TRAILSIDE STAFF

"At Trailside Animal Hospital we provide the highest quality veterinary care for our clients
and patients in a positive and nurturing environment
so that all may thrive and prosper."

 DR. JULIE NEIL, DVM
Owner / Veterinarian​​
​​Dr. Julie Neil was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri. She attended Rock Bridge High School, and then went on to study Animal Science at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Julie was accepted to the University of Missouri-College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2001. She practiced her first four years as a small animal veterinarian at Lakewood Animal Health Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, then returned home to Columbia to practice at Noah’s Ark Animal Hospital for 14 years. Now, Dr. Julie is venturing out and has started her own small animal veterinary hospital, Trailside Animal Hospital, here in Columbia. Dr. Julie’s professional interests include internal medicine and diagnostics, preventative care, and educating pet owners on the best care for their furry family members. In her “free” time, Julie loves spending time with her husband, Travis, and her two boys, Riley and Tanner. Her family is owned by three dogs, "Maggie," "Fee-B," and "Bob-B" and one cat named "Max." Fun times are spent hiking, trailing, camping and road tripping!

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DR. BRANDIE REEVES, DVM
Associate Veterinarian ​
​Dr. Brandie Reeves was born in Columbia and raised in Fulton, Missouri. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2003. Brandie was accepted to the University of Missouri-College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2008. She practiced her first 12 years at Noah’s Ark Animal Hospital in Columbia.  She is very excited to now be part of the team at Trailside Animal Hospital. Dr. Brandie’s professional interests include hard and soft tissue surgery, and following a patient from their very first visit through old age forming a bond with both the pet and client. In her free time, Brandie enjoys being with her husband, Drew, and her two daughters, Ava and Olivia. Her family enjoys playing on their 10 acres in Ashland with their two dogs, “Bo Jackson” and “Emery Jo,” three cats, “Lexie,” “Pumpkin,” and “Tectonic,” and one gecko, “Gecky."  She also enjoys playing board games, reading, and listening to podcasts and NPR.
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DR. MELISSA BOLDAN, DVM
Associate Veterinarian ​
​Dr. Melissa Boldan graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012.  She initially practiced mixed animal medicine north of Kansas City before moving back to central Missouri in 2014. She is an active member of the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.  She enjoys teaching students interested in pursuing veterinary medicine and writing articles for PetMD in her spare time. Dr. Melissa loves treating animals of all shapes and sizes, but she has a particular fondness for small animal medicine.  She is the proud mother of three young boys and a handful of furry children.  She enjoys exploring all the Missouri State Parks with her husband and children, telling terrible jokes, and playing outdoors with her pets. ​

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DR. MADISON NYSTROM, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Madison Nystrom was raised in Liberty, MO. She received a Bachelor of Animal Science degree from the University of Missouri Columbia in 2020 with a minor in Captive Wild Animal Management. She went on to graduate from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2024 and is excited to join the Trailside Animal Hospital team as a veterinarian! Dr. Madison’s professional interests include diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, and client education. In her free time, Madison enjoys relaxing with her fiancé Jacob, two dogs named 'Melody' and 'Rew', and two turtles named 'Fred' and 'Dribbles”. She also enjoys traveling, and hopes to one day visit a zoo in every state!

DR. MARY THOMAS
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Mary Thomas is from Mississippi, where she attended Ole Miss for her undergraduate education and then graduated from Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2025. During her time in vet school, Mary fell in love with the diversity of general practice and further developed specific interests in dermatology and theriogenology. Mary is joining our Trailside team after moving to Columbia with her husband, Dr. Michael Thomas, who is currently working at the University of Missouri Animal Health Center as an intern. She is so excited to begin her career here and can’t wait to meet new people and lots of loving pets! In her free time, Mary enjoys being outdoors with her yellow lab, Duke, and is a big college football (specifically Ole Miss) fan. She hopes to visit every SEC stadium, and is excited to go to The Zou this fall!

