!Header Buttons Right Side

Let’s Talk! 217-234-2287

Our Careteam

Your pet’s emotional and physical well-being is prioritized with every visit. We put the patients first!

Brittany

Brittany

Certified Veterinary Technician

Brittany’s mother is a Registered Nurse, so Brittany has been learning about medicine ever since she was a little girl. She knew that she didn’t want to pursue human medicine herself, though. When Brittany thought back about what made her truly passionate, the answer became clear: veterinary medicine would allow her to utilize her interest in medicine and her adoration of animals at the same time!

Brittany hails from Central Illinois and first launched her journey in animal care by signing on as a dog bather at a local pet store. Clyde’s Veterinary Clinic took care of sick animals from that store, and a former employee mentioned to Brittany that the hospital was hiring. She jumped at her chance to get her foot in the door at a veterinary clinic!

Brittany first joined the Clyde’s Veterinary Clinic team as a receptionist, and then returned to school to study veterinary technology. She graduated as a Certified Veterinary Technician, and has been helping pets in that capacity here at the clinic ever since. Brittany has a special passion for dental work, and she also loves nursing hospitalized patients back to full health.

Away from work, Brittany likes spending time outdoors, reading, and spending time with her fiancé, Colton, and their pets. The couple lives in Mattoon with a pair of Miniature Dachshunds, Susie and Frankie; three cats who go by Luna, Valhalla, and Sazh; and a corn snake named Randy.

Raea

Raea

Certified Veterinary Technician

Raea grew up in Humboldt surrounded by animals like dogs, goats, chickens, and turkeys ever since her earliest days. She’s always had a passion for caring for the earth’s creatures—what better way to do that every day than by working in veterinary medicine? Raea helps not only pets, but their loving owners, as a member of Clyde’s Animal Clinic’s talented Veterinary Technician team.

Raea attended Parkland College’s Veterinary Technology program after high school, working as a Veterinary Assistant during her studies. After completing the program and becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician, she was hired full-time at the very same clinic. Raea would spend the next seven years there, developing her skill set and expertise across all aspects of the veterinary profession, before deciding to make a change. After she moved closer to home, she joined the team here at Clyde’s Animal Clinic and couldn’t be happier with her choice! 

As a Tech, Raea likes performing dental cleanings and doting on young pets during puppy and kitten visits. Most of all, she likes connecting one-on-one with clients and their adorable companions.

When she’s not at work, Raea enjoys camping, hiking, visiting the beach, watching movies, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets. She shares her life with a Beagle, Remy, as well as two cats: an orange tabby named Oswald and a gray tabby who goes by Jude.

Ashley

Ashley

Veterinary Assistant, Receptionist

Ashley always wondered what it would be like to work behind-the-scenes in a veterinary clinic. She never thought she would actually get the chance! When the opportunity arose for Ashley to join the Clyde’s Veterinary Clinic family and help people and pets on a daily basis, she dove in headfirst. She’s a member of the clinic’s Veterinary Assistant and reception teams.

Ashley first joined the clinic family in January of 2009 after hearing about an open position from her cousin, who worked here at the time. Ashley started as a member of the kennel team before moving into the reception area, and she’s also been trained as a Veterinary Assistant. She’s particularly passionate about educating the area’s pet owners on preventative healthcare and the best products for their companions, and her favorite part of the job is seeing owners get excited about their adorable new pets. 

When she’s not here at the hospital, Ashley likes decorating, crafting and sewing, and cooking and baking. She has two dogs and a cat at home: Fergus the orange tabby; a Labrador/Husky mix named Ellie who has a problem with listening; and a goofy Goldendoodle who goes by Oliver.

Ashley F.

Ashley F.

Veterinary Technician

Thanks to a fascination with medicine and lifelong love of animals, Ashley’s original career goal was to become a veterinarian. After working as a veterinary assistant at a small animal practice, however, she discovered that her true passion lies in veterinary nursing. As one of our amazing veterinary technicians, Ashley enjoys being hands-on with patients and helping to provide the best medical care possible.

