Meet the vets at Homeward Bound
Dr. Jeff Gerlesits, DVM, Owner
Jeff was born and raised in Wheaton, Illinois, a great suburb outside of Chicago. He received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he studied and played soccer for the Golden Eagles. Jeff then pursued his dreams of becoming a veterinarian at the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine. With the excitement of the profession and novelty of James Herriot in his head, Jeff then ventured to Te Awamutu, New Zealand for a year long training program in dairy, sheep, and small animal medicine. The beautiful country and people helped shape his approach to holistic, quality medicine while considering the differing situations of patients and clients.
After this great experience, Jeff sharpened his medical skills during an small animal rotating internship at Animal Hospital Specialty Center in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. From there he spent five years caring for patients in Denver before landing at his long term home in Arvada at Homeward Bound. After spending time with Jeff, it is easy to see his passion is helping and caring for animals and their people. He has gained a reputation as a caring, progressive, and thoughtful doctor. Outside of work, Jeff enjoys sports, camping, fishing, snowboarding, and hiking. Jeff and his wife, Andra, stay busy chasing around their 3 year old daughter, Elise, their new baby Hazel, and their English Setter, Dawson.
Dr. Abdul Aziz Chughtai, DVM, MPH, Owner
Aziz grew up on the East Coast, first outside of Boston, then in coastal Maine. After completing his undergraduate work in international relations at Tufts University, he completed a masters degree in epidemiology and bio-statistics at Boston University. He worked at Massachusetts General Hospital as a clinical research coordinator for several years before realizing that he was more passionate about animals than statistical programming. Four years later, he completed his veterinary degree, also at Tufts University, before moving to Colorado to undertake a one year rotating small animal internship at Animal Hospital Specialty Center in Highlands Ranch. He and his family fell in love with Colorado and have been here ever since. Aziz lives with his wife Stefanie, his son Alexander, and their two cats Lao Tzu and Siddhartha. He enjoys the outdoors, recreational and spectator sports, tinkering about in the garage and trying grow whatever he can in the garden.
Dr. Meghin Kiernan, DVM
Dr. Meghin Kiernan grew up in Arvada, Colorado, and is a proud Colorado native. She attended Colorado State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Equine Science, a Master of Science in Microbiology, and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. During veterinary school, she developed a strong passion for companion animal medicine and chose to pursue small animal practice.
After graduation, Dr. Kiernan began her career as an associate veterinarian in Denver before returning to practice in her hometown of Arvada. She loves serving a community that truly feels like home. One of her favorite aspects of veterinary medicine is witnessing the bond between owners and their pets—and helping strengthen that connection through compassionate care. Her professional interests include preventive medicine, dermatology, geriatric care, and physical therapy.
Outside of work, Dr. Kiernan enjoys walking the neighborhood with her son and their three dogs—Meeko, Maisel, and Meadow—or visiting her childhood horse, Willy. Her family loves exploring Colorado, hiking, listening to jazz, and cheering on local sports teams. She also enjoys reading and watching movies, and she sets a yearly goal to watch every Oscar-nominated Best Picture. When she's not working or relaxing, she's usually planning the next family adventure.
Izzy
Izzy was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and earned both her Bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences and her Veterinary degree from The Ohio State University. During her time at OSU, she was a member of the pole vaulting team and became a published co-author of a research paper about quail.
Having grown up visiting Colorado as a child, Izzy fell in love with the mountains and decided to make the move after graduation. She now lives with her spicy cat, Keller, and her Cocker Spaniel, Jasper.
Izzy's professional interests include dermatology, soft tissue surgery, dentistry, and nutrition. She is fear free certified and a member of the AVMA. Outside of the clinic, she enjoys hiking, snowboarding, cooking, reading, and traveling.
Dr. Scott Carpenter, DVM
Bio coming soon
Dr. Holly Harroun, DVM
Haleakala (Holly) Harroun was born and raised in Longmont, Colorado. Her love for animals and veterinary medicine developed through raising goats in 4H. She received her undergraduate degree at Colorado State University, majoring in Biology and participating in the CSU Marching Band. She went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at CSU in 2024.
During her time at CSU, she travelled to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico to learn about sheep and goat herd health and provide vaccinations and collect samples for the Scrapie Eradication Program. She also travelled to Todos Santos, Mexico for community outreach and providing free spays and neuters to rural populations. From these experiences she developed a passion for access to care.
After graduating from CSU, she joined the team at Homeward Bound and has loved developing a connection with the Arvada community. Her clinic interests are feline and caprine(goat) medicine and expanding her interests in exotics and surgery. In her free time, she loves napping with her senior kittizens Oliver and Lucy, reading, painting, and paddle boarding . She currently lives in Broomfield, CO with her fiancé, Andrew.
Dr. Josey Sobolewski, DVM
Dr. Josey Sobolewski grew up in Crestwood, Kentucky and attended Georgetown College, where she played collegiate soccer before pursuing her passion for veterinary medicine. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University and went on to complete a small animal rotating internship at Colorado Animal Emergency and Specialty (CASE) in Boulder, Colorado. Prior to joining Homeward Bound Animal Hospital, this internship helped build a strong foundation in emergency and specialty care, and she continues to enjoy picking up relief emergency shifts a few times each month to stay sharp and well-rounded.
Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys playing soccer, exploring new foods and places, and spending time with her partner and their fur family, which includes two pittie mixes and two cats.