About Our Team
Veterinarians
Dr. David Whitney
Owner & Veterinarian
Dr. Whitney was born and raised in West Okoboji, Iowa, and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Iowa State University in 1979. Prior to building Jordan Creek Animal Hospital in 1991, he worked for 12 years at a multi-doctor veterinary practice in Barrington, Illinois. Dr. Whitney is very involved in the veterinary community and has served as President of the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA).
Dr. Whitney’s family includes his wife Lorraine, a dog Odie, daughter Lauren, son Daniel, daughter-in-law Danielle, granddaughters Quinn and Riley, grandson Sam, and grand dog Freddy. In addition to spending time with his family, Dr. Whitney enjoys photography and gardening.
Dr. Daniel Whitney
Owner & Veterinarian
Dr. Whitney was raised in West Des Moines, IA and spent his childhood helping at Jordan Creek Animal Hospital. Dr. Whitney attended Iowa State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 2009 and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. Upon graduation, Dr. Whitney joined a small animal practice in Eagan, Minnesota. In 2016, Dr. Whitney returned to Jordan Creek Animal Hospital as a veterinarian and in 2018, he partnered with his father as a co-owner of JCAH.
Dr. Whitney and his wife, Danielle, are parents to two amazing daughters, Quinn and Riley, and an awesome son, Sam. Freddy, a spaniel mix, completes their family. When he’s not at the clinic, Dr. Whitney enjoys traveling, golfing, and spending time with his family and friends.
Dr. Anne Kueter
Veterinarian
Dr. Kueter, originally from Freeport, Illinois, received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1992. She obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1997 from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. During veterinary school, she worked as a veterinary technician and completed preceptorships at wildlife rehabilitation centers and the Kansas City Zoo. Dr. Kueter joined the staff of Jordan Creek Animal Hospital in March 1997.
Dr. Kueter and her husband Troy are parents of two wonderful children Abigayle (Abi) and Lucas. They also have a dog Buddy, and two cats; Sully and Tango! In her free time, she enjoys biking, camping, and travel. Dr. Kueter is additionally trained in holistic medicine and acupuncture while also using herbal medicine as an adjunct to Western medicine to treat pets.
Dr. Leah Moore
Veterinarian
Dr. Moore grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and West Des Moines with many pets including dogs, cats, horses, mice, and rabbits. She attended Iowa State University and studied Wildlife Biology before receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1985. From 1985 to 1999, Dr. Moore worked in small animal practice in the suburbs of Chicago. She came to Jordan Creek Animal Hospital in May of 1999.
Dr. Moore has one daughter, Susanna, and three cats; Sylvie, Lawrence, and Olive. She enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and gardening with prairie plants.
Dr. Wendy Johnson
Veterinarian
Dr. Johnson was born in Lubbock, Texas but was raised in West Des Moines, Iowa. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Simpson College and then went on to receive her MBA from the University of Iowa. In 2003, she received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Iowa State University. She immediately came on board as an associate veterinarian at Jordan Creek Animal Hospital, where she had served as a veterinary assistant and receptionist during veterinary school. She later practiced as a relief veterinarian to focus on raising her two daughters but returned as an associate veterinarian in 2021.
Dr. Johnson and her husband Joel have two beautiful daughters. She truly enjoys spending time with her family, camping, bicycling, and getting away to their log cabin in the country.
Dr. Cody Mingus
Veterinarian
Dr. Mingus was born in Falls City, Nebraska. She attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree in Veterinary Science in 2006. She enrolled in veterinary school at Iowa State University and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. After practicing at a pet hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, she joined the staff at Jordan Creek Animal Hospital in 2012.
Dr. Mingus and her husband Zach, are parents of three fabulous daughters, Emree, Palmer, and Vivienne. They are also the parents of a Doberman, Bruce, a Cavadoodle, Myer, and one cat, Noodle. She enjoys spending her free time with her daughters and pets, camping, attending outdoor concerts, and watching movies at home.
Dr Rachel Varley
Veterinarian
Dr. Varley, originally from Carroll, Iowa, received her bachelor’s degree from Wartburg College in 2007. She went on to receive her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Iowa State University in 2011. After graduation, she completed a rotating internship in surgery/internal medicine at a specialty and emergency hospital in Ohio. She came to Jordan Creek Animal Hospital in 2012. Dr. Varley’s special interests in veterinary medicine include cardiology, neurology, and internal medicine.
Dr. Varley and her husband have three daughters, Claire, Cora, and Campbell, and a son named James. They have one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog named Pickle. Dr. Varley enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, being outdoors, and traveling.
