Our caring and compassionate veterinary care team!

Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Carter Pet Hospital in Lake St. Louis! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!

Please call us at (636) 639-9999 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!

Our Team

Maddy DeMarco, Technician

Maddy grew up in a household where she always had at least one animal. She knew from a young age that she wanted to care for animals. She used to want to be a veterinarian but as she got older, she realized that Vet Techs get to be a lot more hands-on with pets! Maddy and her significant other have two dogs, pits named Mavis and Pickles. They are the most loving and silly girls you could imagine! Maddy graduated from Hickey College in August of 2018. She has an Associate of Arts degree and a Veterinary Technician Specialized Associates degree. Maddy has been on our team since July of 2018 and is a very hard worker! She keeps our office supplies ordered and in stock which is a huge help. When she isn’t working, Maddy can be found spending time with her loved ones, working out, and taking care of her mental and physical health. Her favorite things about pets are their butt wiggles and all the kisses they give!

Brooke Slivinski, Technician

Brooke has always had a passion for animals and helping them feel better! She also enjoys educating clients to help them give their pets the best life possible. Brooke and her boyfriend, Cody, have two dogs named Butkus and Maggie. They also have a cat named Audrey and a bearded dragon named D`artagnan (Dart for short). Brooke has been at Carter for about three years now and in the field for five. She has had animals her entire life and owned chinchillas and hamsters. She likes to pet sit all kinds of animals including reptiles, house birds, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, and ducks! Brooke especially likes to study parasitology and behavior. She also has a special interest in foreign body surgeries and amputations. In her free time, she likes to hike and craft and notes that she is a professional napper. When asked what her favorite thing about pets and animals is, she states “The bigger the head, the better!”. She is also a sucker for tail wags, hugs, head butts, and kisses from kittens!

Ashley Arbesman, Technician

Ashley has been visiting Carter for longer than she can remember. Her mom is our Medical Director, Dr. Arbesman! She became a part of the team when she turned 16, and in the past 5 years, she has worked multiple positions from receptionist to technician! She is most interested in anything related to cats or Australian Shepherds. Ashley is recently engaged to her fiancé, Justin, and they have 3 cats together named Han, Luna, and Genevieve. Ashley has her Associates’s Degree in Elementary Education and likes to spend her free time watching movies, reading books, and playing board games with her family! Her favorite things about pets are soft ears, fluffy butts, and dogs that walk themselves by holding their own leash!

Kaytlyn Woods, Technician

Kaytlyn has always loved animals and likes being able to help animals and owners along the way. Kaytlyn has been part of our Carter team for three years now! She previously worked as an adoption counselor at the Humane Society and has an Associate of Arts degree. Kaytlyn and her husband, Jake, have four dogs named Duke, Gypsy, Lily, and Rusty. They also have one cat named Dahlia and six chickens! Kaytlyn loves learning new things and has a special interest in dentistry. Kaytlyn can usually be found taking adorable photos of our even more adorable patients or snuggling one of them after surgery! In her spare time, she likes to craft and spend time with her family. Her favorite thing about animals is the endless pure love they give and how amazing they all are!

Jamie Ottinger, Technician

Jamie has her Associates’ Degree in Veterinary Technology from Midwest Institute. She graduated in 2019 and is back in school to get her bachelor’s from Mizzou, aiming to graduate in 2023. Jamie has been in the field for three years, two of them with the Carter team as a technician. Jamie`s love for animals is only topped by her ability to light up a room and put a smile on your face! Jamie has 3 fur babies of her own. Ranger Boy is a lab-pit mix who is 3 years old, and she also has two cats, Apollo, and Noel. In her free time, she enjoys shopping and experimenting with hair and makeup. When she is out on the town you can expect to find her with a microphone in her hand, no matter where she is! Growing up, Jamie always tried to bring home every stray pet she came across and she always knew she wanted to be in the veterinary field. Her interests in the field include anesthesia and surgery. She dog sits for members of her community and her favorite part about pets is puppy breath and when pets hold their own leash to walk themselves!

