Dr. Jocelyn Thurm was born in Connecticut but grew up mainly in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. She has always had a fondness for animals and has had a wide range of pets over the years, ranging from cats, dogs, rats, hamsters, fish, and birds to the occasional snake and lizard. At age 10, she developed an interest in horses and spent the next several years taking riding lessons and leasing various horses. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz with triple honors and in the top 10% of her class, she spent the next few years working as a veterinary technician in a small animal hospital in Oakland. She also volunteered with a horse veterinarian during this time. She then attended the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she earned her Doctorate in 2002.

As a new veterinarian, she practiced in San Leandro and in Oakland until 2011, when her third child was born. She then took a five-year break to focus on raising her young children and opening her own business designing, drafting, and selling PDF sewing patterns for children’s clothing. Before starting ACH in September of 2022, she had worked as a small animal practitioner in a busy practice in Alameda since 2016.

Dr. Thurm lives in the Piedmont area of Oakland with her husband, three kids, cat, and bearded dragon. Her main veterinary goals are providing compassionate care and maximizing the health and well-being of all the furry friends who come through our door. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, sewing, reading, crafts, and traveling.