Oncology / Radiation Therapy - Oncology Team

Dr. Elmslie fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian when she graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Montreal, in Canada, in 1986. It was during the oncology residency at Colorado State University that she became increasingly interested in research in the field of immunology. After completing the oncology residency in 1990, she embarked on an immunology research fellowship at the National Jewish Center in Denver.

Dr. Elmslie founded the Veterinary Cancer Specialists, the Oncology department of VRCC, in 1993 with the goal of combining her clinical oncology expertise with her immunology research background to improve quality of life of pets with cancer and to contribute to the development and evaluation of innovative cancer therapies.

Dr. Elmslie and her husband have two sons, Cooper and Sawyer, and several pets which include two dogs, Roxy and Gus, three cats, Ethel, Peeper and Ford, a small parrot named GB, Dynamite the corn snake, along with many fish. Free time is spent with family and friends enjoying the great outdoors.

Dr. Ringen grew up in South Florida. After completing two years of her undergraduate degree at The University of North Florida she moved to Colorado with a mountain bike and a backpack. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. Dr. Ringen was then accepted into the Veterinary Medicine program at Colorado State University where she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. It was during her time at CSU that Dr. Ringen realized her passion for Veterinary Oncology. She completed a Small Animal rotating Surgery and Medicine Internship at Kansas State University followed by residency training in Medical Oncology at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Ringen has a Master of Science degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her research interests include evaluating the status of bcl-2, an inhibitor of apoptosis (programmed cell death), and its relationship as a prognostic indicator in B-cell lymphoma. As a result of this training, Dr. Ringen completed the certification process to become a Board Certified Veterinary Oncologist. Dr. Ringen is excited about providing compassionate care while pursuing innovative therapy options at Veterinary Cancer Specialists. Dr. Ringen and her husband share their home with three dogs: Jill, Madison, and Petey and with Bernard, their new 4 month old kitten. She enjoys many hobbies such as: running, hiking and snowboarding.

Stacie graduated from Bel-Rea and the University of Denver with a degree in Animal Technology. She joined VCS in 2000 after several years in general practice. Stacie is past-president of the Colorado Association of Veterinary Technicians and a long time board member/volunteer for ViDAS a non-profit that provides free spays and neuters in under-served communities in Mexico. She shares her life with her husband Chris, son Holt and a rescued Chihuahua named Joppy.

Ruby joined VCS December 2005 as a veterinary technician. She is a Colorado native, and graduated from the University of Denver in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. Ruby lives with her husband Ryan, their 2.5 year old Chihuahua/Papillon, Sophia, and two kitties-Gypsy and Alexis, who were both adopted from the Dumb Friends League where Ruby worked from 2001-2004. In her spare time, Ruby competes in women’s doubles beach volleyball at the open level.

Cheryl joined VCS in July 2007 after having been an Internal Medicine technician at another emergency and referral hospital for eight years. She earned a degree in Psychology at Connecticut College in 1992, and then actually went to work on a horse farm for a while! While still riding horses, she worked her way up the ladder in the retail industry for five years.

In 1998, a career change into the Veterinary field finally felt right and Cheryl moved to Colorado to attend the Bel- Rea Institute of Animal Technology. She graduated and became a CVT in June 1999. Her two male cats, Jache and Ritchey, continually fulfill her daily laughing quota! Some of her favorite activities include spending time with her boys, road biking some hard-core mileage, including events such as the Triple Bypass and the Deer Creek Challenge, and also being a distributor at home shows for a jewelry company.

Shantell relocated to the Denver area from Tampa, Florida where she worked at a Veterinary Specialty Hospital for 9 years. She shares her life with her boyfriend, Adam, her fat cat Hope and their 2 dogs, the charming Madd Maxx Rockatanski (a 6 year old mixed breed) and the feisty Firenze Bean (a 6 year old affenpinscher). In her free time, Shantell enjoys motocross, rock-climbing and rafting. Shantell looks forward to the changing seasons in beautiful Colorado and all that the outdoors has to offer.

Monique is originally from New Mexico. She earned B.S. degrees in Biology and Psychology in 2003 from the University of New Mexico. She moved to Colorado in 2003 and graduated with her CVT in 2008.

Monique joined our Oncology team in October 2011. Monique enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, and horseback riding. She has a 10 year old cat name Deuce, and 3 dogs – Aiko, a 10 year old Australian Cattle Dog, Tobi, a 2 year old lab mix and Regal, a 3 year old Swedish Vallhund who competes in confirmation and agility shows.

Elina came to Colorado from Milwaukee, WI in September of 2007 to attend the Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology. She has worked in the pet care industry for many years – starting back in 2002 as a dog handler, working her way up to Assistant Manager, at a doggy day care. Eventually, she found her calling in a veterinary hospital in 2007. She graduated from Bel-Rea in September of 2009, and joined a small, general practice in Littleton shortly after. In January of 2013, she joined the VCS team. She has 2 dogs: Jake, a Boxer/Lab mix, and Wilson, a Lab mix, who both made the journey from WI with her. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga and exploring Colorado – walks around the dog park, camping, and hiking.

With an extensive background in administration and sincere love of animals, Diana enjoys keeping the office running smoothly in the Oncology practice. Diana has lived in Colorado for over 40 years and loves spending time outdoors with her husband, Chris and 2 grandsons. She stays busy with rock or ice climbing, hiking, biking, skiing and camping. Diana insists “It’s not just about the activity, but where the activity takes you!” Pepper, her beloved long-hair dachshund rescue, tags along for most of their outdoor adventures. He’s got a lot of spunk and refuses to believe his legs are only 3 inches long.