Our Staff
Our Doctors
Dr. Ryan Frome
I’ve been a veterinarian in this community since 2008 and an Oregonian since birth. When I’m not needed at the hospital, I submit to my wandering nature. Gloomy fall weather is OK, because that means chanterelles in the hills and good crabbing in the bays. Snow days and power outages in the winter are perfect for skiing and snowshoeing in the mountains. When the snow firms up in the spring, I strap on my crampons to climb some peaks. Summer is my favorite though, but it’s never long enough to fit in all the backpacking, kayaking, fishing and rock climbing I want. So if you can’t reach me on my day off, I’ll get back to you when I have cell phone service!
Dr. Paul Schiffgens
Dr Schiffgens started working here while he was in veterinary school at Oregon State and became one of our doctors when he graduated in 2012. Having grown up in Maryland, he moved here in 1996 to study International and Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon. He fell in love with the area and has called it home ever since. After finishing his undergraduate studies, Paul worked for several seasons on local organic farms before setting his sights on veterinary medicine.
Life outside of work is full. With growing children that continue to enrich their lives, Paul and his wife raise and care for a small flock of Gotland Sheep and maintain an active garden. They share their home with two dogs, Luce an Australian shepherd and Sushi a Labrador and Australian shepherd mix, as well as four cats, Jimmy, Rosie, Mimi and Pippi. There are many things that keep Dr Schiffgens busy in his free time but some of the most enjoyable include biking, both on the road and on the trail, and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Sarah Harmon
Dr. Harmon earned degrees from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. This means she loves the Ducks and the Beavers! Originally from Northern California, she moved to Eugene for school and met her husband Johnny – a true Oregonian. She has been around the world, but knew the Pacific Northwest would be her forever home. During her travels, she helped to organize a veterinary clinic on Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. Veterinary students staffed the clinic to help local animals with spays, neuters and much needed dental care.
Dr. Harmon spends her free time outdoors camping and kayaking with her husband and nephews. She also enjoys the Pacific Ocean by spending time whale watching with her family in Waldport. Dr. Harmon has a small farm where she loves to spend time with her three dogs, two silly goats, a stubborn old horse, three elusive felines, two hilarious guinea pigs and a 30 year-old, grumpy fish “Boss Hog”.
Dr. Harmon has been with Veneta Veterinary Hospital since 2020.
Dr Gwen Graham
Dr Graham was born in the mountains of North Carolina and has lived in Western Oregon for most of her life. She has always loved animals, and decided she wanted to be a veterinarian when she was 4 years old. She graduated from the Oregon State and Washington State combined veterinary programs, and has been practicing in Oregon for over a decade. She has experience in mixed animal and small animal private practice as well as shelter surgery. She has made multiple mission trips to East Africa to work with medical teams and help with young women’s leadership camps, and also works with a nonprofit in the Cook Islands to provide veterinary care and spay/neuter to help reduce cat overpopulation. She shares a small farm full of rescue animals with her awesome husband Mike. Together they enjoy their farm, exploring the outdoors, and sponsor several children in developing countries.
Dr Graham has been with Veneta Veterinary Hospital since 2020.
Dr. Tre Gildersleeve
Dr. Gildersleeve, a native of Louisiana, earned a degree in Writing from Loyola University New Orleans while working as an assistant to veterinarians at a local horse racetrack and a small animal hospital. These experiences inspired him to pursue a career in the veterinary field. He went on to complete his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University.
During his time at LSU, he held the position of caretaker for the university’s Bengal tiger mascot, assisted in the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, and volunteered at humane societies. He enjoys cycling, running, swimming, skiing, backpacking, and spending time with his two Labrador retrievers, Molly and Henry.
Dr. Gildersleeve has been with Veneta Veterinary Hospital since 2020.
Dr. Jeff Nelson
Dr. Jeff Nelson was born and raised up in central Minnesota. He attended the university of Minnesota for Mechanical Engineering but realized that was not his true calling. He obtained a degree in Business Administration and moved to Oregon in 2012 for the recreational opportunities it offers (and the lack of freezing cold winters).
Jeff started working as a veterinary assistant in 2014, graduated from Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020, and has been practicing in the Willamette Valley since. Although his passion for animals bloomed later in life, every day is a reassurance that veterinary medicine was his calling. He especially enjoys dealing with fearful patients, surgery, and client communication.
In his free time Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife, their 3 dogs, 8 cats, and 20 chickens. His pastimes are vast and include gardening, mushroom foraging, fishing, golf, skiing, fly-tying, mountain biking, backpacking, camping, and crabbing.
Dr. Nelson joined Veneta Veterinary Hospital in 2025.
Dr. Shane Mercer
Dr. Mercer grew up in South Carolina and later moved to southern Louisiana. After more than 10 years split between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, it was time to explore a different corner of the country. Dr. Mercer has been living and practicing in Oregon since 2020.
Besides time spent outdoors hiking, biking, and attempting to turn his backyard into a native pollinator garden, Dr. Mercer enjoys skating as a blocker for Concussion Roller Derby, Oregon’s only Men’s Roller Derby Association team, where his derby name is Frank Blood. He shares his home with a playful pit bull named Piglet and an ancient eyeless Chihuahua named Lulu.
Dr. Mercer joined Veneta Veterinary Hospital in 2025.
