Meet the Team

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Dr. Tom Buckley

Dr. Tom Buckley

Owner, Veterinarian

Originating from Topeka, KS, Dr. Buckley is a K-State graduate in veterinary medicine. He loves the outdoors; hiking, hunting, fly fishing, rafting, and camping.
Being a skilled surgeon, he has a passion for the process and would love to mentor new veterinary graduates to help them develop their surgical skills.

Dr. Buckley has been married to his wife, Cyndi, since the semester before he started veterinary school, and they have 2 sons together, Braden and Kyon. Both boys attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University on rodeo scholarships. Between work and family, Dr. Buckley enjoys calf roping and team roping and has competed in roping events for many years himself – so it runs in the family! Dr. Buckley has some personal goals to Hike Mt. Elbert (again), go backpacking solo into the wilderness for at least 1 week, and fly fishing in New Zealand.

Dr. Larry Garten

Dr. Larry Garten

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Garten is originally from Abilene, KS, and received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from K-State and his DVM from Oklahoma State.
Dr. Garten enjoys the challenges of internal medicine and problem-solving.  Taking pieces of information and logically diagnosing medical problems is a skill that he has tried to hone.  While he primarily does appointments, soft tissue surgery and dental extractions are skills he developed during his years of veterinary medicine.  Special areas of interest include dermatology, parasitology, and gastrointestinal disease.

From his young 20’s to early 30’s, he was the VP of 35,000 cattle in the sandhills of Nebraska. He is still involved in breeding cattle, and a bull that he raised is internationally known, and the offspring are highly coveted. He has a passion for landscaping and has developed into a skilled rock mason. Although he is looking forward to retirement, spending more time with his family, and traveling, he plans to continue practicing medicine at a slower pace until he approaches age 70.

 Dr. Hillary Henslee

Dr. Hillary Henslee

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Henslee is another K-State grad and is originally from Overland Park, KS. She got into working with animals at an early age when she started horseback riding and becoming the neighborhood dog-sitter.
Her professional interests include cardiology, dentistry and she is excited to be working in surgery to increase her skill level. She also has a love for wellness exams. There is nothing like a healthy pet coming in and leaving and the smile that goes with it.

Dr. Henslee enjoys cooking in her spare time, staying active, and traveling when she can. She also has a goal to hike all the national parks!

Dr. Eden Opie

Dr. Eden Opie

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Opie is an Olathe native. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tulsa and played on the women’s soccer team during her time there. While in Oklahoma, she worked at a small animal practice where her love for veterinary medicine began. She graduated from K-State with her DVM in May! Her interest areas include surgery, nutrition and dentistry. She is excited to be back in Kansas City near family and begin her veterinary career.

Dr. Opie enjoys playing pickleball, rock climbing, spending time at church and mowing the lawn with perfect stripes. Most recently she is enjoying spending time with her newly adopted pit bull/boxer mix named Poppy.

Nichole Griffiths

Nichole Griffiths

Practice Manager/Veterinary Technician

Nichole grew up a military brat and lived in 4 states before the age of 18. She then joined the Air Force after high school and continues to serve in the Reserves. She has been around all types of people, cultures, and personalities – she has been to 42 different countries! Nichole has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Excelsior and is currently attending Penn Foster for an associate degree to be a registered veterinary technician. When she isn’t working or going to school, you can find Nichole hanging out with her family, going to yoga, or enjoying herself at some of the local breweries and wineries!

Karen Gering

Karen Gering

Lead Veterinary Technician

Karen was born and raised in Emporia, KS. She graduated from K-state with her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Master’s degree in Veterinary Biomedical Science. Karen loves internal medicine and pharmacology. She is the epitome of an outdoors person. Karen enjoys going on adventures and watching football with her husband. She also enjoys going on walks and runs with her two dogs, Aspen and Kira.

Tiara Thill

Tiara Thill

Veterinary Technician

Tiara was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She moved to Kansas in August of 2022 to start a new adventure. She has worked as a veterinary technician since 2016. Tiara enjoys spending time with her friends and family, watching movies, and finding new coffee places. In the summer you can find her paddle boarding and spending time in the sun anyway she can. Tiara has a small dog, and a 3 legged cat.

Amber Wilson

Amber Wilson

Veterinary Technician

Amber grew up in southwest Missouri near the Ozarks. They studied biology, and biochemistry at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS and interned at several veterinary clinics during college. Eventually, Amber landed in Lawrence, KS, in 2020 where they have been working in Vet Med for the past 3 years. In those 3 years, Amber has worked in General Practice and Emergency Medicine. Amber enjoys spending their free time playing video games and cuddling with their 3 dogs, Lithium, Freya, and Augustus. Amber has the biggest soft spot for bulldogs, and pitbull mixes.

Chyenne Kurtz

Chyenne Kurtz

Veterinary Technician

Chyenne grew up in Eudora and has worked in animal welfare for 3 years. She has a passion for helping animals in need and is excited to step into the vet med field. In her spare time you can find her training dogs and volunteering at different shelters.  Chyenne also has a passion for vehicle modifications and can be found traveling the states, attending different shows. She hopes to one day have a farm and take in homeless farm animals, educate people about animal behavior, and start a family. 

