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Our Care Team

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

Becky

Becky

CVA, CCRA, CCFT, CCMT Head Veterinary and Dental Technician

Becky developed her passion for veterinary medicine during her childhood. Growing up in Knoxville, Iowa, young Becky began joining a local veterinarian on his patient appointments when she was just eight years old. Becky thoroughly enjoyed her one-on-one time with this generous veterinary professional; and by the time she was 15 years old, she had acquired valuable veterinary medicine knowledge. Even more importantly, Becky had realized that she was meant for a veterinary career!

When Becky began attending nearby Simpson College, she wanted to maintain her connection to veterinary medicine. Becky applied for a part-time job at Ingersoll Animal Hospital in 1980, and she has been a valuable part of the hospital’s care team for more than 30 years.

Throughout Becky’s time at the hospital, she has taken the initiative to improve her skills, which increases her ability to provide care for her clients’ treasured pets. Becky has become a Certified Veterinary Assistant and a Medical Laser Technician. She has also completed advanced training from the American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians. This dedicated, animal-loving lady keeps herself updated on the latest veterinary medicine advances, and she’s always ready to adapt to new technologies to better help her furry patients.

In Becky’s free time, she’s a seasoned distance runner who has completed several marathons. Becky, Tempo and Pacer, her miniature schnauzers, also compete in agility trials. She’s currently training Tempo and Pacer to be well-seasoned competitors! They are both still very much puppies and are more vocal than Becky would like, but they are making great progress.

Shelbi

Shelbi L.

CCRA, CVT in progress

Shelbi is a Des Moines native, and grew up spending many summer days at the Blank Park Zoo. She’s always been interested in the behavior and rehabilitation of animals, and knew that she would love to work hands-on to better the lives of the earth’s creatures. That’s why Shelbi decided to become a member of the veterinary profession!

Shelbi first joined the team here at Ingersoll Animal Hospital while starting college at Iowa State University, filling in during breaks and summer vacation as a Veterinary Assistant, until returning to the clinic full-time after graduating with her degree in animal ecology. She especially loves to learn new things on a daily basis, and also enjoys observing and helping with surgeries. Shelbi’s favorite part of her work is that every day is a little bit different—she’s constantly kept on her toes!

Outside of work, Shelbi likes traveling and spending time at home with her own pets. She shares her life with Nashville, a Golden Retriever/English Setter mix who loves to be pampered, as well as a spunky black cat named Manny.

Karen

Karen

Veterinary Assistant

Unlike many of her colleagues, Karen didn’t initially set out to work in the veterinary field. To the contrary – she originally thought she wanted to become a lawyer. Her deep interest in medicine and science, and an innate love of animals, however, would ultimately shift her path in a different direction. As a veterinary assistant, Karen is grateful to be doing what she feels she’s meant to do: making a difference in the lives of pets and their families.

Karen attended college in her home island of Puerto Rico, where she applied to be part of the pre-vet program. While in school, she participated in an internship involving the care of marine turtles. It was an incredible experience that further fueled her desire to work in veterinary medicine. She then spent some time shadowing at a vet clinic where she was eventually hired. After relocating to Iowa, Karen joined the Ingersoll Animal Hospital team in June of 2023.

One of the things Karen enjoys most about her job is educating new pet owners on how to be the best pet parents to their fur-babies. She also enjoys witnessing the journey of pets who are healing and regaining strength following a complicated disease process. Last, but not least, Karen recently began participating in the rehabilitation program, which provides new options for pets to enjoy an optimal quality of life.

Outside of the clinic, Karen has several pets of her own, including a very spoiled cat named Mota, who was born in Karen’s closet and ended up staying after all of her littermates were adopted; a mixed breed dog named Petunia, whom Karen rescued from the middle of the road after her mother had been hit by a car; and Apex, a handful of a Huskey who is extremely intelligent. Besides her fur-babies, Karen lives with her long-time partner, Edwin, whom she met during college.

Morgan

Morgan

Veterinary Assistant

Morgan’s connection to animals began at a very young age on her family farm, where she helped tend to a wide variety of animals. Whenever the local vet would show up, Morgan would follow them around, fascinated by what they did. When she saw one of the doctors give the family dog some medicine and witnessed that sick pup’s recovery, she was hooked and officially knew what she wanted to do when she grew up!

In high school, Morgan participated in a job shadowing project at her local vet clinic. After graduation, she went on to attend ISU for animal science. Prior to joining the Ingersoll Animal Hospital team, Morgan spent two years working as a professional dog trainer in the Des Moines area. While she loved the job, deep down she knew she wanted more and decided it was time to return to what started it all – her childhood interest in veterinary medicine. Helping pets heal is her true passion in life.

