Dr. Lynda Guenther, Veterinarian, Co-Owner
As a child, Dr. Guenther was deeply impressed by her family’s veterinarian and his ability to solve all their pets’ medical problems. It inspired her so much that she knew she wanted to do the same thing! Her veterinary journey has led her all the way to her current position as a full-time Veterinarian and the Co-Owner of Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital.
Raised in the Bay Area, Dr. Guenther attended the University of California at Davis, receiving her Bachelor’s in Animal Physiology in 1985. She completed her DVM degree in 1992 at UC Davis’s School of Veterinary Medicine. After completing an internship in surgery and emergency critical care at California Animal Hospital, she started working in small animal practices in 1994. On June 1st, 1997, she started at Blue Cross as an associate veterinarian, eventually purchasing the hospital in 1998.
Since our pets can’t speak, Dr. Guenther continues to be motivated by the challenge of figuring out what’s bothering a pet. She enjoys communicating with families over the years and watching young puppies and kittens grow up.
Dr. Guenther and her wife, Dana, have enjoyed living in Long Beach for over 20 years. They have two beautiful girls and a small herd of dogs and cats. The very spoiled family dogs are Sawyer (Golden Retriever) and Charlie (Goldendoodle). Additionally, they have two giant cats, aka the “little boys”, Kirby and Murphy.
In her free time, Dr. Guenther enjoys karate, golf, spending time with her kids, and scuba diving.
Dr. Ralph D. Sellman II, Veterinarian, Co-Owner
Dr. Sellman’s earliest memories involve an intense love for animals—he grew up with dogs, cats, snakes, hamsters, fish, toads, and birds. He focused his passion towards helping pet owners understand their beloved companions by starting a lifelong career in veterinary medicine!
Dr. Sellman grew up in a suburb of Chicago as the oldest of three siblings. He went to the University of Tennessee in 1996, then completed a small animal medicine and surgical internship at the University of Georgia from 1996 to 1997. After working in the Florida Keys, Northern Virginia, and the Washington, D.C. area, he relocated to the west coast to assist his parents in retirement. He says meeting Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital’s Dr. Guenther was like meeting a long-lost sister—they hit it off right away!
Dr. Sellman’s professional interests include dental work and preventative medicine. He’s passionate about educating clients to provide the best care possible, and regularly attends continuing-education conferences to stay updated on current technology and treatments.
At home, Dr. Sellman has two orange and white tabby cats, George and Penny. Cody, a black Labrador, enjoys chasing tennis balls and antagonizing the cats. Scampers, a bottle-raised Siamese Flame Point, meets Dr. Sellman at the door nightly.
In his spare time, Dr. Sellman likes sea and whitewater kayaking, catching a hockey game at every NHL arena—he’s halfway to his goal!—and reading good books.
Alen, Veterinary Assistant
Alen was born and raised in Long Beach, California. She always had a huge love for animals, especially dogs. She grew up with having dogs in the family and loved them all. She knew since a young age she wanted to be in the veterinary field. At the age of seventeen, she volunteered at the Long Beach Animal Shelter, where she learned the basics of cleaning and taking care of a pet. Alen started her veterinary career at Stanbridge University where she studied to achieve her RVT license which she finally obtained in 2021. Alen’s primary focus is to make sure that every pet is being well taken care of and that they are in great hands.
Alen loves to spend time with her dog Canela, who is the most energetic dog – she never wants to stop playing! She enjoys spending time with friends and family, ending up on many adventures that are very memorable. Alen loves watching movies, trying different foods, going to amusement parks, and even making artwork.
Alex, Veterinary Assistant
Alex found her first pet dog in the streets of Long Beach, where she grew up. The poor creature was starving and covered in fleas. Alex convinced her parents to let the family keep the dog, and raising her made Alex realize she wanted to make animal care a career!
During high school, Alex worked at a neighboring animal hospital before volunteering at Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital. She instantly fell in love with the profession and the clinic and was hired as a Veterinary and Kennel Assistant in January of 2011. She particularly likes assisting the senior staff during surgeries, as well as giving each and every pet the attention they need and deserve. She also enjoys grooming pets, and has even started a home grooming service for her own pets and family members!
Alex lives with her parents and three dogs: Rayo, a loyal Australian Cattle dog; Lola, the class-clown Pitbull; and Pelusa, a little Chihuahua who absolutely loves food. Alex also owns an adopted chinchilla named Chachis and two red-eared sliders.
When time permits, Alex enjoys rollerblading, which helps her relax and get good exercise.
Angie, Veterinary Assistant
My name is Angelica, but everybody knows me as Angie. I have always loved the idea of working with animals, as my family always had new animals including turtles, frogs, bunnies, hamsters, dogs and cats while I was growing up. My dad even had a goat! I found it fascinating to see how these animals interacted with each other. From an early age, I knew I wanted to learn more about, and work with, all kinds of animals. I recently graduated from California Healing Arts College and earned my certificate as a Veterinary Assistant! When not working with or learning about animals, I like to spend time with friends and family and go to the theater to watch movies. When I want to be alone, I go to the park and paint while enjoying nature; it’s very calming for me.
