The team of veterinarians at Vale Park Animal all share the passion of keeping pets happy and healthy. Dr. Mary Ann Sheller and Dr. Brent Lakia are no exception to this rule. Even though they’ve had different journeys, they both share a deep appreciation for Vale Park Animal Hospital and the way it’s helped them grow.
Dr. Sheller’s family didn’t have many pets while she was growing up, but she still knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career with animals. After high school she began chasing her passion by going to Purdue University, one of the only schools with a veterinary program at the time.
Dr. Sheller graduated in 1984 and immediately jumped into work. She worked at another local animal hospital for a while before finally finding her forever home at Vale Park Animal Hospital. She became one of the owners in 1995 and has been there ever since.
Dr. Brent’s time at Vale Park began a bit differently. When he graduated from Chesterton High School, he knew he wanted to become a veterinarian and wanted to start getting experience right away. So, while he was earning his undergraduate degree from Purdue University and his master's degree from Ball State University, Dr. Brent spent his summers working in every position he possibly could at Vale Park. He started as a kennel kid and worked his way up.
Once Dr. Brent finished his schooling here at home, he headed to the Caribbean for vet school at Ross University. He completed his clinical rotations at Oklahoma State University and graduated from vet school in 2010. He spent a few years doing emergency medicine in Ohio and Wisconsin. Inevitably the region, and Dr. Sheller, urged him to come back home.
Dr. Brent couldn’t resist. He came back to work at Vale Park Animal Hospital in 2016, became an owner in 2018, and plans to continue his career there for countless years to come.
Despite the doctors ending up at Vale Park Animal Hospital in different ways, the business has helped both come into their own. For Dr. Sheller, Vale Park Animal Hospital has allowed her to discover a passion for canine reproduction, breeding, and infertility.
Dr. Sheller had a couple of clients that were breeders and were looking for special care to make sure their dogs were as healthy as possible during the breeding and pregnancy process. Dr. Sheller started researching and learning everything she could so she could help them. Eventually, word spread that she could help breeders with everything from pregnancy testing to ultrasounds to even health clearances, and she’s become extremely talented.Dr. Sheller loves the many special interests each of her peers brings to the practice. This has given her the opportunity to further her knowledge in a way that she might not have been able to at other animal hospitals.
“It’s nice because each of us doctors has different areas that we like to focus on which allows us to get smarter about specific topics without feeling like we have to know everything. We can get really good at the things we enjoy,” said Dr. Sheller.
For Dr. Brent, being a part of Vale Park Animal Hospital has led him to challenge himself as a business leader.
“I love helping animals and am thrilled to provide cutting-edge care, but what I’ve been interested in is how I can keep improving our business so we can keep providing that safe feeling when people walk in our door. That’s what our community expects of us, and that’s what we want to deliver for them,” said Dr. Brent.
Working at Vale Park Animal Hospital has also impacted both owners in similar ways. Both love helping animals, but what has really made their work fulfilling is getting to help the pet owners as well. Being a veterinarian is about making people’s lives brighter just as much as it means making animals’ lives happier and healthier. Being a part of the Valparaiso community has only made that mission more clear.
“This is a people business. A lot of people think that if you love animals, being a veterinarian would be great, but you have to love people too because there’s a human on the end of that leash who cares deeply about that pet. The way we make those people happy is by doing our very best to take care of that animal, giving owners options, and helping them understand what’s going on,” said Dr. Sheller.
Lastly, being a part of the Vale Park Animal Hospital team has helped Dr. Brent and Dr. Sheller realize just how much they’re capable of. Being an owner is incredibly rewarding, but it’s a big responsibility not to be taken lightly. Both doctors encourage everyone thinking about going into veterinary medicine to get as much experience as they can before going to school to make sure it’s truly what they want and to think even harder about being an owner.
“Not everybody’s cut out to be an owner, and that’s okay. Everybody has to decide what’s right for them. There are lots of veterinarians who have no interest in being owners – they don’t want to deal with the legal stuff and the staffing. They want to have more time to focus on their family life. There’s nothing wrong with that,” said Dr. Sheller.
Of course, both doctors urge people to remember that, if they’re willing to work hard, anything is possible.
“If you have a vision of being an owner and you’re willing to put your blood, sweat, and tears into it, then it’s something to consider. There are going to be a bunch of things that don’t go your way and don’t end up being what you think they’re going to be, and you’re going to get beat up, but if you have that passion and drive then it’s worth it,” said Dr. Brent.
Ultimately, Vale Park Animal Hospital is more than just a workplace for Dr. Sheller and Dr. Brent: it’s a home away from home that’s allowed them to grow immeasurably. It means a lot to them to be part of such an excellent team and to see how the hospital has changed throughout the years.
“I’ve been here for a lot of the big steps Vale Park Animal Hospital has made since the 90s. I’m proud to see where it’s gone and to now be in the driver’s seat and have the chance to help it grow. I’m thankful and respect everything that our team, our clients, and our community have done to make this happen. Seeing the vision and being able to provide that is a huge accomplishment,” said Dr. Brent.
Moving forward, both doctors want to continue doing what Vale Park Animal Hospital does best: providing quality pet care for the community. If that means continuing to grow, expand, and offer new services, that’s what Vale Park Animal Hospital will do.
“We want to keep filling the need that our community has. We want to be here for them,” said Dr. Sheller.
Dr. Sheller and Dr. Brent are no strangers to the Valparaiso community, but the two encourage anyone who would like to learn more about Vale Park Animal Hospital or just want to have a friendly conversation to reach out. They’re always happy to help.
To learn more about Vale Park Animal Hospital and its committed staff, visit valeparkah.com.