Ashley started her career at a veterinary clinic while she was still in college, working toward her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Biology. Several years and a few clinics later, Ashley enrolled in the online veterinary nursing program at Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas. Shortly after classes started, she and her husband relocated from Springfield, Missouri to Charlestown. She joined Clyde’s Animal Hospital in July of 2022 and has quickly become a pivotal part of the team.

Clinically, Ashley has a special interest in drawing blood and placing IV catheters. Additionally, she has discovered a passion for veterinary dentistry and performing dental prophylaxis. She also loves educating clients on how to care for their pets. Helping people help their pets brings her tremendous joy.

Outside of work, Ashley is married to her husband DJ, with whom she fell instantly in love the moment he fell in love with her dog. Together, they are pet parents to a Golden Retriever named Rey, and are hoping to add some human children to their family in the near future. A self-proclaimed nerd, Ashley enjoys reading, writing, drawing, playing video games, and watching movies and TV with DJ. She also loves being outside and enjoys hiking and walking with Rey.

Emily

Emily

Veterinary Assistant

Emily’s childhood babysitter used to work at Clyde’s Animal Clinic, and Emily and her siblings spent a lot of time here growing up. Emily was only in kindergarten when she observed her first surgery! She knew right away that she wanted to work in animal care herself. Emily’s passion never quit—now, she’s a Veterinary Assistant.

Emily is a Mattoon native and launched her journey in veterinary medicine by setting up a meeting with Dr. Clyde to inquire about a job. It wasn’t long before she had signed on as a member of the clinic family! Emily comes to the clinic after her school day and helps to shut the exam rooms down as the hospital is closing. Her favorite part of the job is the way that no two days are ever quite the same, and she’s constantly learning something new from the amazing staff she works alongside. 

In her spare time, Emily likes gardening, playing tennis—she was ranked number-one on her school’s tennis team during her junior and senior years!—and spending quality time with her friends and family. At home, she shares her life with one pet: Rascal, a white Labrador with a penchant for knocking things over with his tail.

Estelle

Estelle

Training Assistant

Growing up on a small hobby farm, Estelle always felt a sense of comfort in the animals that surrounded her. When she was around ten years old, one of her ducks experienced a sudden and debilitating ailment. Estelle spent hours out in the barn tending to him. She recalls wanting so badly to know what had happened and how to help him. The experience solidified her desire to one day work in field where she could make a difference in the lives and health of animals.

Estelle’s journey began at the age of 15, when she was hired to work at a local veterinary clinic. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University, she once again felt that pull toward the veterinary industry. A referral to Clyde’s Animal Clinic sealed the deal. As one of our assistants, Estelle enjoys the variety of patients we get to see each day. Each animal has his or her own story to tell without words. Estelle views being able to find ways to help them is sort of like solving a puzzle.

At home in Charleston, Estelle is ‘mom’ to a cat named Sibley – who also goes by Sibby, Bip bop, Scribble, Bisquik, Sibiana Grande, Scissors, Scripture, and many other silly names. She and her boyfriend Trent also share a German shepherd named Duke, who is incredibly loyal and an impressively quick learner. He and Sibley have formed such a heartwarming friendship.

In her down time, Estelle enjoys playing cards and board games. She, along with Trent and her best friend and roommate, Katie, can play for hours at a time.

Gabriela

Gabriela

Veterinary Assistant

Gabriela was born in Tabasco, Mexico and raised in the United States, where she spent time around all sorts of animals including dogs, cats, cattle, and pigs. She’s enjoyed working hands-on with the earth’s creatures ever since her earliest memories! Now, Gabriela’s dream has come full-circle: she’s able to help pets and their loving owners as a Veterinary Assistant.

Gabriela studied and got her degree in Veterinary Medicine before getting her first job at a Vet practice in 2020. She settled in Minnesota, where she worked with pigs for two years, before relocating again to Illinois. That’s when Gabriela decided to take the next step and join the team at a veterinary clinic. She signed on here at Clyde’s Animal Clinic in 2020 as a Veterinary Assistant and hasn’t looked back since. 