Dr Kaylee Endres
Veterinarian
Dr. Endres grew up in Milo, Iowa, but now lives in Saint Charles with her husband, Nick. Kaylee started in the kennels here at JCAH, but quickly moved into kennel reception, vet assistant, and now doctor! She attended Grand View University in 2018 to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She then transferred to Iowa State University to work towards her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine! When she is not at work, she enjoys running, kickboxing, spending time with her friends and family, cooking, getting creative with crafts, photography, reading murder mysteries, and playing with her two boston terriers, Reece and Moe, and cat, Whipper.
Veterinary Technicians
Kat
Veterinary Nurse, RVT
Kat was born and raised in the Chicago area and is a first-generation Polish-American. Kat speaks Polish fluently! She attended Iowa State University and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science. She went on to work at a veterinary clinic in Iowa City and at the University of Iowa as an Animal Caretaker. She then decided to get her Associate of Applied Sciences Degree at DMACC in veterinary technology and graduated in 2019 shortly after passed both state and national boards to become an RVT! Kat is happy to be in the Des Moines area with her husband, Will and son, Henry! Together they have 3 fur babies; a cat named Twilight, and two rescue dogs Tavi and Tessa! When not at work, Kat enjoys gardening, traveling, spending time with family, home renovations, and learning about wine!
Jen
Veterinary Nurse, RVT
Jen grew up in Reno, Nevada. In 1995 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. She continued her education and received her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technology from Portland Community College in 1998. Jen previously worked at Jordan Creek Animal Hospital in 2004 but then took a break to start a family. In March of 2018, Jen decided to return to the JCAH team.
When not at work, Jen enjoys her family including her husband Mike, daughter Amanda, and son Chase. Her four- legged child consists of Avalanche, a pug. She enjoys attending Iowa Wild games, horseback riding, and anything outdoors with her family.
Katie
Veterinary Nurse
Katie grew up in St. Charles, IA, on a farm where she raised sheep, chickens, and cows. She currently lives in Truro, Iowa, with her boyfriend. She attended Southwestern Community College in Creston, IA, where she received an AA in Liberal Arts. She took multiple agriculture classes and even bottle-fed a lamb during her time there! She graduated in 2021, then shortly after began working towards her veterinary technology degree. She is expected to graduate in May 2024 with her Associate of Applied Science. She has future aspirations to travel outside the US, and becoming a specialized RVT.
Aside from her love of animals, she has a hidden talent and love for art- chalk pastels to be exact! Outside of work, she also enjoys photography, traveling, kayaking, fishing, hunting, gardening, camping, and being outdoors in general! In her spare time, she enjoys indulging in dramatic reality TV shows. To keep her company at home, Katie has two cats, Goose and Loki, and her boyfriend’s family dogs, Memphis, Hank, and Trace.
Destiny
Veterinary Nurse
Destiny grew up in Stuart, IA, but now resides in Ankeny. From a young age, she had dreams of becoming a veterinarian when she got older. After gaining more experience in the veterinary field, she realized becoming a veterinarian technician was the direction she wanted to go.
She graduated from DMACC with an Associate in Veterinary Technology in 2023. Her skills, passion, and love for the veterinary world continue to grow as she gains more experience.
Not only is Destiny obsessed with anything dachshund related, but she is also a proud mom of her 14-year-old blind dachshund named Puddin, as well as a 2-year-old cat named Leo!
In her free time, she enjoys reading, arts & crafts, fishing, hitting up the beach, and watching her brother and father during race season.
Amelia
Veterinary Nurse
Amelia was raised between Ames and Boone, IA, but currently resides in Boone. She was a homeschooled individual who felt as if she lived under a rock, but her experience shaped her passions and aspirations for the future. She is determined to work with wildlife rehabilitation of fauna, especially raptors.
To assist her life goals, some of her interests lie in marketing and website building and design. She attended ISU, majoring in Animal Science with a Pre-Vet option. Soon after, she graduated from DMACC in May of 2024.
Outside of school and work, Amelia has two cats at home named Sundae and Gracy. Back in the day, she used to have her own flock of tamed peafowls (peacocks) and chickens!
Samantha
Veterinary Nurse
Samantha grew up on a small farm outside of Sheldon, Iowa, but currently resides in Ames, Iowa. She has gained experience with a large variety of animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, cattle, and pigs. Working with such a diverse range of animals has only strengthened her excitement and love for learning. She hopes to continue building on her skills as part of the JCAH family. Samantha received her veterinary technician degree from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska. Soon after, she completed her prerequisites at ISU while working for the veterinary medicine college in their equine ICU. Outside of school and work, she enjoys taking her border collie, Oakley, on walks and runs, riding horses, and spending time with her family and friends.