TRAVIS
Owner / Practice Manager
Travis earned his bachelors of science in business from Columbia College. He enjoys the details of running a successful business and believes that customer service is the top priority. In his spare time he enjoys watching football and a good movie.

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RILEY
Veterinary Assistant
Riley has been with Trailside from the beginning and now attending Vet School at the University of Missouri - Columbia. He loves being around all animals, big and small. He enjoys learning with his family the daily parts of what makes a loving animal practice and a great business successful. He knows how much these furry friends mean to people and enjoys taking care of them.

TANNER
Veterinary Assistant
Tanner enjoys helping with all areas of the clinic. He attends the University of Missouri - Columbia and spends his free time running track and field, playing sports and hanging out with his three dogs, "Maggie," "Fee-B" & "Bob-B" and his cat named "Max."

ANDO
CVA, Certified Veterinary Assistant, Level 1
Ando was born and raised in Madagascar. He has always loved animals. He grew up on a family farm that was filled with horses, dogs, chickens, rabbits and goats. He moved to Columbia to pursue his studies in business and management but realized his love for animals could not be kept on the back burner, it had to be front and center. His wife and he share the excitement of caring for two cats “Daisy” and “Oweo” (Yes just like “Oreo” but said by a 2-year-old) and their dog “Ivy." When not working with animals or taking walks in nature with Ivy, you would most certainly find him strumming his guitar.

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HAYLIE
Veterinary Assistant
Haylie has been at Trailside since the very beginning. She figured out veterinary medicine was her true passion and is starting Vet School at Mizzou in the fall of 2025. She hopes to return to Trailside as a doctor one day! She has a rainbow of Labrador Retrievers at home, Charlotte, Captain, and Rooster, along with a German Shorthair Pointer, Chief. Her favorite place to be besides Trailside is the lake with her family. Football season is her favorite season and she only cheers for the Tigers and the Chiefs. MIZ!
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MADDIE
Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Maddie started her career in Veterinary Medicine when she was 14 working for her hometown country vet. She went on to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2020. After managing student housing for 3 years, she decided to return to her passion for helping animals and joined the Trailside team as a Technician in February 2023. Since joining, she has been accepted into the MACC Registered Veterinary Technician program and is set to graduate in 2025. In her little free time, Maddie likes to curl up on the couch with a good book and her two “lap” dogs, Khyber and Oliver.

NATALIE
Reception
​Natalie was born and raised in Columbia and studied art, architecture and business at Mizzou. She’s always had a deep love for animals and is excited to be surrounded by them every day! When she’s not at work you can usually find her on a hike or at home curled up with a good book and her new kitten "Pip."

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ASHLEY
Reception
Ashley was previously a lead two-year-old teacher for 9 years at a local daycare. She was ready for a career change but she still wanted to stay dedicated to helping others so Trailside has been the perfect fit. When she is not at work she is spending time with her teenage son, Eli who does competitive marching band and is on the soccer team at his high school. Ashley also enjoys camping, floating, hiking, being outdoors and has a love for photography. Her dream future would be to load up her two dogs, Boss and Nova and set out to explore the world and be a traveling photographer!

AUSTYN
Veterinary Assistant
Austyn was born and raised in small town Enterprise, Utah where she loved caring for her family farm. She graduated with her associates degree in animal science from Brigham Young University - Idaho. Austyn loves to train dogs, horses, and has a passion for competing in rodeo and reining. Austyn loves supporting her husband, Connor, who is currently a veterinary student at University of Missouri - College of Veterinary Medicine, so they can in the future achieve their dreams of someday owning their own large animal veterinary clinic where Austyn can work alongside him as his partner. They have several four-legged friends they love dearly including their two dogs, Annie and Merlin, and their horse Fancy who is due to foal in June 2024. She loves working at Trailside and is so happy to be able to continue working with animals, which is her dream job, while furthering her knowledge in this career! ​

JORDIN
Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Jordin was born and raised here in central Missouri and always had a passion for helping people and animals. Working in veterinary medicine has the perfect balance of helping people and animals for Jordin. She graduated from Moberly Area Community College with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology in 2024 and got licensed to be a Registered Veterinary Technician! Jordin hopes to one day specialize in Behavior, Cardiology, or Anesthesia. She loves animals of all species but has a special place in her heart for cats, especially for her two cats “Sharky” and “Simon.” In her free time, she enjoys running, snuggling on the couch with her kitties, and spending time with her Fiancé.

