Meet Our Team!

Dr. Joel Chatterson has an undergraduate degree from Western Washington University, and received his veterinary medicine degree from the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, which is where he met his wife Cassy. He and Cassy married soon after their graduation in 2003. After practicing for a short time in the Midwest, the Chattersons moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where Dr. Chatterson joined Mukilteo Veterinary Hospital in 2009. In March of 2015.Dr. Chatterson was proud to become the owner of Mukilteo Veterinary Hospital.

When he is not busy taking care of Mukilteo’s fuzzy population, Dr. Chatterson enjoys skiing, hiking, playing with his kids, practicing his guitar. Every couple of years, he loves taking his family to visit their friend Mickey Mouse in California or Florida. The Chattersons also absolutely love to visit Bellingham and Fairhaven. They spend many weekends there visiting parks and trying various eclectic restaurants.

Dr. Chatterson has two boys, Keaton and Nolan. Keaton is a Lego maniac and will likely be an architect (or space ship builder). Nolan loves everything (especially his dog Furgie), and we suspect he could very well be a little vet in training!

The furry portion of the Chatterson family includes Furgie, a lovely Irish Doodle, who is Dr. Chatterson’s co-pilot at the hospital (and anywhere else), and two cats, Leo and Aries, who enjoy sleeping 23 and ½ hours per day.

Dr. Charu Schmees is the Medical Director here at Mukilteo Veterinary Hospital. She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and returned to the area after graduating from veterinary school at Western University of Health Sciences in California in 2016. Her professional interests include surgery, dentistry, and geriatric care. She believes strongly in advocating for her patients and working with their humans to find a plan that best suits their needs. When not in the office, Dr. Schmees can be found hiking with her dog Basil, trying out a new recipe, or spending time with her husband and two boys and her friends.

Dr. Wendee Murayama was born and raised on the sunny island of Maui and grew up volunteering at her local animal shelter. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Management from the University of California, Davis before heading to California State University, Fresno to complete her Master of Science in Animal Science with an emphasis in Ruminant Nutrition. In 2017, she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University before moving to Washington. She practiced in the Skagit Valley for about four years prior to moving further south to be a bit closer to family. Her specific areas of interests include dentistry and the management of endocrinopathies and chronic diseases.

She loves living in the beautiful state of Washington with her obnoxiously affectionate kitties Smoosh and Weirdo Floof and can often be found perusing produce stands at local farmer’s markets, taking in the view on whale watching tours, and going on long drives while exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Erika Grether was born and raised in Washington state. She then received her undergraduate degree from Linfield College in Oregon before traveling all the way to London, England to attend the Royal Veterinary College. After graduating, she then returned to the Pacific Northwest to start practicing veterinary medicine. Dr. Grether’s interests include feline medicine and diagnostic imaging (especially ultrasound). Outside of work, she enjoys taking pilates and yoga classes, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family. She can often be found tackling home improvement projects with her black and white cat, Mr. Bojangles (Bo for short).

Liz has been in the veterinary field since 2004 and joined the family in 2008. She has had many pets over the years, currently she has two orange tabbys named Carlito and Cheeto both from Hawaii.  Liz and her redhead babies enjoy lounging on the couch on stormy nights and bathing in the sun on warm summer afternoons. Spending time with family and friends is their favorite pastime.

Sheryl joined the family November 2015. 

Jessica joined the family December 2023.

TJ joined the family January 2024.

Mollie joined the family in September 2021.

Madeline joined the family in December 2023.

Ibeth is pursuing a degree in Applied Science at Seattle Central College to become a Surgical Tech. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and lounging with her dog Coco.