Meet Our Team

Becky Prior, DVM

Veterinarian/Owner

Becky Prior received her Doctorate of Veterinary medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1997. Over the past 25 years Dr. Prior has practiced small animal medicine, surgery, and emergency and critical care in practices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Dr. Prior assumed ownership of Lifetime Animal Hospital August 1, 2013. She is the lead DVM of the practice and serves as the Veterinary Medical Director of the Lifetime Veterinary Medical Staff and Technicians who care for the patients of Cody and the surrounding communities in NW Wyoming. She also provides Small Animal Emergency Veterinary care for the community of Cody in partnership with other Cody Veterinarians.

Dr. Prior and her husband, Jim, have been married for over 20 years and have two adult children attending the University of Wyoming, Laura and Brendan.

Britt Whitt, DVM

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Britt Whitt joined the Lifetime Animal Hospital team in 2025 and has been a veterinarian for over 13 years for both Large and Small Animals. Born in Cody, Wyoming, Dr. Whitt has lived in the NW region of Wyoming her entire life, and now resides in Cody, WY with her four children, Bandie, Cort, Della, and Eila. An outgoing and sincere person, Dr. Whitt enjoys serving her community and has a great love for animals of all sizes. She is happy to call Cody and the surrounding area as her home. A graduate of Meeteetse High School, after graduation she attended Northwest Community College in Powell where she earned an associate degree of science. She then attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY, where she earned her Bachelors of Science Degree and then she went on to earn a Doctorate’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, CO.

Dr. Whitt works alongside Dr. Prior in Small Animal, Exotics, and Avian medicine and surgery and also provides Small Animal Emergency Veterinary Care for the community of Cody in partnership with other Cody Veterinarians.

Tessa Baker, CVT

Veterinary Clinic Manager/Lead Veterinary Technician

Tessa graduated from Hot Springs County High School in 2006 and went right into the United States Marine Corps, where she served 4 years and received an Honorable Discharge in 2010. After serving her country she became passionate about taking on a career as a Veterinary Technician. Tessa joined us in September 2014 while on her externship for her degree. She graduated from Pima Medical institute, Mesa, AZ in October 2014 with an Associates of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology. She became a full time employee with us in November 2014 and in April 2015 she became a Certified Veterinary Technician in the state of Wyoming. She has a strong passion for horses and in 2015 she became certified as an Equine Veterinary Technician as well.

She has been around animals her entire life, mostly livestock and horses. Growing up on a ranch in Thermopolis, WY she had to learn at a young age how to care for sick and injured animals. The fact that she can help an animal that can’t help itself gives Tessa a strong sense of purpose. She has had the pleasure and opportunity to assist in major orthopedic and prosthetic surgeries in horses with Dr. Ted Vlahos a local equine specialist and owner of Yellowstone Equine Hospital.

Tessa shares her life with her husband Joe and together they have 3 children. Their family also consists of 3 dogs and 4 horses. When Tessa isn’t working she is hunting, camping, riding horses, and practicing cowboy mounted shooting in her home arena.

Veterinary Technicians & Assistants

Our Veterinary Technicians & Assistants provide vital support for our veterinarians and our patients in appointments, surgery, and radiology. These technicians and assistants are specially trained by our veterinarians and our certified veterinary technician. They’re the ones gently holding a pet’s paw during exams, keeping things calm in the clinic, and making sure every patient feels safe and cared for. They’re often the first to greet pet owners and the last to say goodbye when an appointment is over. They’re always incredibly busy, but still find time to give extra love and attention to each animal that walks through the door!

Kennel Assistants

Lifetime Animal Hospital has a great team of Kennel Assistants who not only take care of our Boarding Dogs and Cats, and some exotics and birds, but who also spend valuable time with them each day making sure they are well fed, comfortable and clean every day. This great team of employees also helps to keep the hospital tidy and clean seven days per week and on holidays. As a Veterinary Medical Team, we all pitch in to care not only for our Boarded pets, but our hospitalized pets and those pets who just need to be loved on during the daytime hours when their parents are at work. Loving pets is what these folks do each day!!

Jim Prior

Co-owner / Controller

Jim and Dr. Prior have had animal hospitals in other parts of the country. We are happy that they settled in Cody, WY and created a wonderful place to work and care for animals. Jim majored in music and is also a student of foreign languages. In addition to overseeing Hospital Operations he is very involved in the Community of Cody where he serves as a worship pastor for a local church and where he lends his time to direct the Cody Chamber Ensemble. When he isn’t working, he enjoys listening to music and spending time with family and friends.

Tammy Satterthwaite, MBA, CMPE

Hospital Administrator

Tammy joined Lifetime Animal Hospital as the Hospital Administrator in 2024. Tammy received her Masters of Business Administration from John Brown University in 2009 and has worked as a Certified Medical Practice Executive in Clinical Practice for over 20 years. Tammy began her career as a Veterinary Hospital Administrator in 1998 changing careers in 2002 to Healthcare Executive leadership for OU Physicians in Oklahoma City, a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center in Casper, and as a Clinic Director and Executive in Cody and Sheridan, WY. Most recently Tammy and her family lived in Medford, WI where she served as a Regional Clinic Director for a large healthcare system. While in WI they spent time with kids and grandchildren. Making the decision to return to Cody, WY, Tammy has renewed her work in Veterinary Medical Leadership. Tammy is joined by her husband Rick, who is a Licensed Behavioral Counselor and her two children, Olivia, a student at the University of Wyoming and Zachary, a student at Cody High School.

When she is not working, Tammy enjoys singing at her church and spending time outdoors, walking and camping. Rick and Tammy are avid dog lovers and call Tucker, a Giant Schnoodle and frequent blood donor for critically ill canines, and Timber, an energetic English Springer Spaniel, as members of their family.

Olivia Satterthwaite

Social Media and Marketing Coordinator/Reception

Olivia joined Lifetime Animal Hospital for the Summer of 2025 as a receptionist to help during the busier months. In that time, her talents for marketing and social media began to shine and so she became our Social Media and Marketing Coordinator in June. Olivia will continue in that role throughout the year. Olivia grew up in Cody and attended high school in Medford, Wisconsin before returning to Wyoming to attend college.

Olivia attends the University of Wyoming with a double major in Music Education and Vocal Performance. She recently was elected as president of the University of Wyoming’s C-NAfME (Collegiate National Association for Music Educators) chapter! When she is not working, Olivia enjoys singing, cross-stitching, and baking. We are excited to have her on our team!