Emergency Care Veterinarians
DR. SAWSAN OVERTON
CHIEF OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
In the words of Mark Twain- “ Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Dr. Overton is beyond grateful for the path that brought her to IVWC. “I am surrounded by an amazing, empathetic, hard-working, animal-loving staff every day. I get to be there for the animals. I get to be there for their family during a stressful vulnerable time and help them through it. It combines three things that I love most- animals, healing, and human connections”.
Dr. Overton’s participated in her first veterinary procedure when she was 10 years old, when she helped restrain her neighborhood cat for a veterinarian to clean an abscess. That was when she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. An encounter of a surgery team recovering a horse while leaving one of her veterinary classes at school set her up for her first career path.
She spent the first 15 years of her career working to become a horse surgeon. She graduated from University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest Hungary in 2002. She moved to Belgium to train at the University of Liege then to Ontario Veterinary College in Canada. And finally, the University of California in Davis where she completed a surgical residency in equine surgery. It was during her time at UC Davis that her mind started wandering towards small animal emergency and surgery.
She took the plunge and changed paths in 2012 and never looked back. She completed a rotating internship with an emergency emphasis at a the Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center. She worked at a 24 hour emergency clinic at Elk Grove shortly after and now joins IVWC as an emergency doctor.
She lives in Davis with her husband who is a WildLife Biologist, her five year old daughter, their Wire-Haired VIzsla and a Birman cat who joins their neighborhood walks. She can be found with her family camping, hiking, or on her own reading a book on how to be a better human being.
KATE BEHNKE
DVM
Dr. Behnke is thrilled to join the Insight Vet family! Originally from the Bay Area, Dr. Behnke spent her high school years fostering kittens from the local SPCA. She raised dozens of kittens ranging from bottle babies to mamas with their litter of kittens.
After graduating from high school, she moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane University. She was involved in a jazz ensemble as the vocalist and was passionate about her a cappella group, Green Envy.
She was also very active in the local SPCA and got her start as a veterinary clinic volunteer where her foundation in veterinary medicine was built. She also spent one spring break in Nicaragua on a spay and neuter campaign with World Vets.
Dr. Behnke attended Ross University for her veterinary degree. She was the fundraising chair and was active in the emergency club. She attended Auburn University for her clinical year, where her passion for emergency medicine blossomed. Dr. Behnke completed a rigorous year-long internship with emergency emphasis at California Veterinary Specialists in Southern California.
Since the completion of her veterinary training, Dr. Behnke has worked at several specialty referral centers providing emergency care throughout California. She also dipped her foot into general practice prior to coming to IVWC to be able to provide clients and their pets a more well-rounded approach for their emergency visits.
Dr. Behnke lives in Sacramento with her husband Rob, who is a dentist. They live with their three cats, Nola, Mila and Evy. In her time off, Dr Behnke can be found traveling the world, biking the river trail, or exploring California’s food and wine culture.
KYLE QUAN
DVM
Dr. Quan is a California native who has wanted to be a veterinarian since he was a young boy. Prior to his formal education he worked as a kennel/veterinary assistant in the east bay area.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree from UCD in 2017. After graduation, he started as a general practitioner but quickly moved into emergency medicine at a busy 24-hour practice in Elk Grove. He has a passion for emergency work as well as soft tissue surgery.
Dr. Quan currently resides in Sacramento with his partner and all their furry family members, including 4 cats, a small poodle mix, and his loveable golden retriever. When not in a clinical setting, he enjoys camping, hiking and the great outdoors and will never miss an opportunity to be out on the lake water skiing.
ASHLEY NOLA
DVM
The first word Dr. Nola ever spoke was “kitty” and she has been passionate about all animals ever since. Admittedly, she has a soft spot for cats and has fostered countless litters of orphan kittens over the years.
She attended college at UC Davis with a major in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. During that time, she worked as an ICU technician at the veterinary school’s equine hospital and as a research assistant in the J.D. Wheat Orthopedic laboratory. She then attended veterinary school at UC Davis where she took an active role in student leadership. After school, she worked at a busy emergency and general practice in Elk Grove before coming here to Insight – where she is very excited to be joining the team!
Dr. Nola believes it is important to give back to the community. She feels fortunate to have been trained in veterinary emergency response and has volunteered her time at the Napa, Paradise, and most recently Caldor fire evacuation sites. She is also a member of the board for the local Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association.
In her free time, Dr. Nola can be found riding her horse Jett, backpacking in the Sierras, and enjoying good food with friends. She lives in Midtown Sacramento with her partner George and their two pets – a Boxer/Pitbull mix named Chuck and a big fluffy cat named Remy.
CHELSEA AGUILAR
DVM
Dr. Chelsea Aguilar grew up in the county of San Diego, where the proximity to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park supported an early appreciation for both animal and plant life.
She graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior in 2013, and went on to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Florida in 2018.
Since her return to the Sacramento region, Dr. Aguilar has contributed veterinary services in areas of general practice, urgent care, emergency care, and shelter medicine surgery. She furthered her experience by completing a one-year rotating small animal internship at the VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center.
Dr. Aguilar is very happy in her position at Insight Veterinary Wellness Center, where she provides overnight emergency medicine care to the community. Special interests include surgery, radiology, and critical care.
When not working, Dr. Aguilar likes to spend time outdoors enjoying the warm sun. Some of her favorite activities are yardwork and brunch. Dr. Aguilar is blessed with plenty of unconditional love, company, and support from her husband, daughter, cat, and dogs.
MARCUS DELA CRUZ
DVM
Dr. Marcus Dela Cruz grew up in Sacramento, CA and attended Sonoma State University where he earned a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. He then moved to the Midwest to continue his education. After four years (and four very long winters), he graduated from Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2018.
After graduation Dr. Marcus moved back to California and began working in both general practice and emergency medicine. In 2022 he made the full time commitment to emergency medicine and worked at a specialty center in Berkeley, California. He finds joy in being able to reunite families with their pets after serious traumas and health conditions that require critical care in the hospital. He also created a blog to help debunk misinformation on the internet and provide pet parents with a trusted resource for common pet health concerns: https://thefriendlyvetblog.com/
During his time away from the hospital he can be seen playing pick-up sports (basketball, frisbee, volleyball), cheering on the Sacramento Kings, or exploring the area with his wife Allyson, son Oliver, and Labrador Retriever Charlie.
CARLOS ECHEAGARAY
DVM
Dr. Carlos Echeagaray grew up in Puebla, Mexico, where he discovered his love for animals during his teenage years by volunteering at Africam Safari, one of the largest zoos in Latin America. It was then that he knew he wanted to become a veterinarian and later began working as a veterinary assistant at a small animal clinic.
He attended university in Mexico, where he obtained his veterinary degree, graduating top of his class in 2019. During his studies, he worked as an emergency veterinary assistant and fell in love with emergency medicine. He also completed a shelter medicine and surgery rotation at Oklahoma State University’s teaching hospital. After graduating, he briefly worked as a general veterinary practitioner before moving to Sacramento to pursue his dream of becoming an emergency doctor.
Dr. Echeagaray understands that medical emergencies can be stressful for both pets and their owners, and he is dedicated to providing compassionate care in their time of need. He is passionate about surgery, pain management, and emergency medicine.
When he’s not at the hospital, he enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, and exploring the outdoors with his partner Estefania. They share their home with their beautiful dog Kiva and playful cat Tsunade.