Megan Thomas

Megan Thomas

Veterinary Technician

Megan grew up in Baldwin City, KS and has been in both emergency vet medicine and general practice for 2 years. She loves learning about veterinary medicine and has always had a passion for helping those who can’t help themselves. No matter where she goes in life, she hopes to always be in the vet med field in some way! In her free time she loves to travel, fish, and spend time with her cat. She has dreams to one day open her own old crunchy cat sanctuary or run a clinic strictly for homeless/low income people to maintain basic health care for their pets! 

 Cindy Rollf

Cindy Rollf

Registered Veterinary Technician

Cindy is from a small town called Virginia, IL, and received her veterinary technician education from Maple Woods Community College. Along with being a great veterinary technician, she can be found singing duets with Dr. Garten on many occasions. When she isn’t spending her time with us at Oakbrook, she works at the JOY Closet here in town! She enjoys camping, canoeing, walking, and jogging with her dog, sewing, and attending her children’s extracurricular activities.

 Darla Elliott

Darla Elliott

Veterinary Technician

Having grown up in Paola, KS, Darla has always been around animals. She went on to complete her bachelor’s degree in biology/zoology at Emporia State University. Here at Oakbrook, Darla enjoys building relationships and trust with clients and patients and seeing them throughout their lifetime. She enjoys spending time with her son at the lake and just being outside in general. Darla has volunteered her time at an exotic rescue for large cats, including tigers, cougars, leopards, caracals, and bobcats, for 6 years!

Cassidy Rousselo

Cassidy Rousselo

Lead Veterinary Technician

Cass is from Arkansas and is the middle child of 8 children! She has grown up around animals, and she has found a passion for not only caring for animals but for people as well. When she isn’t assisting with surgeries, she can be found in the treatment area, working on phlebotomy techniques or teaching others new tips and tricks that she has learned. She loves spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys traveling and exploring new places. She also enjoys riding horses and loves sea turtles. Lastly, she has goals of filling her passport by the time she is 50 years old and working somewhere that doesn’t feel like work!

Alexis Miller

Alexis Miller

Veterinary Technician

Alexis grew up right here in Gardner, KS and she graduated from Gardner-Edgerton High School in 2014. Right after she graduated high school she began to work in the animal welfare field. Alexis has always known she has wanted to work with animals since she was a little girl.  Alexis has worked with animals for approximately 10 years. When Alexis isn’t working she is usually at the gym, spending time with family or reading a good book. Alexis most enjoys spending time with her furbabies: Mitzi, Kimber, Zoey and Morty! 

Michelle Hornick

Michelle Hornick

Lead Client Service Representative

As a Kansas City native, Michelle is no stranger to the Midwest lifestyle. She loves being active and doing activities like fishing, going to the gym, going to the lake, watching football, and kayaking. She has been in the veterinary industry for the better part of a decade, but before that, she was a cosmetologist for over 10 years! She has 2 kids, an English springer spaniel named Maci, and she now resides locally in Gardner with her family.

Melanie Walker

Melanie Walker

Client Service Representative

Melanie was born and raised as a Spring Hill native. She went to school and received her degree as a certified medical assistant (CMA) and worked in human medicine for 8 years before switching over to veterinary medicine. Melanie has since worked in veterinary medicine for the last 30 years being well-rounded with experience as both a technician and a receptionist.

Melanie has a deep passion for animals, waterfalls, and landscaping but her world, her pride and joy is her son who has down syndrome. They love spending time together singing, dancing, and making each other laugh every day!

Shawna Cortez

Shawna Cortez

Client Service Representative

Shawna grew up in the small town of Horton, KS. After high school, she moved to Omaha, NE to attend school at Vatterott College and received her veterinary technician degree in 2004. She worked at the Nebraska Humane Society until relocating to Kansas City in 2006. She proceeded to work in the industry for 15 years and in the meantime she moved to Gardner in 2010 and opened up Pups N Suds in 2016.

Shawna and her husband have been together for 21 years and have 2 daughters together. She loves the outdoors, hiking, fishing and camping. She has a love for all animals but has a special place in her heart for cats.

Peyton Burnett

Peyton Burnett

Kennel Technician / Client Service Representative

Peyton was born and raised right out at Gardner Lake! She is currently finishing up high school and is beginning to transition into college classes through JCCC.

Peyton has taken interest in veterinary medicine and can often be found assisting technicians. In the future, she plans on furthering her career in both large and small animals.

Outside of work, Peyton enjoys time with her friends, taking her two dogs; Juneau and Rowdy, to go swimming and relaxing at home.

Sophie Livella

Sophie Livella

Client Service Representative

Sophie was born and raised here in Gardner, KS! She is currently in Olathe and is getting her BA in biology at UMKC. Roo up!

She has a love for all things vet-med. And loves to assist the techs and DVMs when she is not up front. When she is not at work she loves to play video games, working out and spending time with her family.

A Skilled Team Providing Expert Pet Care in Gardner, KS

Oakbrook Animal Hospital is proud to serve as a source for preventative care, medical treatment, and surgery that Johnson County and Gardner area pet owners have come to trust and rely on.

Contact

Phone: 913-884-8778
Fax: 913-884-8747
Email: [email protected]

Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:00am - 5:30pm
Sat-Sun: Closed
We are open the SECOND Saturday of every month from 8am-Noon!

Location

500 W Main St.
Gardner, Kansas 66030
Click here for directions.

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