Veterinary Assistants
BreAnna
Veterinary Assistant
BreAnna grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated from Valley High School. She graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science with a minor in General Business from Iowa State University and is pursuing her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree currently. She has previously worked in the Hy-Vee floral shop while in school, as well as at JCAH as a kennel attendant. While she has continued to come back during school breaks to help out around our hospital, she has joined our team once again, now as a veterinary assistant! BreAnna is a very social person that has always enjoyed helping others. Her lifelong goal has always been to work with animals and she is currently pursuing the dream of becoming a veterinarian! BreAnna enjoys being outdoors, sewing, and watching Netflix. She has two white crested guinea pigs named Kiwi and Peach.
Grace
Veterinary Assistant
Preston
Veterinary Assistant
Preston grew up in Vancouver, Washington, and moved all the way to West Des Moines, IA in 2016. Before starting here at JCAH, he graduated from trade school for facilities maintenance with an OSHA certification. He likes to think of himself as eccentric and weird- just enough to keep people on their toes! Outside of work, he enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons. With his favorite color being all hues of green, he enjoys putting his artistic abilities to use in painting miniatures. His cat Sandy keeps him in good company at home!
Anna
Nursing Assistant
Anna grew up and currently lives in the DSM area where she graduated from Valley High School in 2019. She has a great love for animals, getting outside, camping, and keeping busy with crafting! Her crafts include painting, sculpting, and glass soldering. She previously worked at Raising Cane’s as their leading manager, as well as helping out at her family’s business. Moving forward, she hopes to become certified as a vet technician. At home, she is a dog mom to her sweet shorkie, Mac Daddy!
Sheila
Veterinary Assistant
Sheila is originally from Jamaica but was adopted when she was 5 years old. She has lived in West Des Moines with her parents and older brother ever since! She is currently attending Central College in hopes to obtain a Bachelor of Biology. She started at JCAH as one of our fellow kennel attendants but has since moved into our veterinary assistant position. Sheila takes great care of her dog, Bruno, and a guinea pig named, Abu. Outside of work, she enjoys anything involving the outdoors; hiking, running, and bird watching!
Phoebe
Veterinary Assistant
Phoebe was raised in Boulder, CO, but now resides in Ames, IA. She graduated from ISU with an animal science degree but will soon be returning to study in the veterinary medicine program. Outside of school, she has previously worked at another clinic as well as a technician at the ISU Vet Diagnostic Lab. In the past, she has gained great experience rehabilitating wildlife. The most fun animals she has worked with are jaguars, macaws, and monkeys. When she is not working or studying, Phoebe enjoys bird watching, playing with her Shetland sheepdogs, Rockey and Candy, watching horror movies, and traveling whenever she gets the chance.
Anna
Veterinary Assistant
Anna moved to the Des Moines area in August of 2023 after growing up in L.A. and Mexico. She has jumped from state to state, all the while obtaining her DVM degree from Mesoamerican University. She enjoys working with a variety of species and learning something new every day! When she is not at work, you can find Anna at the gym, reading, relaxing in quiet places, or making new friends. She is eager to learn and grow with us here at Jordan Creek Animal Hospital.
Mia
Veterinary Assistant
Mia grew up in the Des Moines area, and currently resides in Pleasant Hill. She is currently enrolled at Des Moines Community College studying Animal Nutrition. She considers herself a crazy dog mom who is obsessed with every living animal, big or small! She has previously worked at the Animal Rescue League, where her passion for animals grew stronger. She takes care of her fur babies; Bear, Hank, Lily, and Maggie- can’t forget about her cat, Toby! Aside from work, she loves to read and take all her dogs on hikes around the area.
Kennedy
Veterinary Assistant
Kennedy grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where she still resides. She currently studies Animal Science at Iowa State University. She continues to pursue her veterinary path, focusing on mixed animals. Before working at JCAH, Kennedy was employed at the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory as well as the USDA. She is a lover of all animals but has a special place in her heart for her two dogs, Gunner and Austin, two cats, Zeb and Luke Duke, and one bunny named Mater. Outside of work and her studies, she enjoys being active outside, playing soccer, fishing, listening to country music, and spending time with friends and family.
Sidney
Veterinary Assistant
Sidney grew up in Centerville, IA, alongside her five cats: Jake, Milo, Max, Marie, and Tilly. She currently lives in Ankeny with her hamster, Cookie. She is currently enrolled in the DMACC Vet Tech program and is expected to graduate next year!
Before entering into the veterinary field, she had worked as a lifeguard, server, and shadowed at clinics, where her love for animals grew. Outside of school and work, Sidney loves watching Harry Potter, spending time with her twin sister, reading, listening to good music, drawing, painting, and watching sci-fi fantasy movies.
She has also travelled to South America and Europe, and hopes to continue exploring in the future!
