Call for an appointment today! 217-529-4499
WEST LAKE ​ANIMAL HOSPITAL
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us - Doctors
    • About Us - Staff
    • Read Our Reviews
  • Services
    • About Fear Free
    • Fear Free @ WLAH
    • Laser Services
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Client Form
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us - Doctors
    • About Us - Staff
    • Read Our Reviews
  • Services
    • About Fear Free
    • Fear Free @ WLAH
    • Laser Services
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Client Form

OUR STAFF

Picture
BETSY – Office Manager
Betsy grew up on a farm as a child.  She always had several dogs and cats growing up on the farm.  She always has had a love for dogs and cats.  She is married and has a family of two grown children, including three grandchildren and one great grandchild.  She has lived in Springfield for 30 some years.  She is a member of Southernview Chapel Church in Springfield.  She started working at West Lake Animal Hospital because she wanted to help people with the care of their pets.  Betsy at present has 3 cats and 1 dog.  She has acquired many cats while working here that have since passed on.  She feels it is very rewarding to help people understand the importance of taking the best care of their pets.  She also feels her co-workers and doctors are her second family.  We all try to take care of each other here.  She couldn’t have found a better place to work and try to make a difference in people’s lives and the lives of their pets.
Picture
SUE – Receptionist
Sue grew up on the south side of Chicago, graduating from St. Francis de Sales High School.  She began her career in education in 1976, in Virginia, Illinois.  In 1982 she secured a position in the Ball-Chatham school district where she spent the remainder of her career.  Sue's 
Golden Retriever Augie was a retirement gift from the faculty and staff at Glenwood Middle School.  Sue loves working with the wonderful veterinarians and support staff at West Lake Animal Hospital.  ​
Picture
ASHLEY - Veterinary Technician
Ashley was born and raised here in Central Illinios.  She attended Rochester schools and graduated in 2011.  She has always been passionate about caring for animals.  In January of 2017 she decided to register for the Veterinary Assistant program through LLCC and received her certificate of completion in June.  She plans to eventually take courses online to become a certified veterinary technician.  She doesn’t currently have any pets of her own, but she does enjoy spending time with her grandparents dog Marlowe, as well as the cat, Tim-Tam that she house sits for.  In her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, listening to music, traveling, and attending concerts.  

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

​LAUREN - Veterinary Technician

Lauren grew up in Williamsville and graduated from Williamsville High School in 2016. She has always been an animal lover and growing up had all kinds of pets ranging from hermit crabs, fish, lizards, frogs, and of course cats and dogs! She doesn’t currently have any pets of her own, but enjoys spending time with her parent’s dogs, Roxie and Bella.  In her free time, she likes to play piano, camp, hike, and watch old movies. She has been a part of the West Lake team since April 2018 and absolutely loves it. She plans to continue her career in veterinary medicine.

HANNAH - Receptionist
Hannah grew up in East Central Illinois. She received her BS from Central Christian College of the Bible. She just recently moved to Williamsville with her husband, Austin. She enjoys volunteering at Williamsville Christian Church, traveling, and walking her dogs. She has two Yorkiepoos, Winnie and Norrie. She plans to attend Lincoln Christian University to attain her Master’s degree in counseling. So far she has really enjoyed working at West Lake Animal Hospital.
CARY - Veterinary Technician/Receptionist
Cary was born and raised in central Illinois. She has always had a passion for animals and would bring every animal she could home. She  joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 2013 where she went to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. She later switched from Illinois Army National Guard to the Army Reserves and is still currently serving. After her military training she went on to receive her BS in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois. During her time at U of I she discovered her love of working with large animals. She joined a western show riding team and worked at the dairy farm where she fell in love with cattle.  Cary plans on continuing her education to become a therapist for dogs, horses, and cattle. After graduating from U of I, Cary went on to receive her certifications in horse and cattle massage therapy, raindrop therapy for horses and dogs, and rehabilitation therapy for horses. She is currently working on her certificates in Dog massage and kinesiology taping in small and large animals. Cary is our level 3 Fear Free Certified technician! In her spare time she loves to ride and show horses, snuggle with her dog, Marble, and enjoy time with her family with her newest addition, her daughter. 
​
PATRICK – Senior Veterinary Technician
Patrick was born and raised in Decatur Illinois. He developed a passion for animals while first working with them in the U.S Army.  Patrick has worked as a veterinary technician for the past 8 years while living in Chicago and Tampa, Florida. He joined us here at West Lake Animal Hospital in August of 2018 and loves the staff and our wonderful clients. Patrick is thoroughly impressed and motivated by the level of care and compassion that the entire staff exhibits on a daily basis and appreciates the love shown by our clients to their furry loved ones. Patrick has an amazing wife and son in Jen and James.  In his free time Patrick enjoys golfing, hiking, playing tennis and anything involving his family.
Picture
JULIE – Receptionist
Julie grew up on the north end of Springfield graduating from Lanphier High School.  She retired in July 2019 with 36 years of service with the Illinois Department of Transportation and joined the West Lake family in September 2019.  She is married and has two sons.
As far back as she can remember, Julie always had a dog for a pet.  Currently, there are two dogs in her family.  They adopted Sam in April 2018.  Sam is her husband’s hunting companion in the winter months, but has become her “porch” buddy this summer.  Julie can’t leave out her son’s dog, Beanie.  Beanie has become part of their family too.  In Julie’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, crafting, and doing household projects.
Picture
Picture
HANNAH - Receptionist 
Hannah grew up in Central Illinois and graduated Williamsville High School in 2019.  She now attends Lincoln Land Community College in hopes of transferring to Southern Illinois University Carbondale to become a dental hygienist.  Hannah enjoys traveling, attending concerts, and spending time with friends and family.  Her family has always had animals running around the house, and they currently have a Rottweiler named Koda and three cats named Harley, Smokey, and Tito.  Hannah’s favorite part of her job is seeing the love owners have for their animals and the welcoming and encouraging environment the staff at West Lake presents.



Grant - Vet Assistant 
Grant grew up here in Springfield. He served in the Army with the 3rd Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment. He served in Afghanistan during the summer of 2016. Grant graduated from UIS with a degree in criminal justice. He is currently working towards getting a job in law enforcement. He has two black cats named Voodoo and Ivan the Terrible. Grant enjoys working out and golfing.



​

Proudly powered by Weebly