Meet Our Team

Having been born into a family with four siblings, when I was offered a scholarship to attend Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, I accepted. During the years following my graduation, I completed a Bachelor of Science Degree from the College of St. Francis. Later, I received a Masters in Health from the University of Notre Dame. My Veterinary Degree was earned from Ross University with the internship from the University of Illinois.

For almost twenty years, I was an intensive care nurse, with two years as a cardiac rehabilitation assistant, and six years in charge of outpatient surgery. The experience has proven to be invaluable in the diagnostic and assessment skills needed in the veterinary field. The rewards in meeting the needs of companion animals and their families are as satisfying as life gets.

Since graduating as a veterinarian, I performed as a relief associate. I then spent five years as an associate veterinarian at the Chicago Ridge Animal Shelter and Clinic.

During this time, my very supportive husband and three children continued to develop into their own. My husband Joe formed a sign design and installation business. My eldest Amy is a patent attorney and mother of four, while my elder son is both a large and small animal veterinarian and the younger is a radiologist specializing in interventional radiology.

While the day-to-day pleasures and challenges are primarly fulfilled as veterinarian, I am a very proud wife, mother, and grandmother. Gardening and cooking are my most favorite pastimes as the time allows.

Amy is one of our Veterinary Technicians, and has been with Gast Animal Hospital for over two years. She graduated from Brown Mackie College under the Veterinary Technology program in 2009, and has been a registered Technician since 2010. Amy enjoys educating clients as well as herself about the well-being of animals, and hopes to pursue a career as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine one day. She has her fair share of animals, including 5 dogs and 2 horses. Amy enjoys reading and cross-stitching during her free time and spending time with her son Colton.

Erica has been with Gast Animal Hospital since February of 2010. Erica enjoys working with animals and people so this is the perfect job for her!

Erica has been married to her husband Walter since 2004 and has two children, Allison and Abram. They have a cat named Molly and a dog named Ladybug, chickens and two sheep. They live in Wheatfield Indiana.

Rachelle graduated from Wheeler High School. Then attended Everest College for  Surgical Technology after graduation she worked in the operating room at Saint Anthony Memorial Hospital. Rachelle is an animal activist and volunteers for local rescue groups and fosters animals at her home. Rachelle wants to teach her children to give back to the community, she does this by helping animals. Rachelle and her husband and their three children share their home with a Chinese Shar-Pei named Gucci, two tuxedo cats named Rocko and Squeakers a Himalayan named Me-Wool, a Bearded Dragon named Wasabi and two fish tanks. Rachelle's favorite past time is volunteering with her children.