Ashburn Farm Animal Hospital

Emily Sylvest
Veterinary Assistant

Emily

Emily joined the AFAH team as a Veterinary Assistant in September 2005.

She graduated from Park View High School in Sterling, Virginia in 2000. She has attended the Northern Virginia Community College for three years with a concentration in English Literature.

Emily’s interest in animals stems from early childhood. She can remember when she was four years old, living in Japan, interacting with the native wildlife. She vividly recalls a time that a GIANT dragonfly befriended her -and another time when she was in a beautiful park and a sacred Shinto deer approached her. Later in her teens, Emily’s love of animals was further enhanced when she lived in Florida and became active in marine biology. One of the best experiences of her life was during a trip to the Florida Keys, where she visited a dolphin research park. Here, she met Nikki the Dolphin, and had the opportunity to actually pet him. Today, Emily loves working with people and animals and watching the interactions between the two. Her basic philosophy is, “human kind has domesticated these animals, so it is up to human kind to take care of them.”

She shares her home with two pets. Henley, a Staffordshire Terrier/Labrador Mix, is her goofy, friendly, and loving companion. Emily adopted Henley from a rescue group. He was left abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Her medium-haired black cat, Persnickety Persephone, is rightly named for her attitude. Persephone was also a rescue; she was found roaming on a golf course and captured by animal control.

In her spare time, Emily enjoys reading and writing. Her favorite authors include Neil Gaimon, Morgan Lleywelyn, and Oscar Wilde. She also loves listening to music; some of her favorite bands include U2, the Pogues, The Smiths, and The Clash.