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!
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.
Cindy Cain
Cindy works as a kennel assistant at the Sage Country Clinic. As a kennel assistant she takes care of animals at the kennel, including feeding animals, and exercising them! Cindy also strives to keep a safe and clean space for your pets, providing the best care possible! Cindy is known to be very kind and patient with everyone at the clinic, especially the animals, making her a very valuable asset to the sage country team. In her free time Cindy enjoys gardening and art, some of her work can be seen around in the form of artwork on the windows of restaurants.
Ashley Garoutte
Ashley works as a as a kennel assistant and at the front desk, where she walks dogs, feeds animals, makes appointments, and answers phones. Ashley is a very outgoing and sociable person making her perfect for the front desk, she’s also very attentive to the animals and will always make you feel welcome. Ashley started out as just a kennel assistant, devoting her free time to animals and she was later promoted to front desk after showing growing interest in it. In her free time ashley does volunteer work for 4H with her daughter, mostly doing stuff with horses. She also used to be known for her pumpkin patch, as she has a love for gardening. With that she likes to sell food to the local farmers market and overall loves helping her community.
Kaylee Carson
Kaylee works as a veterinary assistant, she helps Dr. Katy with procedures, restraining animals, and give medications sometimes. Kaylee also helps Dr. Katy with techniques in her daily tasks. Kaylee is committed to her work and is always there to help with the animals. Kaylee is a 5th generation farmer and enjoys being around animals. In her free time Kaylee likes to ride horses, she does branding in the rodeo, and is often outdoors spending time with her partner. Furthermore she enjoys ranching and in her free time serves people drinks.
Amanda Zgraggen - Tyler