Like most veterinarians, Dr. Jan Chipperfield has always loved animals. As a child, she drove her parents crazy bringing home stray dogs and cats, rabbits and any other critter who crossed her path. Born and raised in Kirkwood, MO, Dr. Chip graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1981 and received her BS in Physical Education from Southeast Missouri University in 1985. She then took a detour from her calling as a veterinarian and spent the next 15 years helping homeless animals.

Dr. Chip did her part in the animal welfare field by rescuing animals from neglect and abuse while serving as a humane officer with the Humane Society of Missouri. She conducted cruelty investigations and taught school children the importance of treating all living creatures with kindness and respect. During times of disaster and crisis, Dr. Chip was a first-responder and rescued animals from floods in Missouri and Iowa. She oversaw shelter operations for the Humane Society of Missouri, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau and St. Louis County Animal Control. But she still wanted to become a veterinarian. “I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian before I could spell the word,” she said. “Medicine fascinates me and animals have always been a part of my life. I can’t imagine my world without them.”

Dr. Chip earned her DVM degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2004. The recipient of many scholarships and awards during her academic career, Dr. Chip most values receiving The Gentle Doctor Award during her senior year. Bestowed by her peers, this honor recognizes the veterinarian who exemplifies the highest ethical and professional integrity in patient care.

And that’s what Family Animal Hospital is all about—patient care. Sometimes the doctor/patient relationship becomes second priority with all the high-tech advances in the medical field. “We are a small hospital. We know our patients by sight and know our clients by name. I spend most of my time on the floor with my patients, finding out who they are and what their issues are,” she said. “It’s about our pets—they cannot speak for themselves and they rely on us to understand.”

Dr. Chip continues helping animals through her volunteer work, by consulting for the Animal Shelter Consultation program for The Humane Society of the United States, and teaching veterinary students about shelter issues and compassion fatigue. She resides in Maryland Heights with her 2 and 4-legged family. And, yes, she really does want you to call her “Dr. Chip.”

Patty attended Jefferson College in Hillsboro and completed the vet tech program. She has a combined nine and a half years experience in the veterinary field, working side by side with Dr. Chipperfield at the Humane Society of Missouri.

Patty’s family includes a St. Bernard, Golden Retriever and two cats. She also owns a 22-year-old Ball Python and a Green Cheek Conure. Patty enjoys running, hiking, boating, and participates in triathlons.

You’ll meet Patty in the exam room, treatment room or surgery, as she is our full-time technician at Family Animal Hospital.

Paul is our newest addition to Family Animal Hospital.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Paul is currently working on a Masters of Science in Biolgy with emphasis in Ecology, Evolution and Systematics from St. Louis University. Paul has over nine years of veterinary experience and plans to become a veterinarian specializing in birds.

He likes to read, play pool and barbecue in his spare time. An orange tabby cat named Teague, a pointer mix, Bailee, and a Yellow Front Amazon Parrot, Farley, all keep Paul company at home. You can find Paul at the front desk and in the exam rooms at our hospital.

Say hello to Paul and help us welcome him to our family!!!

You’ll find Christine at the front desk, in the exam room or in the lab at Family Animal Hospital. She has worked alongside Dr. Chipperfield in the past at the Humane Society of Missouri at the Macklind Avenue location.

Christine has been in the veterinary field for a combined ten years, working under the supervision of 25 veterinarians in the St. Charles and St. Louis areas.

She attended St. Louis Community College at Meramec, focusing on Animal Science. Her favorite areas of the veterinary field are lab work and surgery.

Christine is a proud mother of an eight-year-old daughter and staff member to two cats! They all live in St. Peters, MO and plan to add a puppy to the family once they get settled into their new house.

Louise attended the University of Vermont and Webster University, and was an elementary education teacher for 25 years. She has also been a surgery assistant for 25 years.

Three Yorkies and two Wheaton Terriers keep Louise busy at home. She also enjoys reading and cooking.

Louise attends to our animals who are waking up from surgery, making the recovery process so much nicer for them (and US too!). Her gentle touch and sharp eyes allow our surgery schedule to run smoothly.