Our Team
Get to know us!
We look forward to being there for your pet when you need us most.
Dr. Bill Welter
Veterinarian
Dr. Welter has been a doctor at the Animal Clinic since graduating from Iowa State University in 1975. He and his wife, Michele, have three children, six grandchildren, and an orange tabby named Kit Kat.
Dr. Welter loves what he does, it has been his dream job since he was seven. He enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, such as, surgery, dermatology, internal medicine, and dentistry. He loves meeting new clients and seeing old friends with their pets regularly.
When he is not at the Animal Clinic you can find Dr. Welter golfing, traveling, or gardening. He also thoroughly enjoys cheering on his alma mater, ISU.
Dr. William Gay
Veterinarian
Dr. Gay has been practicing at the Animal Clinic since 1993. He enjoys all areas of veterinary medicine, general surgery and dentistry. He also has a special interest in preventative medicine.
Dr. Gay and his wife, Anne, have three children. He enjoys civic and family activities and stays active with hobbies like boating and bicycling.
Dr. Jessica Fishbaugher
Veterinarian
Dr. Fishbaugher is familiar with the Iowa City area as she graduated from the University of Iowa in 2005. She later went to Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2018. She enjoys all areas of veterinary medicine, but has a special interest in performing surgery, internal medicine, and owner education.
She is an Iowa native from West Branch, Iowa, and currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Iowa with her husband. She has 13 chickens and 3 dogs: Pinky an English Bull Terrier, Chance a Blue Heeler/Coonhound Mix and Samus a Great Dane.
When Dr. Fishbaugher is not working or taking care of her pets, she likes riding motorcycles, knitting, and kayaking.
Dr. Grace Zhang
Veterinarian
Dr. Grace Zhang grew up in Texas and is a recent Midwest transplant. She received her B.A. in Health & Societies from the University of Pennsylvania and then worked in university administration before making the leap into veterinary medicine. Dr. Zhang earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and Master of Public Health (MPH) from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. Her professional interests include preventative care, dentistry, and soft tissue surgery. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, trying new eateries, drinking too much tea and coffee, and spending time with her partner and their foster-fail Pittie-Beagle mix, Shadow.
Dr. Susan Oliver
Veterinarian
Dr. Susan Oliver grew up in Marion, Iowa, with a love for all animals. After completing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Iowa, she graduated cum laude from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois in 2005. She has worked full time as a vet in the Iowa City area since then with a passion for small animal surgery, dentistry, dermatology, and patient care. She loves staying active, being outdoors, gardening and being with her husband and teenage son. Pets include dozens of fish in her garden pond and one extra large housecat.
Dr. Stefanie Merrill
Veterinarian
Our Team
Julie, Practice Manager
Julie joined the Animal Clinic team in 1986 when she started her career. She holds various roles as clinic administrator and veterinary technician. Julie has a cat named Hermione and a standard schnauzer named Vince. She is an avid bowler, and loves to travel.
Chris, RVT
Chris has been with the Animal Clinic as a registered veterinary technician since 2007. He graduated from Kirkwood Community College with an Associate of Applied Science from the Veterinary Technician Program. Chris and his wife, Traci, have a full house with their daughter, three cats Charlie, Hagrid and Albus, and two dogs Ramona and Citro.
Tammy, RVT
Tammy graduated from Kirkwood Community College with an Associate of Applied Science from the Veterinary Technician Program in 2007. Tammy has four children, three girls and a boy. She has a dog named Remington and a cat named Moose. She suffers through marathons but keeps on running!
Sam, RVT
Sam graduated from Kirkwood Community College with an Associate of Applied Science from the Veterinary Technician Program in 2012. Sam lives on a small farm with pigs and chickens. She has a German Shepard/Lab mix named Houdini. In her free time, she enjoys baking and sewing.
Kim, Assistant
Kim is a student at the University of Iowa. Kim enjoys nail art, painting, and meditating. She has an Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog named Buster back home that only drinks goat’s milk because he just won’t drink water.
Ashley, Assistant
Ashley graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2020. She is currently taking veterinary technician classes through the Penn Foster program. She has a spoiled Golden Retriever named Troye. Ashley enjoys cooking/baking, hiking, and buying new books before she has finished the ones she already owns.