Meet our Team

Veterinarians

Rae Ann Van Pelt
DVM
Dr. Van Pelt, who co-founded Family Pet Animal Hospital in 1990, graduated with honors from the University of Illinois' College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987.
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Jane Lohmar
DVM
Dr. Lohmar graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995, and began practicing here as an associate veterinarian in 1997.
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Amy Ujiki
DVM
Dr. Ujiki graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine after completing her clinical year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006.
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Ken Schwartz
VMD
Dr. Ken graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. He had practiced in both Florida and New York prior to settling in Chicago.
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Kelly Gutierrez
DVM
Dr. Kelly graduated from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine in January of 2018 and worked in general practice before joining the Family Pet team in June of 2021.
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Cassidy Alvarez
DVM
Dr. Cassidy graduated from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 after half a dozen years of working experience in both general practice and a veterinary laboratory setting.
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Cynthia Gonzalez
DVM
Dr. Gonzalez graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. She has been practicing in Chicago for 6 years prior to joining Family Pet.
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Marla Minuskin
DVM (April 17, 1960 - May 3, 2013)
Dr. Minuskin, a co-founder of Family Pet Animal Hospital in 1990, graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1985.
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Management

Melissa
Practice Manager
Melissa received her B.A. from Valdosta State University and began her career in 2021 at Family Pet with previous Veterinary Practice Management experience at Prairie State Vet Clinic.
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Michelle
Tech Staff Manager, Cat Advocate
Michelle, one of our Technical Staff Managers, came to FPAH fresh from school in August 1993.
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Client Care Coordinators

Kate
Kate graduated with a degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2008.
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Jessica B.
Jessica began working at Family Pet in July of 2014 while finishing her undergraduate degree in Biology, which she’s now completed.
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Jessica P.
Jessica joined Family Pet in November of 2015 and has a degree in Business Administration from DePaul University.
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Ryn
Ryn came to Family Pet in March of 2017 with ten years of customer service experience, the most recent years being in pet care.
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Sydney
Sydney moved from Huntington Beach, California to Chicago and joined the Family Pet team in May of 2019.
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Josie
Josie joined the team in the fall of 2019 after tiring of working management in the food industry.
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Marie
Marie joined Family Pet in January 2020, with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (B.S.) and an assortment of experience in customer service, I.T., and mental health research.
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Damonde
Damonde moved from Orlando, Florida and joined the Family Pet team in August of 2020.
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Kristine
Kristine graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a major in Creative Nonfiction and a minor in Cultural Studies.
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Technicians & Assistants

Tony
Tech Supervisor
Tony, our Technician Supervisor, joined Family Pet right after we opened in 1990, earning him the FPAH employment-longevity record.
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Janet
Head Technician, Cat Advocate
Janet, Family Pet's Head Technician, joined our team in October 2001, coming to us with a BS in Veterinary Technology.
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Emmanuel
Emmanuel came to Family Pet in March of 2008 with several years of both retail and kennel assistant experience.
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Katie
Katie joined FPAH in October 2010 from Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio, after working/interning at the Shedd Aquarium.
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Sandy S.
Sandy joined FPAH in October 2011, coming to us with a Bachelors Degree in Biology from St Xavier University in Chicago.
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Jessica M.
Jessica has worked in veterinary medicine since 1999, been a certified veterinary technician since 2010, and joined the FPAH team in May of 2014.
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Armando
Armando joined the Family Pet team in February of 2015 with over a decade of experience as a Veterinary Assistant.
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Erica
Erica studied veterinary technology at Fox College and has been a certified veterinary technician since 2011.
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Sarah
Sarah has a BFA in Theatre Performance from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas.
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Alba
Alba was very excited to join the Family Pet team as a Kennel Assistant in September of 2015.
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Tina
Tina has worked at Family Pet as a Veterinarian Technician and Assistant for a total of 10 years – originally beginning in 1992 and then again in 2020.
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Contact Us
Family Pet Animal Hospital
Location
1401 W. Webster Avenue Chicago, IL 60614
Clinic Hours
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Sunday: Closed