Meet the Team

Karen Atlas, PT, MPT, CCRT
Founder, Director of Animal Rehabilitation

Karen is an experienced and licensed human Physical Therapist having graduated with a Masters degree from UC San Francisco/San Francisco State University in 1996. After adopting an injured dog named Teddy, she soon became passionate about applying her therapy skills and knowledge to the canine population. She is a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT) and successfully completed the program offered through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI). (www.caninerehabinstitute.com)  She was the first certified canine rehab specialist practicing in her hometown of Santa Barbara.   For eight years, she served as the Director of Rehabilitation at Hydropaws Animal Rehabilitation and Performance Center. Karen's passion for animals, knowledge, and helping her community then led her to open Atlas Rehabilitation for Canines, Santa Barbara's only stand-alone animal rehabilitation facility led by certified professionals.

Karen is a clinical instructor/mentor for the Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI). She has also been an invited guest lecturer for Western University School of Veterinary Medicine.

As a fierce advocate for the consumers and their pets in California, she has been intimately involved in the regulation of Animal Rehabilitation and served on the California Veterinary Medical Board's Animal Rehabilitation Task Force.  She maintains her steadfast desire to allow for consumer choice of and increased access to qualified non-veterinary professionals (i.e. advanced trained, licensed and certified physical therapists) and is the President of the California Association of Animal Physical Therapists (www.caapt.org).

William J. Otto, DVM
Managing Veterinarian

Dr. Otto grew up on a small farm in Ohio. He was always surrounded by animals and decided that he was going to be a veterinarian at the age of 10. He attended Ohio State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and then his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Ultimately, Dr. Otto made his way out to the Santa Barbara area, where he has been for over 30 years. 

Dr. Otto is the former owner of Carpinteria Veterinary Hospital in Carpinteria. He was forced to retire from general practice after suffering a traumatic spinal fracture. Dr. Otto has since recovered and was ready to practice again when Karen began envisioning ARC. He joined the team as the managing veterinarian and his knowledge and compassion make him an incredible asset to the ARC team.

Dr. Otto now lives in the Santa Ynez valley with his partner, 5 cows, and 35 hens. He loves gardening, landscape design, and horseback riding. Dr. Otto has been on a number of horseback riding trips throughout the world including Argentina, India, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Equador, Chile, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, France, Portugal, and others.

Zach Wermers, PT, DPT, CCRT
Rehabilitation Therapist

Zach has been a licensed Physical Therapist since 2012 after graduating from Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska with his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Zach met his wife, Lindsay, during their time in Omaha. They worked as traveling PTs all over the country prior to moving to Santa Barbara in 2015. Together they have three children, and their rescue Miniature Pinscher/Boston Terrier, Marv.

Zach was inspired to become a certified canine PT by a former professor who encouraged him to explore opportunities in canine and equestrian rehabilitation. Zach attended CRI (Canine Rehabilitation Institute) for his training in canine rehab. Following an internship with Karen Atlas, Zach joined the ARC team in 2018. He finds canine rehabilitation to be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.

Dr. Karalyn kane, DVM

Dr. Karalyn Kane was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California. Her love for helping animals started early in life. She volunteered for local animal rescue groups, did pet sitting and dog walking, and worked at veterinary clinics for most of her life. Her undergraduate Animal Science degree was completed at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She then pursued her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She enjoyed pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian, while getting to experience a new culture and country. After studying abroad, she returned to southern California and completed a small animal internship at an emergency/specialty clinic in the Inland Empire. Dr. Kane then went on to practice small animal medicine at local clinics in Ventura County.

Dr. Kane loves that she has a career where she can help animals and people and continue to

learn new things every day. She is excited to be a part of the ARC team and help in the physical

therapy treatment of animals. In her spare time, she enjoys basketball, going hiking,

camping/back-packing, spending time with family, friends, and her 2 dogs, Bella and Oakley.

Harley Cota
PRactice manager

Harley has spent her entire life around animals. She has always had a kind nourishing spirit and is often found bringing home all the stray pets she could find. Growing up, both of Harley's parents worked with horses and cattle dogs. She was riding horses before she could even walk! As soon as Harley was old enough to work, she started working with her mother managing a private ranch/petting zoo caring for many dogs and a variety of other animals. Harley first met Karen Atlas when one of the dogs from her job needed extensive physical rehabilitation. A couple of years later, a position opened up and Karen knew that Harley would be the perfect fit. Harley has now been working with Karen since 2014 and knows that this is the field for her. Harley feels her purpose in life is to make all pets happy pets, and she can truly fulfill that purpose at ARC.

Paige Jones
Rehabilitation Assistant

Paige has had a deep connection with animals from an early age and always knew she wanted to work with them. Growing up, she cared for a variety of animals-from dogs to frogs to snakes-which sparked her curiosity and love for all living creatures. She also volunteered at local shelters and fostered animals in need of extra support before finding permanent homes.

After high school, Paige pursued general education in animal sciences at Ventura Community College with plans to attend veterinary school. During this time, she worked at a doggy daycare, gaining hands-on experience with a wide range of breeds and developing a strong understanding of canine behavior.

She later worked as a veterinary assistant, supporting veterinarians and technicians in caring for sick and injured animals and ensuring their comfort during treatment.

Paige discovered Atlas Rehab through social media and was immediately inspired by the work being done. She joined the team two years ago and is currently completing her RVT schooling, with plans to pursue her CCRVT certification and continue growing in canine rehabilitation.

Kate Pope
Rehabilitation Assistant

Kate grew up in Southern California and has had a lifelong passion for working with animals. Surrounded by dogs from an early age, she always knew animal care was the path she wanted to pursue. Although she earned a degree in Environmental Science, she ultimately chose to pivot her career to better align with her true passion.

Before joining the team, Kate gained hands-on experience working at a dog daycare and volunteering in shelter medicine, where she built a strong foundation in animal handling and compassionate care.

Outside of work, Kate enjoys reading thriller novels, staying active through sports, and spending time with her goofy golden retriever, Apollo.