Our Team
Dr. Alan Mafara
Veterinarian, Owner
Dr. Alan Mafara came from Zimbabwe in 2003 after having graduated in 1993 from the University of Zimbabwe. He came to AZ to be with his wife, Sharon, who he met in an exchange program between the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Zimbabwe’s veterinary school.
Since moving to Arizona, Dr. Mafara has become passionate about preventative care, orthopedic surgery and veterinary dentistry in primarily dogs and cats. He spends time with his mentors at Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists in order to improve his dentistry skills.
Dr. Mafara and Sharon share their home with their son, daughter, and a boxer mix called Girlfriend. Their after hours activities are usually centered on the kids who like chasing hot air balloons and attending swimming lessons. Dr. Mafara also enjoys the local sports teams and catching a Cardinals, Diamondbacks or Suns game whenever he can. He hasn’t quite yet become a Coyotes fan since he says he still has to learn how hockey works! For relaxation, however, he finds a round of golf is a welcome bonus.
Dr. Tracy Connolly
Associate Veterinarian
Rachelle Rollins
Lead Customer Service Representative
Rachelle started at EVAH in December 2012 as a veterinary assistant and receptionist where her duties include cleaning, performing diagnostics and establishing relationships with clients. She enjoys playing the “motherly” role when taking care of sick patients and watching them get well warms her heart. “I’ve always had a deep connection with animals, especially dogs,” Rachelle says. “Seeing my miniature pinscher diagnosed with diabetes gave me the push to pursue a career in the veterinary field.”
Rachelle has one daughter, a dog named Yukon and a rat named Atticus. Her hobbies include makeup application, going to concerts, “Sunday Funday” with her family and going to the coffee shop with her best friend. Rachelle appreciates the great relationships she has with her co-workers and considers them to be family
Donna Jones
Lead Veterinary Technician
Donna traveled from California to Arizona in search of a new adventure shortly after graduating high school. Once in Arizona, being a short road trip away from snow and so close to mountains was reason enough to stay. Donna has always had a love for animals, but there was a time where she considered working as a ‘human nurse.’ One day, it just hit her that helping animals was IT for her! She started school to become a veterinary technician and graduated from Kaplan University in 2011 and the rest is history! She does plan on continuing her education and hopes to become a Certified Veterinary Technician. Her dream is to one day work at a wildlife park and get to interact with all the amazing tigers, lions, and bears!
When not at work, Donna loves to hang out with her coworkers–who are like family to her, take care of her animals, play video games, read comics and watch all the Marvel/DC movies, watch anime and be the designated taste tester for her husband, Steven, whenever he tries new recipes at home. He repays the favor when Donna tries new baking recipes. The first 2 pets they have are a blue pit that she adopted named Havoc and Talo her cat who moved with her from California. She found him as a stray kitten and he turned out to be the ideal road trip partner during her move. He sat in the front seat and napped, he only complained when the AC was not pointed directly at him! New additions, Harley and Igneel (Iggy for short) are their bearded dragons. Harley is a leatherback and Iggy is a Citrus. They are little hungry hippos that love exploring the house, sitting on top of your head and scaring Havoc and Talo.
Donna understands the unfortunate situation of when something unexpected happens to your fur-babies. Sometimes it is scary and frustrating and there are a lot of emotions. Having her own pets, Donna understands and has felt what some clients go through when something scary happens with their fur babies.
Rachel Carpenter
Lead Veterinary Technician
Rachel has been in the veterinary field for 15 years now, working with Dr. Mafara for a total of more than 13 of those years and Dr Connolly for six years. She shares her home with the most important man in her life, Steve the Cat, her 15 year old Manx. She does have one other man in her life, Blu, her 23 year old quarter horse, who lives at her mom’s house with her horse Splash. Steve and Rachel are mostly homebodies. You’ll usually find them there watching TV, movies, reading or playing video games. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, but Steve usually stays home. She couldn’t imagine having any other job or working with any other group of people. They all share a passion for keeping pets happy and healthy as if they were their own.
Audrey Barton
Veterinary Technician
Audrey began working for EVAH in May of 2011. As a nurse for pets, she does everything from running diagnostics to monitoring anesthesia. Throughout her career with EVAH, she is most proud of her personal and professional growth, going from assistant work to now taking on more responsibility. Audrey is especially proud of her skill at monitoring anesthesia and helping with surgeries, and she enjoys making the clients and patients as comfortable as possible and making every interaction a great experience for everyone.
After graduating from EVIT, Audrey worked in surgery specialty for over a year-and-a-half before transitioning to the EVAH team full time, where her passion for patient care shines. A native of Mesa, AZ, Audrey spends her free time loving on her own fur babies, as well as long boarding, playing video games, reading, hiking and listening to live music.