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OUR TEAM
Dr. Peter Erling and
Dr. Michelle Lorenzen
Dr. Peter Erling and Dr. Michelle Lorenzen met while in veterinary school at Texas A&M University, graduating together in 2003. They have been virtually inseparable ever since.
Originally from South Africa, Dr. Peter also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Following vet school, he completed a 1-year internship and a 3-year residency in Emergency and Critical Care. Peter was a faculty member at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and was a member of the Michael E. Debakey veterinary cardiothoracic bypass team.
Prior to entering veterinary school, Dr. Michelle obtained a Master's Degree in Anthropology, studying apes and monkeys around the world. Dr. Peter and Dr. Michelle adopted numerous geriatric and ailing pets during vet school. Early on, they recognized that their own pets were more comfortable and at ease when transitioning at home. Dr. Michelle and Dr. Peter founded Choice Veterinary Care in order to provide caring and compassionate in-home euthanasia to pet owners in Los Angeles.
Originally from South Africa, Dr. Peter also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Following vet school, he completed a 1-year internship and a 3-year residency in Emergency and Critical Care. Peter was a faculty member at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and was a member of the Michael E. Debakey veterinary cardiothoracic bypass team.
Prior to entering veterinary school, Dr. Michelle obtained a Master's Degree in Anthropology, studying apes and monkeys around the world. Dr. Peter and Dr. Michelle adopted numerous geriatric and ailing pets during vet school. Early on, they recognized that their own pets were more comfortable and at ease when transitioning at home. Dr. Michelle and Dr. Peter founded Choice Veterinary Care in order to provide caring and compassionate in-home euthanasia to pet owners in Los Angeles.
Dr. Amy Stillwell-Graiff and
Brad Graiff
Dr. Amy Stillwell-Graiff and her husband, Brad Graiff, partnered with Choice shortly after its founding.
Dr. Amy began her studies by earning a BS in Biology at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. She went on to graduate with honors as valedictorian from the Atlantic Veterinary College, earning her DVM. She then completed a 1-year internship at the VCA WLA Animal Hospital, focused in small animal surgery and medicine. Since that time, she has continued in general practice with a strong interest in volunteer work. Her many loyal clients often speak of her exceptional bedside manner and compassion for others.
Mr. Graiff earned his BS in Accounting/Finance at the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign. He went on to practice accounting for 10 years before advancing into a successful career in acting and modeling. A lifelong animal lover, he adopted a puppy several years ago who was diagnosed with Parvovirus. After a long hospital stay under the care of Dr. Amy, the puppy survived. The couple quickly fell in love and they were happily married a year later. Brad is currently CFO for Choice
Dr. Amy began her studies by earning a BS in Biology at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. She went on to graduate with honors as valedictorian from the Atlantic Veterinary College, earning her DVM. She then completed a 1-year internship at the VCA WLA Animal Hospital, focused in small animal surgery and medicine. Since that time, she has continued in general practice with a strong interest in volunteer work. Her many loyal clients often speak of her exceptional bedside manner and compassion for others.
Mr. Graiff earned his BS in Accounting/Finance at the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign. He went on to practice accounting for 10 years before advancing into a successful career in acting and modeling. A lifelong animal lover, he adopted a puppy several years ago who was diagnosed with Parvovirus. After a long hospital stay under the care of Dr. Amy, the puppy survived. The couple quickly fell in love and they were happily married a year later. Brad is currently CFO for Choice
Anne-Marie Reikes, DVM
Dr. Anne-Marie Reikes is a native of Southern California. She has always had a great love of animals and at a young age earned her Girl Scout Gold Award for organizing an animal adoption event. She pursued her undergraduate studies at both UC Davis and Loyola Marymount University, then in 2007 was part of the inaugural graduating class of Western University of Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she worked in small animal general medicine for over 13 years, building lasting relationships with her clients and patients. Starting in 2016, she began working part time with Hearts and Halos, but in 2021 she left general medicine to focus fulltime on assisting pets in having a peaceful end-of -life experiences with Hearts and Halos.