Support Staff
Amanda
Kennel Manager
Amanda grew up in West Des Moines and graduated from Waukee High School. She has her associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from DMACC. Amanda started at JCAH in 2012 as a kennel attendant and worked her way up to kennel manager in 2021. Amanda loves attending concerts, playing games, and spending time with her friends, family, and pets. She has three dogs Joe Jo, Bella, and Cookie; two cats Kitty and Nemo; and two rats named Bertha and Petra. One fun fact about Amanda is that she is a huge Superman fan!
Jessica
Hospital Receptionist
Jessica grew up in Boone, IA, and currently resides in Norwalk. She has loved and cared for animals all her life. Before starting her career, she attended high school at DSM Lincoln and obtained her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Clarke University. Soon after, she became a kennel attendant, assistant dog groomer, and veterinarian assistant. Later, she went on to work for 15 years in the social services industry. She has sincerely enjoyed getting back into the veterinary field! When Jessica is not at work, she loves to attend concerts, hang out with her daughter, Caitlyn, visit the state fair, camp, and kayak with friends and family. At home, she has her hands full with her four dogs; Dixie, Millie, Chibbs, Freya, and all the foster dogs she can welcome in until they can find great homes!
Mikayla
Hospital Receptionist
Mikayla lives in Waukee, but grew up in Johnston. She went on to DMACC and Kentucky Horseshoeing School to continue her passion in working with animals. She has always had a special place in her heart for horses from quite a young age. Over the last 6 years, she has been working as a Ferrier at Falldo Horseshoeing. When she is not at work, she enjoys playing and training her dogs, Freya and Maxx. She also spends a lot of time riding and competing with her horses, Dewey, Torino, and Volt.
Lindsey
Hospital Receptionist
Lindsey grew up and currently resides in the Des Moines area. After high school, she attended DMACC to obtain her Medical Assistant degree and Chiropractic Assistant diploma. Since then she has had a variety of different assistant jobs in clinics, a hotel, and even a real estate office. Outside of work she loves to camp, travel, hike, kayak, read, attend her children’s soccer and softball games, and spend time with family and friends. Lindsey is a proud breast cancer survivor and had a great support system during her fight. Her family consists of her husband, 4 kids, and 2 Pitbull terriers, Lelo, and Blanca. Not only can Lindsey beat cancer, but she is pretty tough in taekwondo as a black belt. So much so, she almost made it to the US open!
Kylie
Hospital Receptionist
Kylie grew up in Boone, IA, but has since moved to the West Des Moines area. Working with dogs for over 3 years now, she has enjoyed building relationships with furry friends of all personality types. She is currently on the path of figuring out the direction she would like to take in her educational career with animals. At home, she has two dogs named after her favorite Marvel characters, Coulson and Parker. In her free time, Kylie enjoys hiking with her dogs, crafting, and keeping up on the best movies.
Caitlin
Hospital Receptionist
Caitlin, originally born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, moved to Omaha in 2009 with her family. After high school, she started her early career supervising Bark Avenue in Nebraska. After working behind a desk for a few years, she felt it was time to pursue her dream career of working with animals. She decided to explore her options and ended up residing in Des Moines for a short time. She enjoyed the area so much that she made it a permanent residence for herself! Caitlin has around 8 years of experience with animals, including working as a ranch hand on a cattle/horse farm. She currently plans on becoming a veterinary technician and hopes to specialize in working with equine/larger animals. At home, Caitlin and her boyfriend have a cat, Chance, and two dogs, Kita and Ragnar. Outside of work, you can find Caitlin enjoying activities: figure skating, archery, hiking, and traveling. One of her biggest goals is to visit every national park in the USA, as well as a few international parks.
Mary
Kennel Receptionist
Mary grew up and currently resides in West Des Moines, IA. From 2021-2023, she lived in Korea due to the relocation of her husband in the military. Soon after, she moved back home to be with her family. She is currently enrolled at Arizona State University to obtain her Bachelor of Homeland Security.
She has previously worked at the YMCA and other dog boarding facilities, where her love for animals has continued to grow. At home, she has two pets: one Russian Blue cat named Halt and one Aussie German Shepherd mix named Cyrus. When she is not playing with her fur babies, she enjoys cooking, riding her motorcycle, and playing computer games!
Lauren
Personnel Coordinator
Lauren was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but grew up in Spirit Lake, Iowa near Lake Okoboji. In 2020, she graduated from Iowa State with a Bachelor’s in Event Management. She has worked in the wedding industry, catering, tourism, sales, and country clubs. Although she did not go to school for animal science, she loves having the chance to work with animals. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys playing the piano, singing, hanging with friends, painting, walks outside, and finding fun events to attend in the area. She hopes to get her own dog very soon.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
-Anatole France