senior pets, and an interest in working with exotic animals. Her plan for the immediate future is to become a Certified Veterinary Technician Specialist to further enhance her abilities to help pets.

Bio Coming Soon!

Hailing from San Diego, by way of Germany, Whitney is currently living in Mesa, AZ. When she’s not at work, she enjoys working out, hiking, and training her dogs. With an impressive family including ten Catahoula Leopard Dogs, three Cane Corsos, and five calico/tortoiseshell kitties, she has a wealth of experience with pets.

Whitney has worked with Veterinary Specialists for most of her career, but has gotten back to her roots with our primary care practice. She plans on pursuing a Veterinary Technician Specialist certification, to better help our patients.

A Fountain Hills native, Alex is a proud graduate of Fountain Hills High School who plans on pursuing a degree in computer programming in the future. His free time is occupied by travelling, playing guitar, and gaming. His fur-family currently consists of two miniature dachshunds, but may include a cat or two in the future, as he enjoys spending his lunch hours with the cats boarding at our resort.

Originally from Tucson, Marco moved to Fountain Hills in 2016. A former high school varsity athlete, he spends his time hiking, cliff jumping, and making music. His goal is to be successful in all that he does in life, no matter how hard it gets. He enjoys spending time with his two dogs, Luna the Siberian Husky and Peppi the Maltipoo.

Taylor joined the Palisades team in April of 2023. A certified graduate of the East Valley Institute of Technology’s Veterinary Assistant program, she is a cat lover, and often volunteers at Fearless Kitty Rescue here in Fountain Hills. She enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and spending time with her two dogs (Max and Maggie) and her cat (Colin).

Bio Coming Soon!