Outside of the clinic, Morgan’s family consists of her fiancé and their sassy cat, Midna, who likes to pretend she doesn’t like you until she’s climbing into your lap and purring like a motorboat.

Kirsten

Kirsten

Veterinary Assistant

Kirsten grew up in Grimes, IA, where she was heavily involved in 4-H, FFA, and anything related to horses. She credits her Arabian, Rio, with sparking her interest and love for animal rehabilitation and animal medicine. As a veterinary assistant here at Ingersoll Animal Hospital, Kirsten strongly believes that education is key, and wants to help provide that to owners so that they can help their animals live their very best lives.

After graduating from Ellsworth Community College with an associate degree in both Equine Science and Equine Management, Kirsten went on to work for the Animal Rescue League as a kennel technician. From there, she wanted to dive into more of the companion animal world and went on to work at a clinic as a veterinary assistant for a year and a half before joining Ingersoll Animal Hospital in June of 2023. Professionally, she enjoys lab work because it’s like putting together the pieces of a puzzle.

Outside of the clinic, Kirsten resides with her boyfriend and their two dogs, Waylon and Dolly. Waylon is a rescue and is the best snuggle buddy, even if his anxiety sometimes gets the best of him. Dolly is their Brittany, who when she is not out upland hunting with Kirsten’s boyfriend (her favorite person), she is on the couch suckling and kneading a comfy blanket. Kirsten’s personal interests include horseback riding, upland hunting, reading, and hiking with her favorite pups.

Sydney

Sydney

Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Emily

Emily

Veterinary Assistant

Emily chose a career working with animals because she couldn’t see herself doing anything else. From a young age, she wanted to make a difference in any way she could. She is particularly interested in those who have special needs and need a little extra support. As a veterinary assistant, Emily loves being a voice for the voiceless.

Emily started her career at a boarding and daycare facility before working her way up to a special needs animal shelter, where she helped heal those who needed a little more time to find their furever homes. In May of 2024, Emily joined the Ingersoll team to gain more experience and further her career. Professionally, she enjoys client education and has a special interest in radiology and surgery.

At home, Emily’s family consists of two dogs, two snails, and a fish named Harold. Velvet is a smooth coat Chihuahua who thinks she’s tough but runs away from most things, and Bolt is an Australian cattle dog who is Emily’s protector and doesn’t know how loud he is. Emily’s favorite pastimes include practicing obedience training with Bolt, who is now canine good citizen certified, and napping with Velvet.

Kennedy

Kennedy

Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Caleb

Caleb

Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Sasha

Sasha

Veterinary Technician

Sasha started out as a client at Pawsitive Strides, where she had been bringing her dog in for rehabilitation. While attending an appointment, Sasha learned of a job opening at Ingersoll. She applied and the rest is history! 

In her role as veterinary technician, Sasha appreciates the fact that when she helps a pet, it in turn helps their owners. It’s a great feeling to know that the work she’s doing is making a positive difference in the lives of both people and their animal companions. 

Outside of the clinic, Sasha has two dogs of her own: Georgia and Jasper, both goldendoodles.

Lauren

Lauren

Patient Care Coordinator

Growing up in Boone, IA, Lauren remembers spending time on her great grandparents’ acreage, playing with their pets, as well as the many stray cats and pigeons around the property. As she grew older, her love for all creatures continued to grow, as did her innate desire to help people and animals alike. A career in the veterinary field seemed like the perfect fit!

Following high school, Lauren began caring for an elderly neighbor’s pets, feeding them, taking them for walks, bringing them to vet appointments, and administering meds. After earning her nurse’s aide certification, Lauren decided to focus on the four-legged and furry patients and joined the Ingersoll team in June of 2024 as one of our patient care coordinators. 

Lauren currently has seven pets at home, including two dogs: a stubborn Pyrenees named Niko, and an energetic pup named Molly; and five cats: food-motivated Apollo, laundry basket enthusiast Panda, bird-watching adventurer Cinnamon, biscuit-making Bernadette, and shy Ginger. Lauren’s hobbies range from making candles, soap, and glass art, to sewing, watching movies, and catching up on a good TV series.

Claire

Claire

Patient Care Coordinator

Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Claire has been interested in science and veterinary medicine for as long as she can remember. As a child, you could usually find Claire glued to the television watching vet shows, fascinated by what they were doing and wanting to grow up to be like them. Becoming a Patient Care Coordinator is just the first step toward fulfilling that lifelong goal.