In her spare time, Dr. Anne-Marie Reikes enjoys spending time with her family outdoors camping, hiking, skiing and surfing. She enjoys spending time with her many family pets including her dog, Hunter, two cats, Queen Jillian and King Jet, a bearded dragon named Spike, a Russian tortoise and a snake.
Melissa Lucas, DVM
Dr Melissa Lucas fell in love with veterinary medicine in high school when she worked as a groomer for a small animal clinic. At every opportunity she helped out the veterinarian, soon working her way up to become a veterinary assistant. After high school, she was thrilled to be accepted into the pre-veterinary program at Cal Poly Pomona. While in college, she worked as a student assistant to the campus veterinarian. During this time, she helped to wrangle everything from cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs to cats, dogs, and exotics. She graduated from Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. After completing a residency in Comparative Medicine at UCLA, she spent three years working as a veterinarian for the US Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2012, she transitioned into private practice, working as a general practitioner for many years.
Dr Melissa’s professional interests include end-of-life care, hospice, and management of chronic conditions such as kidney disease, osteoarthritis, and poor mobility in senior pets. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, horseback riding, and spending time with her husband, two young daughters, two Standard Poodles, and two horses.
Elizabeth Schuh, DVM
Southern California native, Dr Elizabeth Schuh, grew up in the San Luis Obispo area before moving north to attend the University of California, Davis for both her undergraduate (2006) and veterinary degrees (2012). After completing a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Illinois, she returned to her beloved home state as an Oncology Intern with the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego.
Since this time, Dr Elizabeth has worked in both emergency medicine and oncology. As well, she has contributed as a member of the renowned veterinary clinical trials team at The Ohio State University. She is currently completing a residency with Veterinary Cancer Group, working toward becoming a board certified specialist in medical oncology. Her training and experiences make her uniquely qualified to counsel in end-of-life decision-making. Dr Elizabeth is passionate about encouraging quality of life and peaceful passing of all her patients.
Aftercare Manager
Meghan Ingstad, RVT
A Southern California native, Meghan was born and raised in Orange County. From a very young age, she knew she wanted to work with animals. As a 6-year-old girl, Meghan adopted her neighbor's pregnant cat, Pumpkin. With the help of her parents, she cared for several litters of kittens and found them forever homes. As a teenager, Meghan adopted a 7-year-old boxer named Arnold. Only a year after coming into Meghan's life, Arnold was diagnosed with cancer. He unfortunately lost his battle to survive 3 months later. Shortly after this difficult loss, Meghan was able to save the life of another boxer. Abby was only a year old when she was hit by a car and relinquished to an animal hospital, after her pet parents were unwilling to pay for treatment. Without hesitation, Meghan rescued Abby, nursed her back to health, and was repaid by 10 glorious years of unconditional love.
For 14 years, Meghan has been working in animal hospitals in Southern California. She is a registered veterinary technician with specialty training in veterinary oncology. Through the years, Meghan has helped many grieving pet parents cope with the pain of losing a furry family member. She is honored to continue supporting pet parents through this difficult time by joining the Hearts & Halos team.
In her free time, Meghan enjoys baking cupcakes and visiting Disneyland. She also loves spending time with her 3 nieces, who fondly refer to Meghan as "Auntie Cupcake."
For 14 years, Meghan has been working in animal hospitals in Southern California. She is a registered veterinary technician with specialty training in veterinary oncology. Through the years, Meghan has helped many grieving pet parents cope with the pain of losing a furry family member. She is honored to continue supporting pet parents through this difficult time by joining the Hearts & Halos team.
In her free time, Meghan enjoys baking cupcakes and visiting Disneyland. She also loves spending time with her 3 nieces, who fondly refer to Meghan as "Auntie Cupcake."
