MEET THE STAFF

Lana - Lana is our Hospital Manager. She graduated from University of Michigan with a BBA in 2006. She has always been an animal lover and was raised with ducks, hamsters, mice, rats, snakes, ferrets, birds, an iguana, and, of course, cats and dogs. Lana feels quite at home here at Jewell Animal Hospital!

Jodi - Jodi received her BA in Philosophy and Sociology from Knox College and has since worked in a variety of animal care positions, including dog-grooming, various no-kill shelters, and some of Chicago's best veterinary clinics. Jodi joined Jewell Animal Hospital in 2007 and has loved being a part of this state-of-the-art facility!

Sarah - Sarah graduated from the Vet Tech Institute at Fox College in March 2009 and is a Certified Veterinary Technician. She enjoys spending time with her husband, dog Aurora, and 4 cats; Connor, Coltrane, Lil’ Mama, and the latest addition, Poppi. She is thrilled to have found her calling by working with animals and so happy to be part of the Jewell Animal Hospital team!

Melissa - Melissa started as a volunteer here at Jewell Animal Hospital. She volunteered with us for 2 months, and did such a great job that we hired her in. She has a Veterinary Assistant career diploma from Penn Foster and is bilingual. She enjoys her life with her three children, two little girls and one boy, her dog Shadow, and her wonderful husband.

Phil - Phil is a certified veterinary technician who graduated from Fox College in 2009. He previously received a bachelor’s degree in English and, after realizing he disliked cubicles, decided that animal medicine rules. He has 2 cats with ridiculous names...Chairperson Meow and Explodo! His goofball personality can add levity to any situation. In his free time, he plays guitar in a band called Big Dammit and watches too much Netflix.

Saxby - Saxby is our personal research consultant. He started out as an assistant to Ms. Thang when he was a young kitten, interested in being part of the exciting world of veterinary science. When Ms. Thang retired, Saxby was promoted. Always ready to lend a helping paw, Saxby plays an integral role in almost everything that happens at Jewell Animal Hospital. His major duties include greeting, scale testing (pictured left), food tasting, and playing the "Patch Adams" to all of our hospitalized pets. His major research contribution is an ongoing project to determine which clinic items make the best cat toys. In his spare time he enjoys most extreme sports, including base jumping, sky diving, rock climbing, and his favorite, rugby. It's a good thing he's got access to the finest veterinary care in Chicago!

Hobbes - Hobbes has been hired as Saxby's assistant to help him with his daily office duties. Hobbes helps Saxby roam the animal hospital to visit with pets here for appointments and greet clients in the waiting area. While some of his day is taken up with helping Saxby, when he's free to explore he loves playing with his assortment of toys, playing hide and seek by himself, and taking over Dr. Mitchell's chair for naps. His current research project is to determine which cat food is the best. Outside of work, Hobbes enjoys bird watching, ballet and gardening.