MEET OUR TEAM
We have a combined caring staff of more than 20 highly qualified, compassionate team members with varied backgrounds and talents. Meet our 4 veterinarians and their support staff who take great care to give exceptional care to your pets. We can’t wait to meet you!
Jill Preston Fournier
Veterinarian/Owner
Dr. Fournier is originally from Troy, MI. She always knew as a young girl that she wanted to be a vet, a mixed (large and small) animal vet to be exact. Her journey toward becoming a veterinarian started at MSU, where she graduated in 2001 with a BS in Animal Science. Immediately after, she was accepted into vet school at her alma mater and received her DVM in 2005.
While in vet school, she decided against becoming a farm vet. She practiced her first year out in Cadillac, MI and then transferred back to her “home” clinic in South Lansing for a few years. In February 2008, she moved up to Sunrise Vet in Alpena and has been here since! In December of 2013, she became the practice owner.
Dr. Fournier has a passion for anything dogs. She enjoys perfecting surgeries, understanding dog behavior, and being involved in reproduction/breeding. In fact, she breeds and owns English and French Bulldogs and has six house dogs herself, ranging in size and breed. Her free time is spent on her funny farm with her two children, Autumn, Ethan, and her husband Andre. They have chickens, peacocks, and hunting Blue Tick Coon Hounds. When she is not playing with dogs, Dr. Fournier enjoys gardening, working on her succulent collection, reading a good book, or enjoying time with family and friends.
Heidi LaCross
Veterinarian
Dr. Heidi was born and raised right here in Alpena, MI. She earned her B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University and her DVM from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. She lived and practiced in Madison, WI until moving back to Alpena in 2015. Dr. Heidi has four children: two girls and two boys as well as several pets, which include two dogs (a Labrador and a golden retriever), two rescue cats who are sisters, a chinchilla, and a tortoise named Concave Dave.
Brandi Stone
Veterinarian
Dr. Brandi Stone is excited to be back at Sunrise Veterinary Services! Some of you may recognize her from when she worked with us as a veterinary assistant during her undergrad. She did a year of emergency medicine at a 24-hour clinic in Pennsylvania after graduation from MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. She enjoys emergency work, ultrasounds, and surgeries. She has a dog, Gunner, who loves to go camping, hiking, and fishing with her. She’s so happy to return to Northeastern Michigan and can’t wait to meet all of your furry family members!
Larissa Digue
Veterinarian
Dr. Larissa was born and raised in a small town in Brazil. She started Veterinary School in 2011. In 2014 she began attending Michigan State University through a study abroad program, where she took veterinary medicine and animal science classes. She went back to Brazil and finished vet school in 2017. She is fully licensed in the United States through the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) program. She has two dogs, Nina, who is back in Brazil and Buck, a standard poodle who lives here with her and her husband. In her free time, she enjoys working out, reading, traveling, hiking and teaching Buck new tricks.
Tammi Cernat
Manager
Tammi is a Manager who has been in the field for more than 20 years. She grew up in Hubbard Lake and was a Coast Guard wife for 20 years. Prior to moving back to Alpena, Tammi lived all over the country, but her favorite place was Hawaii. She has two adult children and is “gammy” to two beautiful grandchildren. She and her husband share their home with their Golden Retrievers Oakley, Olivia and Madison. In her spare time she enjoys going for walks, traveling and crafting with her family and friends.
Katie Miltz
Receptionist
Katie is one of our receptionists and one of the first smiling faces you will see when entering our building. She joined our team in September 2022 but has worked in veterinary medicine for 4 years. Katie loves helping pets and their humans! At home, Katie has 2 dogs, 1 cat, and 3 children. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, watching scary movies, and spending time with friends.
Tabitha McDonald
Pharmacy/Inventory Manager
Tabitha has worked for the clinic since February 2011. Her duties include the ordering of our pet food, retail items, and clinic medications. At home, she has 4 dogs and 2 cats and enjoys gardening, scrapbooking, raising livestock, camping, and spending time with family and friends.