When she’s not at work, Gabriela likes reading, traveling—she loves to visit big cities, and her favorite so far is New York City!—and spending time with her own pet at home. She has a cat named Pinche, adopted as a stray back in Minnesota, who doesn’t like hugs but never passes up a good belly rub.

Kacey

Kacey

Kennel Attendant

Becoming a vet has always been at the top of Kacey’s list of career goals. There is just something so special about companion animals. They fill a void most people don’t even realize exists. Just like humans, pets need medical assistance too. She has no doubt that being able to help animals is what she wants to do for the rest of her life!

Kacey’s journey began when she started shadowing at our sister clinic in Paris during the summer of 2020. Since she is continuing her schooling at EIU, she decided to make the switch over to Clyde’s. As a kennel attendant, Kacey is tasked with taking care of any boarded or hospice animals. Her day-to-day tasks include taking them out and making sure they’re fed, administering medications and keeping their temporary homes clean. Her favorite job duty by far, however, is doling out all those head, chin and booty scratches!

Kacey’s family – two-legged and four – is quite sizeable. At her Dad’s house, there are four humans and three goofball dogs: a sweet pit mix named Ellie, a sometimes-awkward husky mix named Nemo, and a rambunctious brown husky named Meeko. At her Mom’s house, the humans can range from four to six, and the furries consist of three cats. Two are black domestic short hairs: Apple, the spaz, and Licorice, the lazy one. The third is an attention-loving orange tabby named Weasley.

In her spare time, Kacey has two main hobbies that she enjoys: band and aquariums. She currently plays the flute, the piccolo, and the alto saxophone. At home, she has three freshwater aquariums: a 10 gallon for her betta and five black neon tetras, a 20 gallon with various fish, and a 55 gallon with mainly platys! If she had to venture a guess, she would say she probably has about 70 fish in total!

Maranda

Maranda

Veterinary Technician

Maranda was only a little girl when she decided that she would work with animals one day. She never gave up on that dream. The older she got, the more her heart was drawn to companion animals. Maranda knew that she wanted to help others’ pets live happy, healthy lives! She gets to do just that as a Veterinary Technician. 

Maranda grew up in Villa Grove and attended college to study animal science. She launched her veterinary career at a clinic in southern Illinois, working as a Kennel Technician, before moving home and becoming a Veterinary Nurse at a nearby hospital. In July of 2020, Maranda joined the team here at Clyde’s Animal Clinic to continue her veterinary journey and complete her education as a Veterinary Technician. She’s been a part of the family ever since!

Maranda enjoys assisting in surgical procedures and loves the way it constantly keeps her on her toes. She’s also fond of helping nervous or anxious pets feel more comfortable during their time here. Of course, she’s always partial to puppy and kitten appointments, too! 

When she’s not at work, Maranda enjoys camping, boating, and hiking in the great outdoors. She also loves to spend time with family, friends, and her pets. She shares her life with two dogs—Remi the Black Labrador, and a Chocolate Labrador who goes by Timber—as well as four cats named Jet, Cinder, Louie, and Tilly. 

Samantha

Samantha

Veterinary Assistant

For Samantha, working with animals is more than just a job. It’s the culmination of a lifelong passion. As a veterinary assistant, she loves that she is able to truly make a difference in the lives of animals. No day is the same – it’s never boring, and she gets to learn and grow every day.

Samantha started out as a certified nursing assistant and shortly thereafter obtained her Associate’s degree in applied science with the goal of becoming a medical administrative assistant. After working in human medicine for three years, however, she stumbled across a job opportunity to become a receptionist at a local veterinary clinic and quickly decided it was time to make a career change.

In 2021, Samantha relocated from Texas and took a job at another local veterinary hospital. After taking a break to care for her niece and nephew, she began her search once again for the perfect practice. She came across Clyde’s Animal Clinic, and officially joined the team in August of 2022.

