 Dr.
Eileen Mertz, B.S., D.V.M.
- a native of LeRoy, Kansas, Eileen
received her degrees from Kansas State University. After two years in a
mixed animal practice in Iowa, Dr. Mertz came to Gardner Animal Hospital
as the manager/owner in 1986.
Dr. Mertz is a member of the national, state and local veterinary
associations, Phi Zeta Veterinary Medicine Honorary Fraternity and
graduated in the top ten percent of her veterinary class. Gardner Animal
Hospital maintains membership in the American Animal Hospital
Association. Less than 18 percent of the small animal veterinary
hospitals in the United States and Canada are accredited AAHA members.
Dr. Mertz has four sons -Brent, Grant, Adam and Alec. In addition to
being an avid Chiefs and K-State football fan, Dr. Mertz enjoys reading
and working out. She enjoys playing competitive golf as a serious
amateur and is a member of the Kansas City Ski Club. Dr. Mertz also
enjoys ballroom and Latin dancing, as a member of TC Dance
International. Dr. Mertz is active in many community organizations,
including Gardner Planning Commission, Gardner Chamber of Commerce,
Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corporation, and 4-H.
If you have any medical questions you can email
Dr. Mertz
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 Dr. Susan
Vodraska,
B.S., D.V.M.
Dr. Vodraska joined the GAH family in 2003. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University in 1995.
Dr. Vodraska recently retired from the United States Army Reserves after twenty years of service. She spent time in Southwest Asia for Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom.
When not at the hospital, Dr. Vodraska spends time at home with her five cats (Sir Thomas, Sebastian,
Katarina, Rucifer, and William) and three dogs (Snickers, Dinah, and Fancy). Her hobbies include archery, sewing, camping and reading.
Dr. Vodraska brings to GAH a very caring and compassionate nature. Not only will you be comfortable with her expertise and patience, but you will find her examinations thorough and her explanations easy to understand.
Practicing veterinary medicine has been a lifelong ambition for Dr.
Vodraska. We feel very fortunate to have her as part of the GAH family.
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 Practice
Manager |
 Jared Barker
Jared recently joined the Gardner Animal Hospital staff in
June of ’08. A native of Branson, MO,
Jared attended Missouri State University where he received a degree in Recreation and Leisure Management in 2003.
While finishing his degree Jared had the opportunity to intern for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Upon graduation Jared and his wife moved to Overland Park where they have lived for the past five years.
Jared and his wife Holly have one son Caleb- 3, a little girl on the way in November, and a basset hound named Abby. In his spare
time Jared likes to attend all types of sporting events in Kansas City with friends, take his family golfing or to the
Kansas City Zoo, volunteer at his Church, and travel as much as possible.
Jared is dedicated to ensuring that the staff of Gardner Animal Hospital provides their patients with the best care possible.
He understands the importance of first class health care for your pet while maintaining the small town feel you receive
when walking in the door.
If you have any questions please email
jared@gardnerah.com
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Receptionists
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Sherri Cale
Welcome at Gardner Animal Hospital, is exactly how you
feel when you meet Sherri. Ready to answer the phones, make
your appointments and answer many of your pet related
questions, her main focus is to make your visit to GAH a
pleasant experience. A 20 year resident , Gardner is definitely home for Sherri and
her family - husband, Mike and two children, Courtney and
Dylon. The Cale’s share their household with their
dogs-Sadie and Titan. cats-Patch and Vermont Hot Rod, the
rabbit, and assorted chickens round out the family.
While at home, Sherri enjoys riding her 2 horses-Inky and
Bubba, four wheeling, and is an active 4-H leader.
Gardner Animal Hospital is Sherri's home away from home and in
one visit you will feel the same.
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Jamie Scarlett
Jamie Scarlett joined us in August of 2006. She is bright and outgoing and ready to assist you in
making your visit an enjoyable experience for both you and your pet. She also enjoys meeting
with clients and their pets and learning all there is to know about them.Gardner has been home to Jamie and her family for fourteen years. She has three beautiful girls,
Haley -10, Gracie - 2 and Emma – 1. Jamie also has a dog –
a boxer named Jackson.
Jamie is currently attending Johnson County Community College (Full-Time) to obtain an
Associates of Science Degree. In her spare time, Jamie likes to attend Haley’s volleyball
games, as well as spending time with her family and friends.
Come in and meet Jamie today!
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Michelle Stewart
 Michelle Stewart joined Gardner Animal Hospital in July of 2005. She has lived in the
greater Kansas City area her entire life and now resides in Lees Summit. Michelle
received her Bachelors in Management/Marketing in 2005.
She really enjoys working with Dr. Mertz and the rest of the staff, as well as clients and
their pets, working to ensure that everyone enjoys their visit to Gardner Animal Hospital.
Michelle lives with her husband Nathan, and her three children Grace, Connor and Eli.
She also has a dalmatian – Sidney Roux and long-haired black cat – Black Bean.
If she has any spare time, Michelle enjoys reading, shopping and eating out. More
importantly she likes to spend time with her husband and children. |
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Veterinary Technicians
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 Becky Bentley
Becky comes to us from Ottawa, Kansas. She graduated from Colby Community College’s veterinary
technician program and is now a Registered Veterinary Technician.