Tori Chrumka
Veterinary Technician
Tori was born in Grosse Pointe but recently moved to Alpena. She earned her Bachelor of Science from U of M and recently graduated from MSU’s Veterinary Technician Program. She loves cats. She has 3 at home as well as exotic animals. In her spare time she loves to go kayaking, hiking and rock collecting but can easily spend the day inside reading or watching tv.
Jennie Rowe
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Jennie was born and raised in Alpena. From a young age she knew she wanted to work with animals. While working as a Veterinary Assistant at Sunrise back in 2000, She learned of MSU’s Veterinary Technology program. She applied immediately and was accepted. After graduating from the Veterinary Technician Bachelor’s Program. She remained in Lansing where she worked at Waverly Animal Hospital, Boarding and Grooming (a busy 5 doctor AAHA clinic) for 14 years as an LVT. Growing tired of city life and missing living near a lake, her family relocated to Marquette. She resided in the UP for 4 years before being called home to Alpena. Her and her husband share 4 children. Two adult daughters along with another daughter who is 10 years old and a son who is 6. Her fur kids consist of a senior Lab/Coonhound mix, a young energetic Golden Retriever and a sassy kitty. She has a slight houseplant obsession and also loves gardening, camping, kayaking, reading and loving on her “Golden” child. She is so excited to be returning to Sunrise Veterinary Services where it all started for her!
Taylor Madsen
Veterinary Assistant
Taylor was born and raised in Alpena. She left the area to attend Baker College where she graduated in 2021 from their Veterinary Technician Program. She knew at a young age that she wanted to work with animals. She grew up on a farm with cattle, horses, a cat and dog. She loves the outdoors.
Emma Cook
Veterinary Assistant
Emma was born and raised in Alpena. She loves all animals but describes herself as more of a dog person. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her energetic dog Titos and also riding and competing in barrel races with her horse Padre. She is so excited to meet all your furry family members.
Shelly Olsen
Veterinary Assistant
Shelly has worked at Sunrise Vet since 2002. Prior to that, she was on active duty in the Navy and a Navy wife for 19 years. In 1998, she returned to Alpena along with her three children. She also has two senior cats at home, and in her spare time, she enjoys all forms of needlework and goes kayaking! Her fondest memories are those of family camping trips.
Christina Taratuta
Veterinary Assistant
Christina was born in Alpena. She eventually moved out of the area but then decided to move back to small town living. She has 2 dogs and 3 cats. She loves helping animals which steered her in the direction of veterinary medicine. In her spare time, she likes to run, hike with her dogs, basically anything outdoors and traveling.
Taddy the Maine Coon, Greeter/Model
When you visit Sunrise Veterinary Services, you can expect to be greeted by our professional greeter and part-time model, Taddy, the Maine Coon. Taddy loves to show off for anyone and everyone that walks through the doors. Attention is the name of the game, and with Taddy strutting around the room, he’s hard to ignore!
Tom & Jerry
Meet Tom, our playful and curious 7-month-old Maine Coon! With his fluffy coat and gentle demeanor, he’s already a beloved member of our team. Whether he’s lounging in the sun or “helping” with paperwork, Tom’s personality is as big as his paws! Stop by and say hello—he’d love to meet you!
Meet Jerry, our spirited and mischievous clinic cat! He’s the perfect partner to Tom, always ready for an adventure or a game of chase. Jerry’s quick to greet visitors with his playful antics and a flick of his tail. Whether he’s sneaking into a cozy corner or supervising from a high perch, Jerry brings endless charm and energy to our clinic.
Noodle
Meet Noodle, our 12-month-old Indonesian Blue-Tongued Skink! With his vibrant scales and signature blue tongue, Noodle is as fascinating as he is friendly. He loves basking in his enclosure and showing off his unique personality to everyone who stops by. Noodle is a quiet yet captivating addition to our clinic family.