Palisades Vet Clinic is a full-service small animal veterinary hospital. The facility includes a fully-stocked pharmacy, surgery suite, in-house x-ray, a closely monitored hospitalization area, and boarding for cats, with an outdoor yard for walking hospitalized dogs. We provide a broad spectrum of diagnostic procedures through in-house testing and the use of external laboratories.
Dr. Shillito (“Dr. Dan”) is a graduate of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He refers to his choice to become a veterinarian as his “midlife crisis.” Prior to vet school, Dr. Dan worked as a Smithsonian Fellow at the National Zoo for which he obtained a PhD in Animal Behavior, later becoming the director of a zoo in Charleston, SC. After years of working in zoos and sanctuaries, Dr. Dan decided to go to vet school to more directly help animals. After graduating from Cornell, he spent years in private practice before becoming the staff veterinarian at the Washington Animal Rescue League, where he practiced shelter medicine for five years. His main professional interests are surgery and chronic pain management. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Dr. Elliott graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. She began her veterinary career at a small animal clinic in Charlottesville, Virginia, but after 2.5 years felt the call of “the big city” and relocated to Washington, DC.
Dr. Elliott grew up in a small town in west Tennessee, and spent most of her childhood days playing with her family’s cats, mutts, Miniature Schnauzers, Golden Retriever, turtles, etc. Her love of animals and desire to be a veterinarian to help animals in whatever way possibly took hold at an early age.
She rode horses competitively in the hunter-jumper circuit from age 8, and still rides for fun. Her rambunctious Thoroughbred-Hungarian horse Toby provides all the equestrian challenges she needs, while his retired mother horse Little Fat lives it up by relaxing in Tennessee.
Dr. Elliott attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and majored in Biology.
Dr. Elliott and her husband bought a home in DC in 2006, but moved to Cabin John, MD, in April 2010. They are avid Capitals and NY football Giants fans. They enjoy jogging, exploring restaurants (especially those with moules frites!), cooking, and renovating their home. They share their home with their 2 kids and their 3 rescued pets.
Dr. DeLuca is a native of Washington, D.C., and went to veterinary school at Virginia Tech. After graduation, she completed an internship and residency program in animal reproduction, then went on to join the faculty at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. DeLuca moved back to the mid-Atlantic in 2011 and has worked in both general practice and specialty practice before joining Palisades Veterinary Clinic. Outside of work, you can find Dr. DeLuca riding her bicycle, hiking, or camping in the great outdoors with her dog, Kansas.
Dr. Liu is a native to the DC-MD region, but before she made her way across the Atlantic, she grew up in China and in Japan. Dr. Liu received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
Following graduation, Dr. Liu trained as an intern at an emergency and referral hospital just outside of Philadelphia before moving back to the DC area. She is excited to be back and getting to know everyone in her community even better.
Dr. Liu’s veterinary interests include emergency medicine, soft-tissue surgery, and small mammal and wildlife medicine. She spends some of her time training her goofy but lovely pets, Sven (cat) and Mei (dog) who may not be as enthusiastic as she is about their little adventures. When she’s not at work, you’ll find her in the gym, exploring the great outdoors, painting, or playing the piano.
Dr. Siech is an Associate Veterinarian dedicated to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to pets and their families. She earned her veterinary degree from Iowa State University in 2021, graduating with highest honors, summa cum laude. After graduation she practiced general medicine at a small animal practice located in Metro Atlanta for 2 years prior to moving to D.C.
With a strong interest in internal medicine, preventative medicine, client education, and surgery Dr. Siech is committed to ensuring the well-being of her patients through personalized care plans and thorough communication with pet owners. As a devoted pet parent herself, Dr. Siech understands the importance of the human-animal bond and treats each patient with the same level of care and compassion she would want for her own beloved calico cat, Arya.
Outside of her veterinary practice, Dr. Siech enjoys an active lifestyle, often found exploring the great outdoors through activities such as running, hiking, canoeing, and gardening.
Dr. Mazin grew up in New York City before moving to the DMV. He attended veterinary school across the pond in Scotland at the University of Glasgow. After coming back to the states, Dr. Mazin worked in emergency medicine in Virginia for a few years. Dr. Mazin joined the Palisades Veterinary Clinic team in 2019. His veterinary interests include emergency medicine, soft tissue surgery, orthopedics, and endoscopy.
When not at work, Dr. Mazin can be found running and hiking with his three Australian shepherd mixes – Sophia, Cooper, and Emma. He enjoys spending time with them and also indulges in fishing or kayaking in one of DC’s many waterways.
Victoria came to be part of the Palisades family in 2010. She’s been working in the veterinary field for over 20 years in many different areas. She’s had the pleasure of working with exotics as well as dogs and cats throughout her career. In her free time, she enjoys taking care of her family, both two and four-legged, along with sports, music, and movies.
Lauren began working with animals at age 17 in a pet store. She quickly transitioned into working in the Veterinary field and found her calling. After a break, she has been back in the field as a Veterinary receptionist since 2008. She has been part of the PVC team since October 2017. Growing up she had cats, gerbils, guinea pigs, fish and a chameleon. Currently she has a maltese bichon mix named Louie, a hedgehog named Rosie, and a guppy- named Guppy.
Tai is a native Washingtonian from the N.E. area. She went to school at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and received her B.S. in Animal Science. She has been a vet tech since 2003 and has worked at Palisades since 2014. She is the pet mom to an adorable huge Cane Corso named Barack. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and listening to 90s R&B music.
For over 12 years, Danell has been comforting our furry patients, cuddling kitties, and skillfully monitoring anesthesia at PVC. She’s our go-to expert for making every “boo kitty” feel safe and loved during their visit. Danell also keeps our clinic buzzing with fun, ensuring our social events (especially the Christmas parties!) are a blast.
At home, she cares for her five cats and her husband Melvin, a proud supporter of her feline-filled life. Her guilty pleasure? Watching true crime—she’s always up for swapping theories or hearing about your favorite cases!