Becky has a very patient and gentle hand with your pets and has quickly become a valuable asset
to Gardner Animal Hospital. When not caring for your animals, Becky keeps busy house/pet sitting.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband Chad, riding 4-wheelers, camping, horse
back riding and softball. Becky also cares for her 2 dogs, Mayci and Tator, 4 cats and 2 horses, Shawna and Cha-Ching.
If you were to ask Becky why she chose the veterinary profession, she will tell you she can not imagine doing anything else with her life
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Jenny Jansen
Jenny Jansen became part of our team in September of 2006. She graduated from Maple
Woods Community College with a degree in Veterinary Technology in 1999. She has enjoyed
working with animals of all sizes since she was about fifteen years old. Jenny has an extremely
compassionate nature and gentle hand when working with your animals.Jenny lives in Olathe with her boxer – Roxy. She spends much of her spare time at her family farm
playing with her horses Petie, Sally Anne, Suzie, Daisy Mae, Moonbeam and Crowder. She also
enjoys gardening, dancing, and spending time with her family and friends.
If asked why she became a Registered Veterinary Technician, she would first say because she
loves helping all animals. Secondly, because she has had many great teachers over the years
and she feels that now, in a way, she can be a good teacher to the community by educating
about animal care and safety. Lastly, she wants to provide good quality medical care to the
veterinary community.
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 Shonda Burger
Shonda began working at Gardner Animal Hospital in April of 2007. She graduated from Colby Community College
and became a Registered Veterinary Technician in May of 1990. Assisting in the operating room and using her tech skills
are her passion in the hospital.
In their spare time, Shonda and her husband Deron, enjoy watching their children, Tj and Kailey play sports,
as well as going to the lake. They have a Shiba Inu named Roxy and two cats, Blazer and Cookie. Shonda has
lived in the Gardner area since 1993. She enjoys giving the best care to your pets, and simply loves what she does in the veterinary field.
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Dog Trainer/Vet Technician
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 Tammie J. Brown
Tammie is our new Pet Training Instructor for Gardner Animal Hospital. She grew up in Gardner and
watched it grow and change for the last 27 years. She resides in Gardner now with her husband David
and two children Miranda (5) and Gavin (4). In her spare time she enjoys reading, training her dog
and spending time with her family.
She has been working with and training dogs for over 8 years and has recently been working with
service dogs as well. She has trained one for aiding a quadriplegic and another one for Help notification
(Go Get Help) for someone that has seizures. She is in the process of training a dog as a Hearing Impaired Aid.
Tammie uses Positive Reinforcement techniques along with providing the owner all the tools necessary to
establish a mutually rewarding relationship with their dog.
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Groomers
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Tina Carpenter
Tina joined the GAH family one year ago and brings fifteen years of experience with her,
as well as great talent. She is a former grooming salon owner with a dedicated following! She
is skilled in all breeds and would be happy to meet with you to discuss the best grooming method
for your pet, as well as how to best meet any at-home grooming needs. When not grooming your pets, Tina loves watching movies and eating Chinese food with her family.
She is married to Jeremy and has two great children, Victoria and Allen.
Tina also has three dogs (Baby, Punky, and Smudge) and two cats (Moofasa and Princess). More
than anything else, Tina enjoys being a wife and mother.
Call today to make an appointment with Tina and be ready to be impressed with how your pet looks!
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Nicole Rhoney
Nicole joined Gardner Animal Hospital in the in the spring
of ’08 as a part-time groomer. She has been working as a
groomer for the past 13 years and has experience in all
breeds of dogs and will also groom cats. Nicole and her
family recently moved to Gardner in past year and now call
it home.Nicole and her husband have 2
boys, Joseph -11 and Blake -9. Nicole spends her time away
from Gardner Animal Hospital by working with Second Chance
Pet Adoption. She has spent the last 11 years working there
in her free time by rescuing and adopting animals for the
organization.
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Kennel Manager |
 Joe Castro
Joe joined us in July 2007 as our new kennel manager. He comes to us from sunny California where he was born and raised on a farm where he interacted with all sorts of animals. However, his favorites are eagles, wolves and ‘big cats’.
Joe used to work for a kennel in Santa Monica near the beach and even met a few movie stars!
Joe lives with his wife Kelly and their baby boy J.P. His favorite place to be is home spending time with his family. Joe hopes to make your pet’s stay as pleasant as possible. He enjoys his work very much and cannot wait to meet you!
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Pet Care Takers
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 Kayla Calovich
Kayla joined our team in October of 2006 after volunteering in our kennels for about six months.
She currently attends Gardner Edgerton High School and is in 10th grade. She lives with her dad
– James, her step-mom – Renee, and her step-brother – Douglas who also attends Gardner Edgerton High
School. Kayla has a Jack Russell Terrier named Gidget
Kayla is a very shy and kind person. She loves animals, hanging out with her friends and family,
as well as watching TV – especially anime, playing video games and listening to music. Kayla has
lived in Gardner her entire life and is especially close to Tammie Brown – our obedience trainer.
She looks forward to graduating from high school and is planning on attending K-State to study
veterinary medicine.
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Pet Care Takers
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Kristi Murphy, Amanda Almendarez & Melissa Mills |
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For EMERGENCY Help
CLICK
HERE
Hospital Hours
Monday and Friday
7:00 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Directions
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