THE BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL HOSPIAL & PET RESORT TEAM
VETERINARIANS
DR. CRAIG STAEHLE
Dr. Craig Staehle received his veterinary doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1996. He began his career practicing in the Chicagoland area. His first practice offered an excellent opportunity to treat an array of exotic species. Later that year, he moved to Tampa, Florida where he practiced for a couple of years. While in Florida he worked predominately with dogs and cats, but still worked with some exotic patients. In 1998 he and his wife Kimberly moved to the Saint Louis area. Prior to opening Best Friends Animal Hospital he practiced in the Saint Peters and O’Fallon areas of Missouri. Dr. Craig says the greatest part of his job is the joy in working with animals and the huge diversity of species and medical challenges that veterinary medicine provides. His particular areas of interest include orthopedic surgery, dentistry and exotic animal medicine.
Dr. Craig is married to Dr. Kimberly, and they have two young children, Kyle and Cassidy. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs. Growing up, his father played baseball for the Chicago White Sox and other major league baseball teams. He, his parents and his three brothers were always very actively involved in sports. Dr. Craig has always been interested in animals. As a child, he wanted to be a marine biologist. “I always wanted to work with animals and in college I had a sort of epiphany, and in one moment I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian.” Over the years, Dr. Craig has owned quite a list of pets including dogs, cats, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. “I am blessed to have the greatest job in the world. You get to work with wonderful pets and have a job that never stops challenging you to learn more, do more and help provide animals with the best life we can.” Dr. Craig especially enjoys treating reptiles, and is also certified in PennHip.
DR. KIMBERLY STAEHLE
Dr. Kimberly Staehle obtained her doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1995 and her masters in reproductive physiology in 1996 from the University of Illinois. After graduation she moved to Tampa, Florida. In Tampa she was an associate at a small animal hospital and volunteered at the Clearwater Aquarium. At the aquarium she was able to work with one of her loves, marine mammals. In 1998 she moved to the St. Louis area with her husband Dr. Craig. She practiced small animal medicine in Kirkwood, Missouri. Prior to opening Best Friends Animal Hospital she was the manager of scientific affairs for Highland VetPharma.
Dr. Kimberly grew up in Granite City, Illinois. She has 4 sisters. She had many pets of all kinds growing up, and knew early on that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She feels blessed to have had the opportunities to have volunteered at the St. Louis Children’s Zoo and worked with dolphins at several facilities in the Florida Keys, as well as at Sea World in Orlando. Growing up she enjoyed gymnastics and cheerleading. She used her gymnastics and fitness skills first teaching aerobics and then competing in a national fitness competition. These days she gets a workout by chasing after her son and daughter. Drs. Craig & Kimberly also have 2 great danes (Bogie & Lily) and a silky terrier (Barkley).
CUSTOMER CARE
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| WENDI | SHANNON | DARLENE |
WENDI
Wendi is our lead Customer Care Rep, and along with Patti, has been with Best Friends since we opened. Her favorite part of her job has been getting to know all of the clients, and getting to see all of the puppies and kittens grow up! Wendi and her husband, Rich, have 3 furry babies - Ellie Mae and Jethro Bodine, who are rat terrier/chiahuaha mixes, and Annabelle, a 9 lb combo of muscle and excitement. They also have one cat, Tika, who allows them all to live in her house. In her spare time, Wendi likes to spend time with her family and her wonderful group of friends, shop, play on her billiards team, attend school, and watch Rich play softball. Wendi fosters for a local rescue group, Bark Rescue, and like Bob Barker, reminds you to have your pets spayed and neutered!
SHANNON
Shannon joined our team in February, 2008. She is a recent transplant from Florida, where she worked at a veterinary hospital for 2 years, both as a vet assistant and receptionist. She is planning on attending school to become a registered technician. Shannon loves getting to know the great clients and patients at Best Friends. She has 2 "doxies", Sassy and Cash, her newest addition, who live with her here, and one doxie in Florida, Rocky, who is currently staying with his "grandma". She is a tomboy who likes working on cars, going to the race track, and learning her way around her new state.
