Meet Our Doctors

Dr. Clarke, DVM

Dr. Natasha Clarke grew up as an outdoor enthusiast with a love of all animals, not just the ones we commonly see at Valley Center Veterinary Clinic. She worked in the rain or snow at poultry farms, swine farms, a pine marten sanctuary, and even supervised a wild animal park.

Her father was in the military which taught her the discipline she needed to make it into the veterinary profession. Her mother stayed at home and taught the values of love, compassion for all life, and what it means to help others in need.

Guided by her heart and these valuable skills, she applied to vet school after completing an animal science degree with a minor in business.

She studied at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Canada where she was given the small animal surgery award from her professors. After graduating in 2005, she completed an intensive one-year internship in Los Angeles where she gained considerable experience working alongside various specialists. She then moved to San Diego where she worked as an emergency veterinarian and expanded her abilities by learning ultrasound and surgical laser skills. She purchased Valley Center Vet Clinic in 2010.

Her compassion isn’t only for animals, though. Dr. Clarke is passionate about movements that reach out to and support the homeless, the poor, and the forgotten. She loves to read and practice meditation, and enjoys hiking and deep, meaningful conversations.

She is excited to bring her personal and professional skills to Valley Center. Driven by a passion to provide the best care for her patients, Dr. Clarke strives to treat your pets like her own. She is known to be caring, knowledgeable and thorough with every animal that walks through the doors of the clinic. She has four pets of her own, and a beautiful baby girl. She says “They are always reminding me to be patient, loving and compassionate. Their love is unconditional – as mine should be to others.”

Dr. Benson, DVM

Dr. Elizabeth Benson grew up in a small town along the Chesapeake Bay. From the time she was a small child, she dreamed of helping to comfort and heal all animals. She moved to New England where she graduated from the University of New Hampshire and then completed a degree in Veterinary Medicine at Atlantic Veterinary College. Here she was awarded the Compassion Award from her professors.

Following veterinary school, she completed an internship where she was given the opportunity to practice with board-certified surgeons and internal medicine specialists.

She believes all veterinarians need to offer a peaceful transition for pets in their last moments. So she created an at-home pet euthanization service called Paws Into Grace to help provide pets with the opportunity to leave us with grace and dignity while surrounded by those they love most. Paws Into Grace has grown to include home hospice pet care which offers nutrition counseling, acupuncture, grief resources, and pain management for our aging pets.

She was trained by the Chi Institute of Florida to perform animal acupuncture in 2014. Equipped with this ancient Chinese practice, she has been helping animals throughout Valley Center, Escondido, and San Diego.

Dr. Savides, DVM

Dr. Selena Savides is a San Diego Native! She went to Missouri University for her veterinary schooling. Since then has been practicing veterinary medicine in San Diego County for the last 10 years at an emergency and specialty animal hospital. She has special interests in emergency medicine and surgery.

When she is not saving dogs and cats – she is playing with her many beloved pigeons, and her amazing little dogs Fraggle and Lily.

Dr. Ganz, DVM, DACVS, Consulting Surgeon

Seth Mathus Ganz was born and raised in central New Jersey. He attended Lakewood High School, then went to Boston University and completed a B.S. in Biology. He spent a year after undergraduate in Boston as a Surgery Technician at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, and went on to earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, MA. Seth completed consecutive one-year rotating and surgical specialty internships at Veterinary Specialty Hospital in San Diego. He completed a three-year Surgical Residency at Animal Referral Center Fox Valley in Appleton WI. He sat for his board examination January 2011 and was Board-certified March 2011. Seth stayed on in Appleton as a staff surgeon for a year, followed by a year on staff at California Veterinary Specialists in Carlsbad, CA. He was chief surgeon at Veterinary Specialty Hospital North County in San Marcos, CA from July 2012 until 2020.

Set has performed thousands of surgeries, mentored over one hundred trainees, and lectured regularly to the referring veterinarian community. He has done locum work in Iowa, Colorado, Hawaii, and Los Angeles.