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Meet our Team

We look forward to seeing you soon! Discover more about the dedicated team at Prairie Animal Hospital and the reason for our enthusiasm.

Your veterinarian in Peoria, IL

At Prairie Animal Hospital our veterinary team is passionate about working with our clients to nurture and preserve the human-animal bond by providing compassionate, expert, and affordable veterinary care. We look forward to being there for your pet’s first big adventure and beyond!

dr. k
fear free

Dr. Rachael Kuhn-Siegel, DVM

Veterinarian/Owner

Dr. Kuhn-Siegel, as a veterinarian, wishes to challenge the status quo by helping animals live the healthiest lives they can. Her goal with this clinic is to make the veterinary experience as kind and stress-free as possible for patients and their fur parents (owner).

That is why she has started her behavior-centered fear-free veterinary practice. One of our goals is for patients to like their vet and vet staff so that we can treat them more quickly and effectively when they hurt. This helps the veterinary team get them on the way to health faster and more efficiently.

Dr. Rachael is the owner and practicing veterinarian at Prairie Animal Hospital. She graduated with her bachelor’s in Science from Iowa State University and earned a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University’s Veterinary College in 2005.

After graduation, Dr. Rachael practiced veterinary medicine throughout the United States as a Navy wife. In 2011, Dr. Rachael and her family returned to just outside Peoria, IL, to be closer to her family.

In her “spare” time, she loves to garden, hike, ride her bike, and go horseback riding with her three children and husband. She currently has six furry family members, including one dog (Charlie) and five cats (Marigold, Pierre, Peanut, Sister, and Bushy.)

Dr. Rachael loves preventative medicine and specializes in urgent care medicine.

Dr. Kuhn-Siegel is proud to be Fear Free Certified.

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Jessica

Vet Assistant and Inventory Manager

Bio coming soon!

Victoria - CVT

Jenna

Certified Veterinary Technician

Bio coming soon!

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Fora

Lead CSR

Veterinary medicine has been a love for Fora since she was a child. She has been in the profession in some roles since 1989. She has worked in kennels as a veterinary assistant, front desk, and management over the years. Her work experience has exposed her to a sea horse, pigs, dogs, cats, chinchillas, opossums, and even a bald eagle being transported to a licensed facility. She lives in Peoria with her husband, two daughters, and currently two dogs, Daisy and Beanie, two cats, Pickle and Peppadew, a hamster S’mores, two axolotls, Opal and Lucy, and a fish tank. Her house is full though her children challenge this number on a regular basis.

Fora is a Client Coordinator at Prairie Animal Hospital and truly enjoys meeting people and their pets. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Bradley University with an almost completed Master’s Degree but she wished to stay in veterinary medicine. Her goal is to ensure that the clients know their pets are cared for by the entire staff at Prairie and that we appreciate the trust placed with us to provide medical care to our furry companions.

Hannah

Hannah

CSR

Hannah has worked in the veterinary field for five years. She has her own circus of animals at home, which includes one dog, three cats, and five rabbits. In her spare time, she enjoys putting together the biggest lego sets she can get her hands on, playing video games with her husband, and playing with her son Leon.

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Caitlyn

Veterinary Assistant

I moved to Peoria from South Carolina with my fiance Travis and our two dogs- Stella and Luna. I love to go on walks and enjoy nature with them. I am passionate about learning all that I can and providing the best care possible for our patients while making a positive difference in people’s lives!

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Stephanie

Veterinary Assistant

Hi there! My name is Stephanie. I’m 28 years old and I’ve been in veterinary medicine for almost 4 years now. My fiance Jon and I live in a Peoria home that our four cats so graciously allow us to reside in with them. I have an associates degree in biology and am looking forward to becoming a certified veterinary technician. Lover of all critters, from cute & fluffy to creepy & crawly, caring for animals is a passion of mine, that I’m proud to call my job.

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Paige

I’m 18 years old and have been working in a veterinary clinic since I was 16. I started out as a kennel attendant and moved up to a veterinary assistant shortly after. I love working in the laboratory and assisting with rooms! I have 3 dogs at home named Prince, Hercules, and Luna. I also have two sisters and two nieces who I love spending time with outside of work.

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Valeri Farmer-Dougan, Ph.D

Dog Trainer

  • Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. (CDBC), International Association of Animal Behaviorist Consultants (IAABC)
  • Accredited Dog Trainer (ADT), International Association Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).
  • Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP)
  • Member, Association for Professional Dog Trainers (APDT#81155)
  • Fear Free Certified® Professional
  • Professor Emeritus, Departments of Psychology/School of Biological Sciences Illinois State University
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Spencer

The Boss

Spencer is 11 years old. He first bought this clinic by faking his heart disease and possibly contacting the TV lawyers, however he will not confirm or deny how he got his catnip treat money. He quit his first home and doc offered him a job saving him from boredom at the shelter. He definitely knows who owns the place. He has spent most of his life “working” as door greeter at the clinic or trying to steal patient’s treats. He has lots of experience with lots of other pets and treats them all with the same “are you going to eat that?” stare.

His hobbies include professional napping, disapproving stares, and eating as many times a day as possible. Garfield is his personal hero. When you come see us there’s a good chance he will be there to greet you in the lobby.