Veterinarians and Staff

Dr. Shaw hails from nowhere in particular as she's a Navy brat but has been calling Indianapolis home for the last four years. She opted to travel further afield and is a 2009 graduate from University College Dublin, Ireland.  Post-graduation she stayed at UCD and commenced her career in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery as a rotating intern. 

Following on from cloven hoofed friends, she continued the grand veterinary adventure into small animal work but also delved into the dark arts of exotics.  Alongside this specialized style of practice, she became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA) from Chi Institute of Europe in 2013 after presenting on the use of acupuncture as an integrated therapy for the treatment of dental disease in degus at the International Annual TCVM Conference in Madrid, Spain. 

She ventured back to this side of the puddle to further develop her skills in Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery as an ABVP Resident at Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic of Indianapolis. Since that time she has returned to focusing on dogs and cats whilst pursuing further education and practical skills from the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine's home base in Florida. In 2019 she successfully completed two certifications: Food Therapy (CVFT) and Herbal Medicine (CVCH).  

When time out of veterinary life permits she is a co- minion with her wife, Anne, for their FIV positive, black & white man cat, “Davos” and their ever so haughty chocolate lynx pointed Siamese rescue, 'Lady Squishington'.  When not bowing to their every whim; she enjoys globetrotting, exploring new breweries, cheering for the Indy Eleven, and attempting yoga. 

 was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but grew up in Indianapolis. My early years were spent on the Westside, high school years in Carmel, and finally off to Purdue University for undergrad and veterinary school. I live in a “divided house,” as my wife, Beth, is an IU grad. During the first years of marriage, we lived in Broad Ripple, and then settled in and raised our children, Gunnar and Christian (both out of the house). Our family also includes two dogs, Fozzie and Otto. We are back on the Westside near beautiful Eagle Creek Park and Reservoir. Our family gathers regularly during warmer weather in our sailboat, the “4 Gone.” When not training for triathlons or upcoming adventure races, I spend time on several community boards.

I graduated from Purdue University Veterinary School in 1982 and immediately joined my mentor’s house call practice, Lee Walker and Associates. Several years later, we formed the partnership that created The Paw Patch Veterinary Hospitals. I am very fortunate to have practiced for many years surrounded by some of the most dedicated staff (and friends) anyone could have picked. Not only do I get to work with these great people, I also get the chance to visit with all of our amazing clients. Many are not just clients, but also great friends and practically family to all of us. What a wonderful life I have surrounded by two-legged and four-legged friends all day long! We look forward to many years ahead in celebrating that wonderful family bond of pets, people, and The Paw Patch.

r. Jennifer Finnegan will be joining us full-time. Dr. Finnegan has been working Wednesdays and a couple Fridays and Saturdays a month for the last year. She brings with her over 15 years of experience. She graduated from Kansas State University in 2003. Shortly after that, she moved to Indiana and did relief work working in various settings such as high-volume spay and neuter clinics, emergency, rural and urban clinics. She has a great rapport with clients, patients, and staff. She shares our core values and we are so excited to have her on board, with our family, full-time!

She is pictured above hanging out with Norman, at the Hill's booth at the Western States Veterinary Conference that she attended in February 2018.  We are looking forward to all of the knowledge that she will share with us when she returns.

I have been a receptionist at The Paw Patch since 2013. I have worked in the veterinary field for six years. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 21 years. We have two four legged children. Carly, a 10 year old boxer / dalmatian mix and Lindsay, a two year old Indianapolis Humane Society rescue. I have an associate's degree in business and management. Before my passion of being a dog mom and wanting to be a part of helping pets, I was a travel consultant for over 15 years. I have attended registered veterinary technician classes through Cedar Valley College. My goal is to be a registered veterinary technician someday. I enjoy taking care of my family and gardening.

I joined The Paw Patch family in July 2009, but was a loyal client for many years. Along with receptionist duties, I bring a wealth of animal knowledge. I am a certified Animal Massage Therapist and dog trainer, and I am involved with animal rescue groups throughout Indiana. In addition, I assisted with several animal transports from New Orleans during Katrina. In my spare time, I love to play sand volleyball and enjoy gardening, kayaking, and hiking. You can find me and my dogs, Destiny, Jack, and Ruby, at the Eagle Creek Dog Park on a regular basis, where I also sit on the Board of Directors. My cats, O.E., Simba, and Chemo, rule the house—and the dogs! I also run my own pet sitting business, so whether you are away on a long vacation or a short weekend or overnight trip, give me a call if you need someone to take care of your pets. My goal is to obtain my vet tech certification to help with more detailed procedures at The Paw Patch.

I have worked for The Paw Patch since 2006. You will see me working the front desk as a receptionist and in exam rooms and surgery as a veterinary assistant. I graduated from Harrison College’s Veterinary Technology program in January 2014 and received my final licensing in 2015. In addition to my Veterinary Technician degree, have a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. Also, I am the proud “pet”rent” to three dogs and I have recently started volunteering with the SOAR Initiative. In my free time, I enjoy reading, movies, and relaxing at home.