JADYN
Veterinary Assistant
​Jadyn started her veterinary career in the Small Animal Emergency Room at the University of Missouri. She completed her Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology with a minor in Environmental Science and Chemistry at Central Methodist University in 2024. Jadyn plans to obtain her doctorate of veterinary medicine and do rescue, rehabilitation, and release work with marine animals on the coast. In her free time, she likes participating in athletics, spending time with her significant other and her handsome pup Jasper, traveling, and SCUBA diving, in addition to participating in coral reef restoration research.

KELSEY
Veterinary Assistant
Kelsey was born and raised in Columbia Missouri and attended Central Methodist University to obtain her bachelors in Marine Biology. She enjoys spending time on the water and curling up to a good movie in bed. She has plenty of fish, four geckos, and two dogs “Simba” and “Nala”. ​

AMANDA
Veterinary Assistant
Amanda was born and raised in Columbia and started her veterinary experience at the University of Missouri as a cleaner for the ER in high school. There she realized her passion was animals and is currently in the MACC Registered Veterinary Technician program set to graduate in 2026. Amanda has a special interest in Nutrition and Internal Medicine. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her cat Prim and watching movies. 

ARRYN
Veterinary Assistant
​Arryn grew up in Oregon and earned her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Oregon. Her passion for music led her to serve in the United States Marine Corps as a musician. During her time in the military, she rediscovered a lifelong interest in animal care while volunteering with a local animal foster organization.
After completing her service, Arryn began her veterinary career in North Carolina as a veterinary assistant. She later relocated to Missouri—her husband’s home state and where they decided to settle—bringing her to Trailside! 
Arryn is currently pursuing a degree in Veterinary Technology. Outside of work and studies, she enjoys spending time with her husband, their two dogs (Chelsea and Oreo), and two cats (Missy and Lily). She also loves crocheting, gaming and reading in her free time.

HAILEY
Veterinary Assistant
Hailey was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, where she began her career in shelter medicine and discovered a deep passion for caring for animals in need. She now continues that work at Trailside Animal Hospital, bringing compassion and dedication to every patient she meets.
Fun fact: Hailey has raised many types of animals since childhood—including livestock, reptiles, small pocket pets, and even a crocodile! At home, she’s a proud pet parent to two dogs (Lulu and Chief), two kittens (Victor and Josie), and a rabbit named Eden.
In her free time, Hailey enjoys spending time with her furry companions and cheering on the Mizzou Tigers during football season.

CHLOE
Veterinary Assistant
Chloe grew up in Hallsville, Missouri, and has a deep love for animals, especially her two dogs, Benji and Zuko, who are her constant companions. She’s happiest when she’s outdoors, whether it’s spending time on the water or going on float trips with friends and family. Chloe’s passion for animals and nature is at the heart of everything she does. Her warm personality and small-town roots make her a caring and dependable presence wherever she goes.

MYRIAH
Veterinary Assistant
Myriah was born and raised in Missouri, though she moved frequently throughout her childhood. Her passion for working with animals began early, inspired by time spent helping her grandfather on his cattle farm. After graduating high school in 2023, she pursued her interest in animal care by enrolling in the Veterinary Technology Program at Moberly Area Community College (MACC), where she graduated in May 2025. Myriah is currently preparing to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam to become a licensed veterinary technician. At home, she enjoys spending time with her beloved German Shepherd, Lady, who holds a special place in her heart.  ​