Donovan, Veterinary Assistant
Donovan was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. She graduated at California Healing Arts College earning her certification as a veterinarian assistant. Before college Donovan worked in retail managing a Hot Topic for 7 years. She knew this wasn’t the right career path for her and was eager for a change. Growing up Donovan always had compassion for animals to a point where it would get her in trouble – whenever there was a lost, stray, or injured animal she would find a way to sneak them past her mom! From dogs, cats, possums, chickens, birds the list goes on.
Working as an assistant at Blue Cross has been a very rewarding experience for Donovan and her true passion. Her goal is to absorb as much knowledge as possible and become an RVT in the future. In her free time Donovan enjoys traveling when she can, bowling with her mom, going to concerts, getting new tattoos, and long hikes with her dog Raiden. She also loves to draw, swim, and cook. She is a big movie buff and can watch the Lord of the Rings over and over again.
Joe, Kennel Attendant / Veterinary Assistant
Joe is part of our kennel team. He is responsible for taking care of our fury friends and enjoys being able to treat them like part of his family each and every day. Some of Joe’s hobbies include sports, seeing good movies, music, heading to the great outdoors, discovering new places, and always loves to learn something new! Joe always has a smile on his face is excited to get the chance to care for you furry friend.
Kelsey, Office Manager
Since her mother worked as a Veterinary Technician at Blue Cross, Kelsey was often found around the clinic—staff members sometimes joke that she was born in the kennels! Young Kelsey would help clean cages and file paperwork and was hired on almost as soon as she was old enough.
Kelsey grew up in South Gate with her parents, younger brother, and many pets. At one point in her childhood, she counted the number of pets in the household, and it totaled to 21! She currently works as a receptionist and has previously worked as a technician assistant and kennel attendant. She likes the structure and organization of the receptionist position and has been happy with the role for the past seven years.
Being partially of Scottish heritage, one of Kelsey’s most memorable journeys was her trip to Scotland and London. She rented a car for the first time and drove it seven hours to Scotland—she says the experience was scary but she would do it again in a heartbeat!
Lizbeth, Receptionist/Veterinary Assistant
Lizbeth was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. Ever since she was little, she had a huge love for animals but did not receive her first pet, a dog named Chowder, until five years ago. He was eight weeks old at the time and it was love at first sight! Chowder came into Lizbeth’s life while she was going through a rough time and he turned every frown upside down. After sticking by her side and showing her unconditional love, she didn’t feel she could thank him enough, so she joined the veterinary field to demonstrate how much it means to her to help animals in need.
Lizbeth enjoys learning new things and expanding her knowledge in veterinary medicine. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends by having cookouts and movie nights. Her favorite movie genre is horror, but she enjoys all genres. Lizbeth likes to spend her free time painting canvases or writing in her journal while listening to music like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes. She loves traveling both abroad and on shorter road trips. Her favorite place so far is Vancouver, Canada. Lizbeth is very friendly and likes to make the people around her laugh and smile. She has set a lot of goals for herself to reach throughout her life and hopes to become a veterinarian one day.
Monica, Receptionist
Having previously worked in the customer service and management fields, Monica was looking for a career change. She applied for a receptionist position at Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital, and has since grown immensely in the field, now serving as the Hospital Supervisor!
Growing up in Long Beach, Monica had over 17 dogs, two turtles, a rabbit, and countless fish. She started at Blue Cross in 2004, and instantly fell in love with the profession. Now she considers pet patients her children, and regularly refers to them as “her kids!”
Monica particularly likes greeting all clients and patients and hearing their stories. She loves working in a career that helps both pets and their owners, and is proud knowing that she helped pets feel better.
Monica’s son and daughter are her inspiration in life. She helps out in ministry and currently mentors a girls’ youth group. She enjoys photography, which she’s been practicing for 25 years, and also likes to cook and watch people enjoy her dishes.
Rochelle, Veterinary Assistant
Rochelle was born in Long Beach, California. Growing up she always had a love for animals and wanted to work in the veterinary field. Her sister had a lot of pets growing up, including snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards, birds, and dogs. Before getting into the field, she went to school in Hawaii for kinesiology. After she graduated from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, she moved back to California and joined California Healing Arts College to get her certificate in veterinary assistance. She hopes to become an RVT in the near future and work with animals at the zoo. Rochelle has four pets – three dachshunds named Vienna, Schnitzel, and TJ, and a cockatiel named Pepe le Pew. Whenever she can she loves to bake, go to the beach, and attend concerts with her friends and family.
Stefanie, Receptionist Coordinator
Stefanie has been working in animal care since 2006. She has loved animals her whole life and has always sought to care for them in any way she could. Her life with animals started in childhood with cats, dogs, guinea pigs and a turtle. As an adult she grew her experience while fostering puppies, kittens, rabbits, opossums and pets displaced by domestic violence, and also pet-sitting exotic animals. Today, Stefanie shares her home with 3 spoiled cats, a tarantula and a turtle whom she has been friends with for over 30 years. In her spare time (after scooping all the litter boxes!), she enjoys taking care of her plants and bird feeders, bowling, and going
to Disneyland.