At home, Samantha is fur mom to three dogs of her own: Malibu, Keiser and Tazmanian Devil. Malibu (a.k.a. Mali) is Samantha’s ride or die and acts like a total princess. Keiser is everyone’s favorite. He is a sweet soul and will draw you in with just one look. Tazmanian devil, or Taz for short, definitely lives up to his looney tune character’s name-sake.

Tori

Tori

Veterinary Technician, Receptionist

Tori has been spending time around horses her entire life, and that’s where her passion for animal care first started. That fascination with the world of animal care simply never quit! Now, Tori is able to help not only pets, but animal parents as well. She’s a member of Clyde’s Animal Clinic’s talented Veterinary Technician and reception teams!

Tori is a Mattoon native and started volunteering right here at Clyde’s Animal Clinic when she was only 12 years old. She attended college to study animal science, and completed an internship at an equine hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, where she got the opportunity to work with post-colic surgery cases, neonatal foals, foaling mares, and much more. After graduation, Tori returned to her Clyde’s Animal Clinic home and has been a part of the team ever since. Her favorite part of her job is the chance she has to learn something new on an almost daily basis. 

Away from work, Tori likes horseback riding, hiking, and reading. She shares her life with a loveable cat named Tolkien.

Karina

Karina

Veterinary Technician

When Karina was a young child, she recalls visiting the vet and being awe-struck as she watched the doctor work. She was always asking questions about the animals and curious about their care. Even back then, she knew she wanted to one day become a veterinarian, bolding declaring her intentions to her mother. Never wavering in her mission, Karina is thrilled to be one step closer to achieving that goal and loving every minute!

Karina started her journey in high school, when she chose the area of health as her focus. She would then go on to enroll in veterinary school. Professionally, Karina enjoys surgeries because it requires total concentration and great skill. She also likes caring for our hospitalized patients, making them comfortable, and giving them their medication to make them feel better. And, of course, there’s the perk of receiving kisses from patients during their veterinary consultations.

At home, Karina lives with her husband and their two dogs, Milo and Musa. Milo is a very happy dog who loves to make friends and play with his toy rabbit. Musa was rescued from the streets. At the time, she was thin, dirty and scared. Today, however, she is happy, healthy and thriving.

A nonconformist by nature, Karina likes to challenge herself and rarely does anything without a goal in mind. Her greatest achievement to date has been relocating from her home country of Mexico to get a job in another language and culture. She remains determined to get her license and officially become a veterinarian.

Faith

Faith

Receptionist / Kennel

Faith’s favorite movie growing up was A Dolphin Tale. Seeing young children making such an incredible impact on the life and wellbeing of an animal was truly inspiring to her. Several years later, Faith was able to meet Winter the dolphin and it was such an inspirational moment, that she knew one day she’d work with animals.

At home, Faith has one dog of her own, a pit bull named Sloan, who loves to give cuddles and still thinks he’s small enough to be a lap dog. Living in the country, stray cats are also routinely welcomed into the home. Currently, there are five: Nova, Puffer, Tommy, Gizmo, and Lizzy. Sloan loves the cats and regularly engages in snuggle fests with them.

When she’s not busy working or tending to her pets, Faith enjoys traveling, exploring different parts of the world and learning about other cultures. She also has a passion for baking, and enjoys spending time outdoors.

Laura

Laura

Dog Groomer

Growing up with a farmer for a father and a mother who routinely fostered from the Humane Society, it came as no surprise that Laura would one day end up working with animals in some capacity. Grooming, in particular, intrigued her, so she decided that would be a good path to pursue. Laura quickly learned that she has a knack for not only her profession, but also for winning over the most difficult of pets. It truly is a gift!

Laura’s career journey began as a bather at PetSmart. She excelled so much that she was quickly recommended for the PetSmart Academy, where she learned how to groom professionally under the tutelage of an experienced salon manager. After a few years, Laura moved on to work in a vet hospital, before deciding to join the Clyde’s Animal Clinic team. Her favorite part of the job is winning over the trust of nervous dogs and helping them enjoy the grooming process.

“One small cat changes coming home to an empty house to coming home.”

 – Pam Brown