DARLENE
Darlene, our office manager, joined Best Friends in February, 2007 after having worked for the State of Illinois for 16 years. She and her wonderful husband, Ken, have 3 beautiful daughters - Emily, Sarah and Audrey - and 1 precious granddaughter, Courtney, as well as 2 cats, Alley & CC (Crazy Cat), Loki (a Bernese Mt. Dog), several fish, and 2 grandpuppies, Ray & Abu. She feels fortunate to have been blessed throughout her life with a wonderful family, friends and employment, and when not spending time with them, enjoys doing most any kind of home improvement, reading, making stained glass projects, and playing video games.
NURSES
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| PATTI | TERESA |
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| HEATHER | JAMIE |
PATTI
Patti has been at Best Friends since the beginning, along with Wendi. She is a jack of all trades, having worked in human medicine for ten years, and then took a break to raise her children. She started in animal medicine in 1988, and has worked in every facet, including animal shelters and small and large clinics. She primarily works in surgery at Best Friends, and especially likes taking appointments with reptiles. Patti has been happily married to her husband Don for over 30 years and they have 2 children, Sarah (a recent college graduate and proud parent of a ferret, The Count Albino of Monte Cristo III) and John (who along with his new wife Jessica have blessed them with 2 granddogs). They have 4 large breed dogs of mixed heritage, Tyler, Gabe, Chance aka the Woo, and Hope. They supposedly have 2 cats as well, though they are the only ones who ever see them. In Patti's spare time she enjoys watching baseball, gardening, and traveling.
TERESA
Teresa is a registered veterinary technician and has been with us since August, 2006. She obtained her BS in Animal Science from the University of Missouri and then went to work at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas. She has also worked at various animal practices both in Texas and locally, having most recently worked in surgery at Associated Veterinary Specialists in St. Louis. Her passion is working in surgery. Teresa and her husband, Rick, are the proud parents of 2 children, Reed and Addison. Their busy house also includes 2 labs, Maddie aka "The Garbage Disposal", and Dina, and 2 cats, Spencer and Kennedy. In her "spare" time, she likes to spend time with her family, shop, drink mochas, and talk about her love of George Bush and the great state of Texas.
JAMIE
Jamie has been with us since June, 2007. She is currently attending Jefferson College in Arnold, MO, pursuing the 2 year certified vet tech program. Prior to working at Best Friends, Jamie had many years of experience in the customer service industry. She loves working closely with all of the Best Friends' clients and patients. Her favorite part is taking care of the animals, even when they're sick. She and her fiance' Shawn have 2 furry babies, CJ, a chocolate lab, and Charlie, a beagle. She doesn't have a lot of spare time due to work and school, but in her rare down time she likes to spend time with her friends and family, play with her dogs, and work on her new home.
HEATHER
Heather is a well-known animal lover to the people she's close to. She joined our team in June, 2007. She has had pets her whole life and started caring for them at a young age. Her well-known baby to the staff at Best Friends is her lab who recently turned 14. She also has other dogs, cats, rabbits, and hamsters. She keeps busy by pet sitting when she's not at work and plans to pursue certification for veterinary technology.
RESORT ATTENDANTS
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| MICHELLE | BRITTANY |
MICHELLE
Michelle is the manager of our resort, and she has worked for Best Friends since August, 2006. She obtained her BS in Animal Science from Iowa State University in December 2005, and also obtained her dog obedience instructor certification in January 2008. Her farvorite part of her job here is interacting wiht the dogs and cats, and she spends a lot of time getting to know their individual personalities. Although she doesn't currently have any pets of her own, she recently fosterd a dog for one of the clients of Best Friends who had been deployed to Iraq. Michelle is engaged to be married this summer, so most of her spare time recently has been spent trying to plan a wedding and receptionis in two different states. When she's not wedding planning, Michelle enjoys trips to Iowa to visit h er fiance' Dave, reading and spending time with family and friends.
BRITTANY
Brittany is the newest team member at Best Friends, having joined our team in March, 2008. She adores her job (so far!). When she isn't at work taking care of animals, she's at home playing with her pets. She has a lab, a bunny, and a turtle. When she isn't playing with someone furry, she's doing homework as she's studying for a degree as a veterinary technician.