Meet the Team

At Wild Hearts, our team of highly trained and experienced animal rehabilitation therapists, veterinary technicians, and support staff are dedicated to providing the best possible care for your pet, whether they are recovering from surgery, dealing with a chronic condition, or simply in need of special care as they age.

Fear Free Professional

Animal Rehabilitation Therapist

Animal Massage Therapist

Basic/Advanced Life Support Certified

Physical Therapist

Veterinary Technician

Veterinarian

Erin massaging a white and black american staffordshire terrier outdoors


  • Founder

    I’ve always been passionate about helping animals and started volunteering with Chicagoland animal rescues in 2005. Quickly finding my place as a foster parent to date, I’ve fostered over 100 foster pups, most of which have needed specialized care. I founded Wild Hearts NFP in 2014 after fostering and adopting my first mobility impaired pet. Since then I’ve dedicated my life to improving pet mobility and taking care of pets needing specialized care. In 2015 I fostered and adopted my 2nd cart using pet named Josh (@gimmesomejosh) and in 2021 PokyMan (@catchthatpoky) joined the family. We’ve been breaking down stereotypes and advocating to change the perception of impaired pets.

    In my “spare” time I enjoy kickboxing, trying new restaurants, going to concerts, and traveling.

  • Veterinarian

    Bio coming soon!


  • Animal Rehab Therapist, Caregiver

    Always wanting to work with animals and travel, I decided to go to school for animal science initially with the goal of working at a zoo. My passion drove me to work in a variety of settings including primary vet care, farm, zoos, shelters, and veterinary rehabilitation.

    Having the opportunity to work in veterinary rehabilitation drew me to working and want to work even more with pets needing more specialized care. I also fostered then adopted 2 special needs kittens, which have brought such joy to my life and the lives of many others. You can check them out on social media!

    Outside of working with animals I love walking, hiking, photography, and traveling when I can!

A hairless cat giving kisses to Jamie

  • Vet Tech, Caregiver

    My career in veterinary medicine began in 2007 as a veterinary assistant at a clinic in Lansing, Michigan. After a year and a half, I began attending veterinary nursing school to pursue an associates degree, graduating in 2009.

    Over the years, I have worked in many facets of veterinary medicine including general practice, dermatology specialty, and emergency medicine. I have also assisted in orthopedic surgeries, rehabilitation, managed hospital inventory, and trained newly hired staff. My current position at a veterinary emergency hospital has many sad and challenging moments but it is very rewarding.

    Of all the positions I’ve held in vet med, one of my favorites and most fulfilling experiences was assisting in physical therapy. Helping post-op patients, seniors, working dogs, and disabled pets regain their hard-earned quality of life gave me a lot of joy. Both the clients and patients made a lasting impact in my life, and I still stay in touch with many of them.

    Though progress is made every day, there is still a huge gap in disabled pet care. I was reluctant to board my own paralyzed French Bulldog before discovering Wild Hearts. I feel very lucky to be able to help care for these special needs kiddos while also giving their parents some peace of mind.

    My partner and I have five French Bulldogs, and one cat that keeps us very busy. Wild Hearts is a place where my special needs Frenchie gets all the care he needs and where I can put my expertise to use doing what I love most.

  • Vet Tech, Caregiver

    I hail from a professional background of working 12 years in veterinary medicine. I've done everything from kennel attendant to surgical veterinary technician to practice manager. Half of my career has been in Chicago and the other half in Albuquerque, NM where I lived for 5 years.

    In my personal life for 6 years I have done hospice adoptions for those shelter babies who needed a cozier end of life home than in a cage. My lovely fiance and I have an old dog man of 16 years named Bilbo Baggins and a young cat lady named Chavela.

    And now I am happy to have joined the Wild Hearts Pet Care team as my next step in working with animals. And I'm excited to care for your babies just like they are at home.

  • Caregiver; Education Specialist

    I've loved animals my entire life and have always known I've wanted to work with them in some capacity. After working with avians, sea turtles and primates my desire to truly serve and aid animals was finally met when I left research and began working in veterinary medicine. I eventually found my love for veterinary neurology and all the amazing pets and families I was able to help.

    I've always loved veterinary neurology. Often times pets come in who are born with special needs, suffer a trauma that requires surgery or acquire a disease that leads them to need specialized care. Sometimes that care is for a short period of time other times it can be lifelong. My own furry family is made up of a special needs Chihuahua, who is paralyzed in her back legs, as well as a dachshund, who has neck and back issues. I believe that pets with specialized needs, or those who require specialized care, are amazingly resilient. When caregivers and families of pets requiring specialized care are given the proper tools for awareness, advocacy and education, regarding medical and environmental factors, pets with special needs can enjoy longer and more enriched lives.

    In my limited free time, I love traveling, reading, kayaking and spending time with my husband, daughter and our three dogs.

  • Vet Tech, Caregiver

    Veterinary medicine has been my dream career since I was a child and I’ve never looked back. My early love of dogs and all creatures sparked the desire to better the lives of animals and their owners to go to school to become a certified veterinary technician. Initially working in shelters, daycares and boarding facilities at a young age, my love grew and I now spend overnights working at an emergency veterinary clinic as an ICU nurse.

    Caring for the pets and people at Wild Hearts is a unique opportunity that I’m proud to be a part of. In my free time you can find me with my better half Steve and our 3-year-old Husky who is the light of our lives, named Sunshine of course. Two 15-year-old female Russian Blues named Luna and Tuna round out the picture and keep us on our toes daily.