Born in Auburn and raised in Tenino, Denise realized a love for animals early on, and volunteered at a local vet clinic right out of high school. She was hired on there and began training as a vet assistant, eventually working at several local animal hospitals, attending Pierce College, and becoming a licensed veterinary technician.
Denise has a large, blended family that includes eight adult children, 12 grandchildren, and several dogs, cats, horses, cows, and chickens. She loves spending time at the river, camping, rock hunting, browsing flea markets, and spoiling her grandkids as much as possible.