I aspire to be continuously learning and improving. I attend conferences and seminars across the United States to learn from experts in diverse areas of veterinary medicine. Additionally, I personally understand the bond you share with your pet. Your pet is an important family member to you.

My love for animals began at a very young age. I started riding horses when I was five years old and would spend my time caring for our family’s pets – dogs, cats, hamsters, horses and a goat. It was here, as a little girl in rural Michigan, that I decided to become a veterinarian.

My passion for learning was ignited at the University of Michigan where I received a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology graduating with high honors in 1990. I graduated as class valedictorian in 1994 from Michigan State University with my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

After school, I began my career working at veterinary hospitals in the Chicago suburbs and in Miami, Florida. I then settled in the Fox Valley area, and I have been practicing in this wonderful community for the last 22 years.

Outside of Loyal Companions, I spend my time with my husband Tim (an orthopedic surgeon) and our four beautiful children – Julia, Emmett, Kyra and Jack. We share our house with Bear (a large but gentle mix breed dog), Holly (a cuddly black cat) and Rocky (a sweet, permanent-puppy looking black dog) I also have a small barn with 2 ponies and 1 goat.

Humans and animals share a deep bond. This bond contributes to a happy and healthy life for everyone involved. Educating families on how to nurture this bond and care for their pets is the most satisfying part of my job. Being able to do this in an environment centered around the mindset and well being of the patient is what makes Loyal Companions a wonderful place to practice.

I enjoy sharing my home with a sweet, but stubborn cattle dog mix named Delilah and sassy little cat named Mittens. When I am not being a doctor, you can find me at home making delicious ice cream. I make a great chocolate ice cream, but have also been known to experiment with flavors ranging from almond to zabaglione!

I found a job at Loyal Companions shortly after graduating college. The Fear Free atmosphere that Dr. Petsche has created spawned a whole new love for this field. It included both of my favorite things – behavioral psychology and veterinary medicine.

At the beginning of 2020, I was offered the position of hospital manager and happily took on this challenging yet rewarding role. I plan to become a CVPM (Certified Veterinary Practice Manager) in the next few years.

My goal is for you and your pet to feel as though you are treated like family when you’re here. Our staff is truly committed to Fear Free and have incredible passion towards helping and caring for your furry family members.

When I’m not at work, I can be found spending time with my husband Trevor and our various pets, doing yoga, photographing nature or wildlife, or boxing.

Pet profile:

Our house is filled with a variety of animals – two cats named Taco and Luna, a bearded dragon named Blue, an African dwarf frog creatively named Frog, three Danios (Ziti, Finn and Doug), and three aquatic shrimp.

I am so grateful to be a part of Loyal Companions. When I first heard about the Fear Free approach, I knew this was the direction I wanted to take in helping pets. By keeping our patients as calm and happy as possible, we do the same for pet parents. It is an overall better experience for everyone. My favorite part of coming in to work is having people tell me how much his or her pet loves coming to our practice.

I live in St. Charles with my husband and 2 children. We have a pit bull named Phoenix who keeps us busy.

I enjoy spending time with family and friends. My hobbies include reading, watching movies and dancing.

I began working as a C.V.T. in ER medicine and quickly loved using the skill sets that I learned to help very sick patients. Since then I’ve worked with exotic animals (reptiles, birds, rabbits, ferrets) and in day practices that take care of cats and dogs. I’ve currently been working here at Loyal Companions Fear Free practice since May 2017 which I feel is where the veterinary field should be moving towards to provide the best care for their patients. I am so proud to say that I’m a part of this movement everyday.

In my free time I love spending time with my husband of 9 yrs, my 7 yr old daughter, and my 3 yr old son. They keep me busy with gymnastics and dirt bike racing.

My hobbies include auto racing and gardening.

Pet profiles: Brook F/S 10 yr old blue pit bull terrier who loves walks, tanning in the sun, squeaky toys, and sleeping in her princess tent.

Ted the turtle who likes to dig around in his river rocks and hide in his cave.

Shark Teeth the toad who likes to catch and eat crickets, as well as, sunbath under his lamp.

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two children – we share our home with a cat, Moose and a Labrador, George.

I have been working as a Veterinary Technician in the Chicagoland area (Bloomingdale, Saint Charles and Plano) since 1995. I joined the Loyal Companions team in September of 2016 and obtained the Fear Free certification. After having worked all of this years in a system where the emotional well-being of the patient was not the first priority, I am very pleased to be part of a practice where Fear Free medicine is the principle. Loyal Companions combines the highest standards of veterinary medicine with an emphasis on the patient’s comfort, implementing a variety of tools and methods to decrease their fear, anxiety and stress at the hospital. This makes the visit or stay much less traumatic for the pet, owner and veterinary professionals.