Originally from the east side of Indianapolis, I now reside in Mooresville, Indiana. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Chris, for 22 years, and we have a 15-year-old son. We also own two dogs: Chance, a 9-year-old standard poodle, and Reggie, an 8-year-old miniature poodle. In my time away from work, I love watching my son play in various sporting events. I also enjoy reading a good book, relaxing on a beach, and spending time with friends and family. Six years ago, I decided that I wasn’t getting any younger and decided to try jogging. Since then, I have trained for and completed six mini-marathons.

I began working at The Paw Patch in August 1998 at the Broad Ripple location. After spending four years there as a surgery assistant, I moved to our south side location to be closer to home. In December 2011, our south side office was sold, and I joined the team here at west side. Although my experience as a veterinary assistant has been mostly on-the-job training, I recently decided to go back to school and earn my degree in veterinary technology. I am happy to say that I will graduate from Purdue University in August 2013 and plan to become a Registered Veterinary Technician.

I am one of the RVTs at The Paw Patch. I have been with the clinic since September 2011. Prior to working here, I was a student at International Business College’s Vet Tech Institute and did my internship at The Paw Patch. I earned my associate of applied science in veterinary technology in 2011. Before my life went to the “dogs,” I received a bachelor of arts in 2000 in zoology, biological aspects of conservation, and English. I then pursued a master of arts in teaching in 2003 and taught middle school for five years.

As a Siberian husky lover, I have served as the vice president of Indy Homes for Huskies since 2004 and have fostered more than 60 dogs. My fur family includes four rotten Siberian huskies (Kaili, Samurai, Boomer, and Sakara) and two crazy cats (Othello and Artemis). My special interests in veterinary medicine are anesthesia, animal behavior, and training. Things of which I am exceedingly fond (not necessarily in order of preference): Harry Potter, puppies, movie nights, Fun (as in the band, not just having fun in general, but I like that too), cheese, family, swimming, and the Green Bay Packers. When I go home to Wisconsin, I take orders from the staff on what cheese curds to bring back for them.

I used to be a model before coming to The Paw Patch. I was not actually in front of the lens, but rather behind it as a professional photographer. I’ve had every job under the sun until five years ago, when I decided I really wanted to be a veterinarian when I grow up. I moved from Beverly Hills, California, to Indiana to attend school in hopes of pursuing that dream. I joined The Paw Patch team two years ago as a volunteer to get experience for school, but was made a permanent team member last year. I will finish school in the fall with a degree in biology and fine arts and will be applying to veterinarian school at that time.

Before beginning my work at The Paw Patch, I was a student at Harrison College and completed my externship here.  I earned my Associate of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology in April, 2015 and am studying to take the national and state exams to become a registered veterinary technician.  Prior to my start, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Masters of Public Health degrees.  I served as a volunteer with IndyFeral for several years which further lead me to pursue my passion of working with animals and people!  Before making a change to veterinary medicine, I worked in the medical field managing multi-site clinical research studies with oncology patients.   My special interests in veterinary medicine include health education, nutrition and palliative/end of life care. Our golden retriever and three cats share the house with my husband and me!

I have been grooming now for four and a half years after graduating from Animal Arts Academy in Carmel in April of 2010. I joined The Paw Patch in October 2014. As a retired factory worker, I decided my retirement career should be something I enjoy doing. I grew up in Speedway and after living in Owen County for about 25 years, I am now living back in Speedway with my elderly mother. I've always enjoyed animals, and was a regular volunteer at the Wolf Park in Battle Ground, IN for 12 years or so. I also served as treasurer for Indiana Coyote Rescue Center for a brief time. I currently do occasional transport for Illinois Alaskan Malamute Rescue. After growing up with a toy collie and a pug, I have owned several dogs, two cats, tropical fish, gerbils, and a white lab rat. The dogs have included four German Shepard/Coon Hound crosses (brothers), two Alaskan Malamutes, four Canadian Inuit Sled Dogs, and now a year old Anatolian Shepard named Kai. I also live with my Mom's Newfoundland and two kitties. I can't imagine life without our animal companions. I enjoy outdoor activities such as kayaking and backpacking, even though Kai hasn't learned to appreciate boating yet!

I am the Practice Manager at The Paw Patch. People don’t usually get to see my face, as I am behind the scenes most of the time and I hire all of the wonderful people that you interact with on a day-to-day basis. I have worked for The Paw Patch since April 1995. During this time, I have worked in every role and have worked at every clinic we have ever been a part of. My passion is working in health care (animal or human), and I have enjoyed spending some time as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I have two daughters, a son-in-law in the Navy,  two dogs, two cats, and one husband. During my free time, I like to mountain bike, gravel-bike ride, camp, vacation in warm places, and support my daughter in her bike racing and my husband in his triathlon races.

Bio Coming Soon.

Bio Coming Soon.

Bio Coming Soon.

Bio Coming Soon.