Our Team
Dr. Katy Wallace, veterinarian and practice owner
Dr. Katy established Sage Country Vet in late 2011, it was always a dream to be a veterinarian. She has had a lifelong love for animals but, horses hold a special place in her heart. She was very active in 4-H all through her school years. To achieve her dreams Dr. Katy attended Oregon State (Go Beavs) in the Animal Science Department and holds a BS in Animal Sciences (1999) and a Master's in Science-Ruminant Reproduction (2001). As a college student she worked at the Sheep Research Center off campus and gained valuable experience working with ruminants, managing 350+ ewes and lambing out all the ewes in the barn. Yep, she actually lived in the barn! She also gained valuable and lifelong friends and connections in the livestock industry as a member of the Livestock Judging Team. She never lost sight of her dreams and attended veterinary school at Oregon State University in the combined Oregon/Washington program (2006). As a veterinary student she was active in the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), The American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP) and was her class president. During her last year in veterinary school Dr. Katy did an externship in Harney County and fell in love with the variety of practice and small town atmosphere. She applied for a job and finally got her wish to leave the rainy Willamette Valley and moved to Harney County. Dr. Katy met her husband while working as a veterinarian in Harney County and now they have a wonderful little boy (Who you will also see from time to time assisting in the clinic). Dr. Katy still maintains active memberships in the AAEP, AABP, AVMA and the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), she is currently the District 1 representative for eastern Oregon veterinarians to the OVMA. When she isn't working or reading veterinary articles, Dr. Katy's hobbies include horseback riding (she loves her mule!), gardening and cooking but spending time with her family is what she enjoys most!
Dr. Jess Hienrick
relief veterinarian
Dr. Jess as we call her, graduated from Washington State College of Vet Med and then went on to graduate education at Colorado State University. She has a passion for horses and when not working at Sage Country Vet she is a veterinarian for endurance rides in Oregon and Idaho. She is really embraces the mixed animal practice and works on small animals and horses. We enjoy her upbeat personality and humor. We are so grateful she is willing to help us out providing relief services! She has been a great fit at Sage Country Vet.
Melissa Starbuck
Melissa has been one of our veterinary assistants at Sage Country Vet since February 2015. She assists Dr. Katy on procedures for both large and small animals, and even an exotic on occasion! Melissa was born and raised here in Harney County, and has deep roots in the community. When she is not working, Melissa enjoys the country life with her daughter Azalea, hunting, camping, fishing, riding horses, working cows with friends/ family and just about anything outdoors. Her background in 4-H raising pigs seems to be just the beginning of her ongoing adventure with animals. Melissa says working with the animals and meeting new people is what she enjoys most about her job. We really enjoy having her as part of our animal care team!
Sara Diaz
Sara D is our late morning and afternoon receptionist. She has always wanted to work in the veterinary field. She took some classes to be a technician and decided that it wasn’t for her but being a receptionist was perfect. She is a life long Harney County resident. Sara started in December 2019 as a receptionist. You will hear her on the phone and she is the one answering your texts and emails in the afternoons. Sara is a great addition to our team. She is efficient and calm and she has a curiosity about veterinary medicine always eager to learn new aspects of our practice. Sara loves to go to the woods with her partner in crime Chance and her niece and nephew. Sara is an animal lover and has a soft spot for cats.
Amy Paul R.N.
As a young lady, Amy loved all kinds of animals but mostly loved horses growing up. She was active in 4-H horses and pigs as well as a variety of other projects. Amy attended college at Eastern Oregon in La Grande and holds a BS in nursing. She has been a nurse in Boise and Portland but fell in love with the small town feel (and the better weather) of Harney County. She works part time at Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day. As Dr. Katy's sister, Amy has been recruited to help in all areas of the practice, she works in the office, handles multiple financial components of the practice and is often the late night and weekend technician/ kennel person. She finds Veterinary Medicine to be quite an adventure! Amy's hobbies are horseback riding, crocheting, reading, and sewing.
Amanda Zgraggen - Tyler
Amanda works behind the scenes to keep up stocked up on inventory and all our moving parts in order. She often times helps out answering the phones and helping as a technician when needed. We enjoy having Amanda on staff and she keeps us laughing and honestly gave me the most hilarious job application, saying “she went to high school where the bus dropped her off”. Amanda grew up on a ranch in IZ working cattle and riding horses, but she loves PIGS! She is one of only a few commercial pig producers here in Harney County, and she raises many 4-H and FFA award winning pigs. When she isn’t working at Sage Country Vet, she is helping her husband with the family ranch or working on many of her projects from raising free range chickens and farming red wiggler composting worms.