My family consists of my husband, daughter and son, and also our four legged family members: two dogs that we adopted from shelters and two cats that were abandoned as kittens at different hospitals. Lily is a golden retriever and true to her breed, she carries things in her mouth from one place to another while happily grunting. Cookie is a shepherd mix and she is the household sentinel, loudly informing us of any possible threat including planes flying by. Laila is a domestic short hair: she is very shy and nimble but when she wants to be petted she is very assertive in the way she nudges us. And finally, Wilson is a Maine coon: he was less than a pound when he came to us but he has made up for lost time. He rams into closed doors to try to open them, which produces a frightening sound in the middle of the night.

Around this time, I found my passion for horses. I had always been fascinated with these large docile creatures. I insisted every fair or festival that I could ride one of the ponies! I attended a summer camp and from then on I was hooked. My parents allowed me to take part in lessons at Dunham Woods. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to get the barn every week!

From Dunham Wood we were able to change barns and disciplines. I found the world of Dressage and fell in love. I rode and competed in Dressage for most of my adolescent life. It taught me strength and patience. I learned how to effectively communicate with an animal that was 3x times my size and strength. I owned 2 horses, Charmer and Merlin. Both taught me so much about life and the world of Dressage. I feel very thankful to have been able to have this opportunity to learn at such a young age what a great bond humans and animals can have.

During this time at the barn we rescued our Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix named Rodeo or “Toad” for short. He came to us from Kentucky with a broken leg. We learned a lot while caring for him. Smoke and Rodeo became the best of pals. They still play and act like puppies! Smoke is our cuddling couch potato and Toad is our energetic athlete!

Loyal Companions passion for animals mimics my own. I fell right at home when I first walked through the doors. The attention to detail and care each animal receives here is beyond anywhere else I have been. Each client and patient is treated like family. It does not ever feel like a job when you get to do something you love everyday.

Moving to Illinois in 2017 I was concerned I was going to disconnect from animals, I was fortunate enough to be employed by an animal hospital and learned more of the medical side. Here, I fell in love with helping and caring for small animals. I started at Loyal Companions in September 2020, being in a fear free environment the possibilities of building a trusting relationship and the willingness of animals understanding is endless. I love the amount of respect we have towards small animals here and being mindful of what they’re comfortable with. I am very fortunate to have learned a new and more effective way of veterinary medicine.

Pet profile: I currently have two dogs, a pit bull and an unknown mix or as I refer to their breeds as good dogs. My old girl Lola was recused from a bad environment when she was 1. When I brought her home, she unfortunately became pregnant before we had a chance to spay her. She ended up having a litter of 12 puppies! As tiring and expensive as they were, they were the best experience! They all went to knowing and trusting homes, which I still keep in contact with a few. Our newer addition, Opie, we rescued from Anderson animal shelter, and he is just the goofiest/funniest brother for his big sister. The two combined is a match made in heaven and we couldn’t ask for a better pair!

I have two dogs, “The Boys” My Australian Shepherd Smoke and my Rescue Chocolate Lab Mix Rodeo. They fill my heart more than words can say.

“Dogs do speak, but to only those who know how to listen.”

I love to explore the wilderness and it seems like everywhere I go, I make new animals friends. It is my most treasured gift.

I am a friendly, compassionate person that would absolutely love to speak to you about you, your life and especially your pets – all day long. Try me!

Working in a thoughtfully crafted fear free environment, has really honored my many values of caring for animals while simultaneously nurturing and understanding their emotions.

Supervising day care and being able to observe, care for and interact with so many different breeds and personalities is literally a dream and a classroom in itself. I can confidently say that I love what I do and have never felt so fulfilled in a career.

Pet profile: I have had several loyal companions of my own throughout the years, but currently it is just me and my sweet kitty, Stevie. She truly is my best friend and I don’t know what I would do without her unapologetic tenderness.

I plan to rescue a dog very soon and have no doubts that my fur family will only continue to grow.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know a little about me, I can’t wait to do the same for you and your own loyal companion.

When not helping client animals, she enjoys time with her own, especially competing with two of her rescue pitties in dock diving competitions. Ali has also begun working with one of her dogs on scent detection. She grew up riding horses and working with the family dogs when her parents would let her. Growing up she also had cats, rabbits, bearded dragons, mice, hamsters, and a ferret — whatever her parents told her she couldn’t bring into the house, she did. Now her menagerie is a bit smaller with 3 dogs, 2 ferrets and a horse.

In addition to my hands on experience, I am also a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in psychology and a minor in sociology. This has helped me to gain a deeper understanding behind the science of animal behavior and how to best assist their owners.

Finally, my personal life has been filled with animals as well, from cats, to hamsters, to tadpoles, I’ve cared for them all. I even competed in hunter jumper horse shows for much of my childhood. Right now though, I only have 1 dog, the adorable Layla Rose.

While my plans in life have changed from wanting to become a Veterinarian, to pursuing my talent and passion in the arts, I still manage to find myself surrounded by these amazing creatures no matter where I go, and Loyal Companions feels like a second home for me. I feel such a close bond with our staff, clients, and their wonderful furbabies, and the love and support that is shared between all of us is such an amazing thing to experience and be a part of.

I, myself, have a beautiful black cat named Toothless, and an array of freshwater fish, but it is in my future to rescue and adopt so many more!