🐾 Meet the People of Napa Humane: Dr. Amanda Vance

If you’ve ever wondered who’s behind the scenes at Napa Humane and Napa County Animal Shelter (NCAS), meet Dr. Amanda Vance, one of the most dedicated and unique veterinarians in our region.

Amanda has been with Napa Humane for 17 years, and in that time she’s helped shape not just our clinic’s care model, but also an innovative shelter medicine program that serves Napa County’s most vulnerable animals.

At Napa Humane, Amanda performs spay/neuter surgeries for dogs, cats, and rabbits, and supports pet owners with post-op education. At NCAS, she consults on population health, triages urgent cases, performs procedures, and helps prevent or manage disease outbreaks.

“The most rewarding part of my job is the impact I’m making with the shelter medicine program,” Amanda says. “It’s unique—and I’m the only one locally doing this kind of work.”

While she jokes that the real perk is “no on-call shifts” Amanda also loves the opportunity to play with dogs while making a measurable difference in the lives of shelter animals.

One of her most unforgettable cases came at NCAS. She was asked to check on a dog who was struggling to walk. By the time Amanda reached the kennel, the dog was crawling like a sea lion, unable to stand.

“I started examining her, expecting to have to give grave news,” she says. “But then I found she was covered in ticks—more ticks than fur.”

The team manually removed enough ticks to fill a dog bowl. Within hours, the dog could walk again. Amanda diagnosed tick paralysis, a condition caused by toxins in tick bites that temporarily affect the nervous system.

“It was amazing to see such a dramatic turnaround—just from removing ticks.”

Amanda shares her home with two oversized dachshunds, Rufus and Ghrrken, and two California desert tortoises, George and Alice.

When asked what animal she’d be, Amanda offered two versions:  “What I’d want to be? A beef cow—all the food I want, hanging out with my cow friends. What I am? A California sea lion. I swim well in cold, rough water, I have a layer of insulation, and I never stop talking.”

In her off-hours, Amanda is a force of nature—surfer, triathlete, Ironman finisher, and a glutton for punishment (her words) who’s completed the Davis Double Century (a 200-mile bike ride) twice, and would probably do it again. She’s also an avid open-water swimmer who loves crossing the chilly waters from Alcatraz to the shore.

“My favorite vacations are off-the-grid backpacking trips—where no one can reach me.”

And while her work may be intense, Amanda remains grounded by a love for weenie dogs, the satisfaction of a job that truly makes a difference, and the quiet joy of solo adventure.

We’re lucky to have someone with Amanda’s dedication, experience, and signature sense of humor at the heart of our team.