Our Team
Dr. Kristie Adrian - Veterinarian
(she/her)
Operation Pawsible was founded by Dr. Kristie Adrian in 2026 when she saw an unmet need for our community. Dr. Adrian brings together a phenomenal team of compassionate individuals to provide the best anesthestic and surgical experience for your furry family member. She is passionate about both surgical precision and anesthesitic safety and is excited to help your pet through their surgical journey
Dr. Adrian grew up in rural New Hampshire. She completed her undergraduate studies in the White Mountains of New Hampshire at Plymouth State University. She attended veterinary school at the esteemed Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2011. She initially began her career as a general practitioner in Austin, Texas. Just a year later in 2012, Dr. Adrian had an amazing opportunity to train under an expert in HQHVSN surgery, Dr. Laura Helmueller at Emancipet, changing her career trajectory to one of community service. Since then, she has been drawn to helping shelter animals and families in need and developing her surgical expertise. In addition to spaying/neutering countless dogs and cats, she and her husband also began fostering at-risk puppies (and a few kittens too). They fostered over 70 animals in just 4 years - with only one foster failure! She was honored to help both the Maui and Molokai Humane Societies with MASH (mobile) spay neuter clinics that averaged over 100 spay and neuter surgeries each day! It took an amazing team of dedicated volunteers and staff to accomplish this feat!
Following the adventures of her husband’s career, they had an opportunity to move to San Jose, California in 2013 where Dr. Adrian worked with both the Humane Society of Silicon Valley and the San Jose Animal Care Center (as well as working in general practice). They later moved to the Seattle area in 2018. Dr. Adrian initially worked with PAWS (Lynnwood), as well as Seattle Humane Society prior to their public clinics adjusting services during the COVID-era.
With her additional training in HQHVSN (High-Quality, High-Volume Spay & Neuter) techniques early in her career, along with a dedication to constantly learning new techniques and standards, you can feel confident that she will treat your pet with the same love and skill as she would her own pet. She has additional training in low-stress handling techniques for both dogs & cats and has been certified as a “Fear Free Certified Profressional”. She knows that compassionate care starts with emotional care and that by reducing stress, we can also reduce complications from anesthesia and lead to smoother recoveries.
Jo - Veterinary Assistant
(they/them)
Jo grew up in Northern Virginia before moving to Western Washington in 2021. After working as a barista for several years, they switched careers to work in a Seattle veterinary clinic and fell in love with animal welfare. Their time as an assistant in general practice introduced them to the world of surgery, teamwork, and community support.
Eight months after starting in general practice, Jo pivoted to pursue a career in animal rescue at Pasado’s Safe Haven where they were able to assist with providing comfort and safety to criminally abused animals. In their time at Pasado’s, Jo found their passion in supporting struggling members of our community and high volume spay and neuter surgeries. They find joy in working with patients of all species and the people who care for them, as well as providing education to the public about the importance of spay and neuter and the effect it has on our environment.
In 2024 Pasado’s Safe Haven launched their Nomadic Neuters team, a group of highly skilled high volume spay and neuter workers that travel to underserved areas of southern Washington and the Olympic Peninsula to partner with rescues in need of surgery support. Jo continues to serve on this team as a Veterinary Assistant, prepping patients and ensuring anesthesia is efficient and safe during surgery.
After 3 years at Pasado’s Safe Haven, Jo pursued an internship at PAWS Wildlife in Snohomish where they learned how to handle raptors, squirrels, and songbirds. Their time working with wildlife inspired them to pursue an education to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician. Shortly after completing their internship, they began their first year at Pima Medical Institute. While attending night classes in Seattle, they got a job at Homeward Pet Adoption Center in Woodinville to fill the days. As a veterinary assistant in the shelter, they assisted with surgery, intakes, every day medical care, and foster education.
In September 2025, Jo graduated their first year at Pima as a Certified Veterinary Assistant! After a year of shelter work, Jo took a leap of faith to join Dr. Kristie Adrian to help build Operation Pawsible while completing their final year of school. They are excited to serve our community need for affordable spay and neuter, and to educate and care for families and pets who need us most.
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