Claire is currently attending school to become a veterinary technician. She joined the Ingersoll Animal Hospital team in March of 2024 to gain some valuable hands-on experience and on-the-job learning. When a friend’s cat gave birth to a litter, Claire helped resuscitate one of the kittens. This experience solidified her passion for veterinary medicine and confirmed that she’d chosen the right path.

Aside from animals, Claire’s other passion is attending concerts. The biggest highlight of her concert journey to date has been seeing her favorite band, Bring Me the Horizon, perform live twice. Her other pastimes include reading, writing, coloring, traveling, and playing guitar—a hobby she taught herself.

Tiffany

Tiffany

Patient Care Coordinator

Tiff grew up in a small town in California called Yucaipa. After relocating to Iowa with her boyfriend, she learned of an opening at Ingersoll Animal Hospital and jumped at the chance to join our team. Having been a veterinary technician for several years, it was the perfect fit! As one of our patient care coordinators, Tiff loves interacting with clients and helping them to better understand how to keep their pets happy and healthy.

At home, Tiff has three dogs of her own: a chihuahua-Jack Russell mix named Yuki, a husky-golden mix named Akuma, and another pup named Josie. Yuki accompanied Tiff all the way from Cali. He’s lazy but loves people and cuddling. Akuma loves water, is incredibly smart and super loving. And Josie has a condition called ataxia, which makes her a little wobbly. Despite this, she still loves to run through the grass and is a master cuddler.

In her spare time, Tiff enjoys dabbling in photography – particularly if it involves capturing images of pets or scenic views.

Randi

Randi

Patient Care Coordinator

Randi’s lifetime passion for animals, and experience working with racetrack horses, has provided a strong foundation for her veterinary hospital work. By previously earning her Dental Assistant certificate, Randi gained basic medical knowledge that she uses in her Patient Care Coordinator position. When her clients and their beloved pets arrive for their appointments, Randi greets them with a friendly smile and a calm, efficient manner. She wants them to have a smooth, positive hospital experience; and just in case, Randi’s ready with her supply of dog treats!

Living outside Des Moines with her fiance Jason, Randi has quite a collection of dogs, cats, and horses. Randi thrives on being outdoors, and she takes every opportunity to ride her horses and bond with her dog. She also shares camping, fishing, hunting, four-wheeling, and road trips with Jason. Randi’s generally an early bird, getting up before sunrise, working hard on the farm and at the hospital, and turning out the lights well after the sun goes down.

Randi’s three horses have an insatiable appetite, as they eat all day and then escape from their pasture to gorge themselves on the other side of the fence. So far, Solomon, Tornado, and Lexy haven’t suffered any ill effects from their food fests. Randi’s dog Kilo loves playing with the horses, and she’ll hitch a ride on any moving vehicle, hopping into the truck or jumping on the four-wheeler. Finally, Randi’s two cats have found a way to entertain themselves inside the house. Kazz has learned how to completely unroll the toilet paper, and Trix has developed the fine art of sleeping all day.

Kryssa

Kryssa

Pet Groomer

Kryssa was only in the eighth grade when she started helping at a grooming facility operated by Kryssa’s own dog trainer. Over the years, she learned the ropes of the grooming profession hands-on—she hasn’t stopped grooming pets since. Now, Kryssa is Ingersoll Animal Hospital’s resident Pet Groomer!

Kryssa is originally from New Virginia, Iowa, and attended Kirkwood Community College to study pet grooming and small-business management. After completing her schooling, she signed on with a local animal hospital for a time before moving on to another nearby clinic, where she worked as a Veterinary Assistant while starting her very own grooming business during her off hours.

In the summer of 2018, Kryssa joined the Ingersoll Animal Hospital family and has been making the pets of the area look and feel their absolute best ever since. For her, nothing beats seeing the look on an owner’s face when they first see their freshly groomed companion—those moments make it all worth it for Kryssa!

When she isn’t pampering pets here at the hospital, Kryssa enjoys scrapbooking and spending quality time with her friends and family. She and her boyfriend, Josh, have a beautiful daughter named Ava and also share their lives with three canine companions: Angel, Kryssa’s rat terrier who used to compete alongside Kryssa in competitive 4-H shows; a Pit Bull named Arielle who is both a Canine Good Citizen and a certified therapy dog; and Triton the Pit Bull, also a Canine Good Citizen who loves performing his best tricks for treats.

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

 – Pam Brown