Cindy:

Practice Coordinator / Veterinary Assistant

Having worked with animals for nearly her entire professional career, Cindy’s background is heavily grounded in animal rescue. She discovered early on that she has a natural talent for putting animals at ease, understanding their personalities, and advocating for what is in their best interest, both mentally and physically. This, coupled with her pragmatic approach to management and virtually unshakable nerves, has made working with animals Cindy’s true calling in life.

About a year or so after graduating college, Cindy found herself searching for a job that she could be passionate about. Upon answering an ad placed by a local animal shelter looking for animal caretakers, her adventure began! The shelter was new and growing and over the years, Cindy grew along with it. After almost 17 years with the organization, learning and helping to build it, she decided it was time to move on to new challenges and opportunities. She shared her experience and knowledge with several other rescues, working as Director of Operations for one and Medical Manager for another, before finding her new home as Practice Coordinator of Animal Hospital of McHenry.

Professionally, Cindy enjoys running laboratory tests because she appreciates the precision of it. She also loves communicating with clients, educating them, and in turn, learning new things herself from time to time! And, of course, there’s the opportunity to work with patients and get to know new furry friends. What’s not to love about a job that involves kitty cuddles and puppy snuggles?!

Outside of the clinic, Cindy resides in Mundelein with her husband, two stepchildren, three cats, and one turtle. All of the cats are rescues, each from a different place Cindy has worked. Her newest adoptee, Skitters, was surrendered to AHOM after being attacked by a predator. Knowing he couldn’t give her the life she deserved, Skitters’ previous owner agreed to let the AHOM team find her a new home. Turns out that home happened to be Cindy’s.

In her spare time, you can usually find Cindy in her garden. New to the hobby, Cindy is still learning new about what to plant and where, as well as how to get the most out of her backyard farm. She’s also in the process of learning how to can and preserve some of the things she grows. When she’s not tending to her crop, Cindy also enjoys antiquing with her husband and spending time in nature.

Elyse:

Veterinary Assistant

Although she’d always had a soft spot for animals, Elyse didn’t know she would find herself working in the veterinary profession one day. When she first applied to be a veterinary employee, she was just looking for something a little different. Now, Elyse’s work is much more than a job—it’s her true passion!

Elyse first joined the Animal Hospital of McHenry family in November of 2011. Her favorite part of the workday is the wide variety of things she gets to do and the multitude of different pet personalities she’s able to interact with on a daily basis.

At home, Elyse has several pets. She shares her life with two cats named Noah and Summer; a rescued mouse who goes by Mousy; and multiple fish.

Anne:

Certified Veterinary Technician

Since as far back as she can remember, Anne has always been invested in animal care and welfare. After high school she heard about an associates degree program which would lead to licensure as a veterinary nurse (AKA, certified veterinary technician) and she decided this sounded like it would be a good fit.

Anne graduated from Parkland College in 2003, which was the only program in the state to offer credentialing as a CVT at that time. Since graduation she has been in a variety of roles in the veterinary field including staff management, overseeing the medical flow at two clinics within open admission animal shelters, acting as lead technician in a private practice setting and a stint in emergency medicine. Anne takes her role of CVT seriously and hopes to use her knowledge in advocating for her patient’s medical needs.

Anne joined the team at Animal Hospital of McHenry in September of 2021. She had recently moved back to the Midwest after living on the West Coast for nearly a decade and sought out a small animal clinic that would be a good fit. After doing some research she decided that Animal Hospital of McHenry was indeed the type of clinic she was looking for. Anne has a soft spot for her feline patients and has a special interest in geriatric care as well as dentistry. She likes educating clients about the importance of their animal’s oral health since it results in a higher quality of life for that animal.

Anne currently shares her home with her animal loving wife Amy, her senior cat Bitty, a rambunctious dilute calico named Islay and whatever other foster animals may currently be residing at her residence. In her free time Anne enjoys watching baseball (go White Sox and Cardinals!), reading, spending time with family and friends or going for a hike at the local nature preserve.