Veterinary Assistant and Registered Apprentice
Heather works at both our West Des Moines and Norwalk location. She grew up in Des Plaines, IL and moved to Des Moines in 2008. She graduated from Loyola University in Chicago with a BA degree in Communications, but has always had a passion for animals. Heather brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in caring for all types of animals; Heather’s heart (and home) is full of dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, birds, rabbits, fish, turtles.
Heather's interest in VetMed peaked after two significant events that eventually led her here. First, in 2017 she found a Great Blue Heron that was injured in the parking lot of her workplace. She contacted a local wildlife group to assist the bird and immediately after helping him she started researching how to help wildlife. She then worked to connect with other local rehabbers which quickly led to Heather getting her license as a Wildlife Rehabilitator in 2018. The second piece stems from 2018 when Heather’s Pomeranian, Shorty, was diagnosed with renal disease. This diagnosis progressed her interest in VetMed even more, as she wanted to learn as much as she could to prolong his quality of life. Shorty passed away at the age of 20 and we are very proud of Heather for providing him such a wonderful and long life!
In 2021 Heather joined the VetMed field and came to work with us at Family Pet Veterinary Center as of November 2022 and our most recent clinic cat, Storm, tagged along. Heather started as a Client Coordinator and since joining our team she has become Fear Free Certified and started training in the Veterinary Assistant role. She enjoys working with us and says she learns something new everyday. Heather is very grateful that our technicians and DVMs offer her additional training aside from the role she is already working in, and Heather aspires to become a Registered Veterinary Technician in the future and is currently enrolled in the Penn Foster Veterinary Technician program and is a Registered Apprentice, which will ultimately help her achieve her career goals. In her free time she enjoys hiking, biking, going to the gym, rescuing animals and spoiling her pets!
Heather’s advice for anyone searching for a new pet to add to their family: “Do a lot of research before getting a new pet. Don’t just fall for a pretty face, make sure they fit into your lifestyle. Pets are a huge commitment."