Dr. Shirkey has been at Shirkey Vet Clinic since the doors opened in 2007. He graduated from North Central College in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in biology; graduated in 1999 from Northern Illinois University with a Master of Science; and graduated from the University of Illinois in 2003, completing the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine program. Dr. Shirkey has always had an interest in biology and animals. He considers himself to be a “bio nerd.” His favorite part of the job is seeing his patients and giving them the proper care they need to be healthy and happy throughout their lives. He enjoys woodworking in his spare time, which he isn’t very good at, and collecting fossils. Dr. Shirkey’s love for animals doesn’t stay at the clinic. He has three yellow labs (Decker, Moose, and Gopher), a Jack Russel Terrier (Olive), a husky mix (Harlan), and two cats (Minion and Nimbus) at home.

Megan began working at Shirkey Vet Clinic in June 2012. Growing up on a horse farm, her love for animals started at an early age. She has been in the veterinary field for ten years. She is a certified veterinary technician who graduated from Fox College in 2012. Her favorite part of the job is helping sick pets get better and educating pet parents on caring for their sick animals at home. In her spare time, Megan likes to go to the river with her dogs, ride her motorcycle, and spend time with her son, Bradley. She also shares her home with two dogs, Daisy and Boulder, and two cats, Tad and Maze.

Kelsey started at Shirkey Vet Clinic in 2012. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and recently got licensed as a real estate broker. She has always loved animals and started volunteering at a local humane society at an early age. Her favorite part of the job is educating pet owners on vaccines / preventative care and assisting the doctor with diagnostics to help diagnose and treat sick pets. She trains competition dogs in obedience, dock diving, agility, and nose work in her spare time, earning multiple state and national titles. Kelsey and her fiance, Nathan, have four dogs; a Labrador (Dozer), a Border Collie (Coast), a German Shepherd (Bodhi), and a mixed breed (Vader). They also have a cat, Meka, and a pineapple conure, Te(quila).

Jordan started at Shirkey Vet Clinic in October 2019. She got her start in this field by volunteering at CARE when she thought about becoming a doctor. Jordan worked at CARE in Plainfield for five years. She learned many skills in a fast-paced environment during her time there. Her favorite parts of the job are seeing the difference she can bring to animals and clients; being part of the treatment process and watching patients become healthy again makes it all worth it.

In her spare time, she likes taking her dogs to the area club to run around, decorating her house, and spending time with her family and boyfriend, Tanner. Jordan and Tanner also share their home with a Coonhound (Nova) and a German Shorthaired Pointer (Otis).

Wendy started working at Shirkey’s Vet Clinic in December 2017. Before moving to this area, she was a receptionist at Hillchester Animal Hospital in Hillside for over 30 years. Her favorite part of the job is being part of the Shirkey team and meeting all of our wonderful clients and their pets, and knowing their concerns will be taken care of in a caring environment. In her spare time, she likes taking care of her home, family, and friends. She also enjoys reading and anything to do with the great outdoors. Wendy is happily married to her husband, Ken. They have two dogs, a Labrador Retriever (Sarah) and a Collie mix (Lilly), and a cat (Molly).

Mary Sue has been at Shirkey Vet Clinic since February 2020. Her passion for animals started as a very young child playing on her grandparent’s dairy farm in northern Indiana. Her father was a bull rider growing up, and his passion for horses and the rodeo grew on her. She also showed horses throughout high school. After graduating from high school, she wanted to continue to pursue her passion in the animal field. She attended Black Hawk College, East Campus in Kewanee, Illinois, and graduated in 1986, receiving her associate’s degree in horse science. She was very active on the horse judging team. She continued working at several Arabian horse farms in Illinois and Wisconsin. In 2000, she decided to go back to school for animals again, so she moved her family to Colorado. She graduated in 2002 from PIMA Medical Institute’s veterinary program. While there, she worked part-time in the dermatology department at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado. This was a specialty hospital consisting of internal medicine, dermatology, orthopedic surgery, and more. She was able to do her second-semester internship at Colorado State University in Boulder, Colorado, where she was able to work with large and small animals. It was a fantastic experience, and she learned a lot. In 2002, she moved back to Illinois. She was a vet tech at Pine Bluff Animal Hospital for ten years. She has over 20 years of experience as a vet tech. Mary Sue now enjoys working at the front desk to greet all clients and their pets. She currently owns a standard Schnauzer named Zoey and has rescued schnauzers for 33 years. Everyone calls her the Schnauzer lady! She has two grown sons and is a grandma to two amazing granddaughters. In her free time, she loves spending time with her fiance, Wally, and her family. She also enjoys riding motorcycles, cooking, gardening, fishing, and anything outdoors.

Hannah began her career at Shirkey Vet Clinic in November 2020. She will be graduating from Iowa State University with a dual degree in animal ecology and biology. Hannah knew from an early age that she wanted to work with animals. Her favorite part of the job is getting to know the animals while also having a personal connection with each owner. It is also rewarding for her to feel like she helped someone’s little fur-friend. In between working full time and being a full-time student, she enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and family. She also likes to play video games and read.

Hannah and her family have two dogs (Kit and Clyde) and a cat (Henrietta), a true queen.

Fun fact: Hannah was bit by a bat in the third grade and had to get rabies shots.