Jessie Vanmeter

Assistant Hospital Manager and Veterinary Assistant

When her Yorkie, Charlie, came down with an illness, Jessie and her roommate had to take him to seek professional care. The compassion shown by the animal-care professionals at the hospital inspired Jessie to pursue the veterinary field herself! Now she’s able to make a difference every day here at Village Gate Animal Hospital.

Jessie is from Westerville, Ohio, and started her veterinary journey at a doggie daycare in 2006 before signing on at an animal hospital in Obetz. She moved to Montana for a few years before returning to the area and joining the Village Gate family. Jessie especially enjoys puppy and kitten wellness visits, spending time with the dogs in the clinic daycare, and making pets’ teeth sparkle with a good dental cleaning.

In addition to Charlie, Jessie lives with Tonka, a pit bull who loves destroying sticks and tennis balls, and an orange cat named Tittie. When she isn’t spending time with her beloved pets, Jessie loves cheering on the Green Bay Packers and the Ohio State Buckeyes. She considers herself very fortunate to have gone to a Packers playoff game in Green Bay, where she got to see Brett Favre play in person!

Elena Keeny

Veterinary Assistant

Elena has always wanted to know more about the care of her own pets. When she brought her cat—who is decidedly uncooperative at the vet’s office—to an animal clinic for care, she was struck by the patience and compassion shown by the staff. Right away, Elena knew that she’d like to do the same thing! Now, she helps pets daily as a Veterinary Assistant with the Village Gate Animal Hospital team.

Elena was born here in Columbus but grew up in Dayton. She’s currently enrolled in Columbus State Community College’s veterinary technology program, and is thrilled to gain hands-on experience during her studies by tending to pets here at the hospital. Elena especially likes blood work, and loves learning about the various tests that are able to be performed in-house.

Between her busy work and school schedules, Elena still finds time to pursue her other passion: dance. She’s been a professional ballet dancer for nearly 12 years and continues to perform throughout the year—she’s graced audiences in New York, Atlanta, Charleston, and Montreal! Elena and her fiancé live with a Boston Terrier puppy, Pretzel, who is working on learning her commands; a feisty cat named Ethel; and a rescued cat named Pearl who is becoming fast friends with the dog.

Kourtney Sprague

Veterinary Assistant

Kourtney visited her grandparents’ farm frequently as a child, where she spent hours with the pigs and cows; her early experiences sparked a love for animals that hasn’t let up since. For her, working to better the lives of pets as a veterinary professional simply makes sense!

Kourtney is a Dayton native and is currently finishing her degree at Ohio State University—she’s also completing her internship for her undergraduate studies right here at Village Gate Animal Hospital. She couldn’t be happier to launch her animal-care journey here at the clinic, where she serves the area’s pets and animal owners as a Veterinary Assistant. Kourtney particularly enjoys puppy check-ups and getting to watch young dogs grow and mature with each office visit.

Away from work, Kourtney enjoys staying active, traveling, and doting on her own pets at home. She has a sassy cat named Moe and a dog, Darby, who loves attention and treats.

Tara Lambert

Receptionist

Bio coming soon.

John Vogel

Receptionist

Bio coming soon.

Savannah Davidson

Receptionist

Bio coming soon.

Marissa Monopoli

Veterinary Assistant

Marissa grew up in San Francisco, California, and living near the water her entire life gave her an endless curiosity about the ocean and its fascinating creatures. Ever since she can remember, she’s wanted to do her part to improve the lives of the earth’s animal inhabitants! Marissa gets to do just that as a member of Village Gate Animal Hospital’s talented care team.

Marissa is currently a student at Ohio State University, working toward her degree in zoology. Here at the hospital, she’s able to get hands-on experience in the animal-care field on a daily basis—ultimately, Marissa hopes to become a veterinarian herself! Around the clinic, she finds that she especially loves monitoring patients under anesthesia and identifying parasites in samples under the microscope. Most of all, Marissa enjoys interacting with animal lovers every day and getting to witness firsthand the bonds between pet and owner.

In her time away from the clinic, Marissa is actively involved in research on the Ohio State University campus—most recently, she’s been sequencing the DNA of bat specimens collected at local wind farms in order to gain insight into genetic variability and migratory patterns. In the future, Marissa hopes to publish her group’s findings and continue expanding on her previous studies.

Marissa also enjoys singing—she’s a member of her University’s a cappella group, which recently advanced to the final round of collegiate competition as one of the top 10 a cappella groups among English-speaking countries—and traveling. Marissa even studied abroad in Siena, Italy, living with an Italian host family for more than a month and gaining even greater appreciation for her heritage as an Italian-American!

Kirsten McCollough

Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Carly Giel

Veterinary Student

Bio coming soon.