Veterinary Care

Jackie Gai, DVM - PAWS Director of Veterinary Services

Dr. Gai began working with PAWS in 2001, and is our Director of Veterinary Services. Dedicated to providing excellent quality, compassionate veterinary care to all of PAWS' animals, she oversees our veterinary program and is an integral member of PAWS' management and animal care team.

Dr. Gai began working with captive wildlife at the Oakland Zoo in 1989. She started out as a volunteer and docent, was hired as a zookeeper, and ultimately worked as an Associate Veterinarian for several years. A lifelong interest in elephants intensified during her time as an elephant keeper, helping to hand-raise an African elephant calf named Kijana.

Dr. Gai was the head veterinarian for the Micke Grove Zoo from 2002-2009, and has also been providing veterinary care to sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and select private clients in northern California since 2001.

Believing strongly in community service, Dr. Gai has served on the California Department of Fish and Game Director's Advisory Committee on the Humane Care and Treatment of Wild Animals, the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians' Legislative and Animal Welfare Committee, and the University of California, Davis, Small Animal External Advisory Committee. She also volunteers her services during disasters, such as helping care for birds after oil spills, and assisting local animal shelters treating animals affected by wildfires.

A graduate of the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Gai believes in "paying forward" the mentorship she received throughout the years and enjoys speaking to student groups and mentoring young people interested in careers with free-ranging and captive wildlife. She has been an invited speaker and guest lecturer at U.C. Davis and multiple conferences and symposia on topics such as caring for captive wildlife, elderly elephants, animal welfare, and veterinary ethics. She is a published author and co-author of several peer-reviewed scientific papers, and has a strong motivation to contribute to the scientific literature on topics that benefit animal welfare. 

Dr. Gai has a heartfelt commitment towards meeting the medical, physical, social, and emotional needs of captive wild animals. She is especially dedicated to the care of geriatric elephants, and believes that veterinarians and animal caregivers can do much to improve the quality of life for elderly animals of all species.

A profile of Dr. Gai was featured in "California Veterinarian", a publication of the California Veterinary Medical Association. Click on photo above to read.

Read Dr. Gai's article, "Caring for Elderly Animals", published in PAWS' online newsletter on October 28, 2014. Click on the photo above to read.

Read Dr. Gai's report, "Veterinary Care for Elephants in a Protected Contact Management System."

Click on the photo above to view or download a PDF file.

Read Dr. Gai's article, ""How Do You Vaccinate a Tiger" from PAWS' April 2022 newsletter.

Click on the photo above to read.

Jennifer Glavis, DVM, MPVM

Dr. Glavis has been a part-time Associate Veterinarian at PAWS since 2013. She earned her DVM degree at U.C. Davis in 2009, and also completed a Masters of Preventative Veterinary Medicine degree in 2010. She also works in private practice with small and exotic animals, and has a strong background in sanctuary work, having spent time at the Limbe Wildlife Center in Cameroon, Africa, caring for a variety of species. 

"I was in Limbe, Cameroon, gathering research for my master's project when I first experienced a sanctuary (LWC). I returned home to graduate, and after working in small animal practice for a few years I decided to return to LWC to work as a veterinarian where I cared for a wide variety of primates, birds, and reptiles that were victims of the bush meat trade. I feel very lucky to have met Jackie Gai and to have found PAWS. I love sanctuary work because the philosophy is one I whole-heartedly agree with — it all comes down to the animals and what is in their best interests. At the end of the day I know that everything I have done has (hopefully) made their lives a little bit better, and they all deserve that."

Melissa Rothstein, DVM, MS

Dr. Rothstein is a part-time Associate Veterinarian at PAWS and has been studying under Dr. Gai’s mentorship since she was in vet school. She completed her veterinary degree at UC Davis after completing an M.S. in Public Policy at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine and studying art and graphic design at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Rothstein has always had a passion for animal welfare, which she has worked on through policy, advocacy, and medicine. Dr. Rothstein currently also works in small animal general practice in the Bay Area and has previous experience in large animal medicine, shelter medicine, and wildlife rehabilitation.

“What I love about working at PAWS is that they always keep the bigger picture in mind, advocating for captive and wild animals everywhere, while always acting in the best interest of the animals under their care. The animals at PAWS receive the best possible resources, care, and attention within the limitations of captivity.”

Emma Kaiser, DVM

Dr. Kaiser joined the PAWS team in 2022 as a part-time Associate Veterinarian after relocating to Northern California from Hawaii where she had served as the supervisory veterinarian at the Honolulu Zoo for seven years. While living in Hawaii she also worked in a volunteer capacity for several wildlife organizations in the islands, mainly focused on supporting native bird populations. While she has been fortunate to make a career working to improve the lives of captive wildlife in various zoo settings, her greatest joy comes from sanctuary and conservation work.

Dr. Kaiser hails from the Great Lakes state of Michigan. She received her degree in veterinary medicine from Colorado State University. Throughout her career she has always enjoyed volunteering for wildlife conservation organizations wherever she finds herself living, and fondly remembers the year she spent at the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon working with a variety of primates, birds and reptiles orphaned or injured by the illegal bushmeat trade in that country. She has even made a return trip there to further help the Centre with their veterinary needs. Dr. Kaiser has also been involved with the Pacific Bird Conservation organization since 2016, where she volunteers as a project veterinarian to assist in the safe translocation of at-risk forest birds in the Northern Mariana Islands.

"I feel very fortunate to have found PAWS and to be able to work with the extraordinary animals here. The mission of giving every animal the support and care that they need to live in a comfortable and peaceful environment is one that resonates strongly.” 

Lynn Dowling, RVT

Lynn Dowling is a Registered Veterinary Technician with many years of experience caring for both domestic and captive wild animals. She earned her RVT degree and licensure in 1994, and went on to earn a B.S. in Biology at U.C. Davis. Lynn worked for nine years as a zookeeper and RVT at the Folsom Zoo and Sanctuary, gaining invaluable experience learning about behavior and husbandry for a variety of species, including bears and tigers. Since 2002, she has been working in a very busy 24-hour emergency clinic, and now has the responsibility of a supervisory position. Lynn has worked with Dr. Jackie Gai since 2005, assisting with procedures on an astounding variety of animals, and was officially hired by PAWS in 2013.