Jessica Arbesman, Technician

Jessica has been surrounded by veterinary medicine her whole life. Her mom, Dr. Arbesman is our lovely medical director! Jessica officially joined our team two years ago because she loved to see all the happy and furry friends that come through the doors, and she wanted to help clients save their best friends. She also says that the amazing people who are in the field drew her into veterinary medicine. Jessica’s favorite thing about pets is their fluffy wiggle butts and her favorite dog breeds are the Beauceron and Australian Shepherd. She has two pets she calls her own. One is a mini–Australian Shepherd named Baxter, who she took through obedience and agility training over the course of three years. Her other pet is named Ginni! Ginni is a Dutch Rabbit. In Jessica’s free time, she loves taking naps and going out to eat.

Julie Patzius, Receptionist

Julie Patzius, Receptionist

Julie has been in the animal medical field for 38 years and has been with us for 15 ½ of them!That means she was here when our clinic opened. She was drawn into the field by her love of dogs and her joy of working with them and their owners. Julie belongs to the Beardie Collie Club of America and Beardie Collie Club of Canada! She is an AKC Breeder of Merit and breeds Beardies as well as shows them in Conformation, Rally, Therapy and Obedience. Julie is also a trainer at West Inn Kennels as a teacher in Conformation. Julie has a husband named Larry, two sons and a grandchild. She also has Beardies and Shih tzus at home! Julie has earned an Associates Degree of Fine Arts and likes to spend her free time going to dog shows and collecting antiques. She breeds Beardies and Shih tzus and her special interest in the field is Reproductive Services. Her favorite thing about pets is their sweet faces!

Haley Spearman, Technician

Haley has spent her life surrounded by animals and her love for them continued to grow over the years. She was in the middle of getting her Associates’ degree when she learned what Vet Techs are and what they do. Once she learned more about it, she signed up for the Vet Tech program at Hickey College, where she graduated in 2018! Haley has one dog, Theo, who she adopted from Stray Rescue in 2020. She also has a boyfriend named Jake, whom she adores. Haley has been with us for a total of two years and volunteered at the Humane Society in high school. Her main interests in the field consist of nutrition and helping animals who are in critical care. We can always count on her to lend a helping hand! In her free time, Haley enjoys hiking with Theo, working out, spending time outdoors, and being with her family. Her favorite things about pets are butt wiggles and “sploots”!

Ciara Pacult, Receptionist

Ciara decided to join the field of veterinary medicine because she wanted to help strengthen the bond between pets and their owners through education and make a real difference in pets’ lives. Ciara will celebrate her five-year anniversary with us this fall. In her time with us, she has worked every position from monitoring surgery to coordinating rooms and can usually be found helping clients or cracking a pun. She also runs our Facebook page! Ciara previously worked for a boarding facility and got to take part in daycare, grooming, training as well as working as a shift manager in the kennel. Her special interests include behavior and body language, creative grooming, and genetics. Ciara and her husband Christopher have one son, Cavren, and several pets including four dogs, seven cats, koi fish, snails, and ghost shrimp. In the past, she has had guinea pigs, a pair of keets, a ferret, and even a frog. She especially enjoys caring for the misfits and special needs animals and finds satisfaction in comforting the most anxious pets. Ciara has been known to take in kittens to bottle feed or animals who are missing an eye or a paw. In her free time, Ciara enjoys reading, exploring, spending time with her family, and taking road trips. Her favorite thing about animals is their innate connection to the universe around them and their ability to sense and react to energy alone.

Sam Gibson, Receptionist

Sam has always had an interest in animals and spent a lot of time studying them and volunteering for different organizations. She focused on Wildlife Ecology and Conservation while in college and in high school she volunteered for the St. Louis Zoo and was employed there for two years. She did an internship at CoMo Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, MN, and took classes at Gulf Coast Research Lab. Sam has a dog of her own, Moose, who is a Great Dane and German Shorthair Pointer mix. Sam has been with us at Carter for two years now and she helps us make sure that all our St. Charles County rabies certificates are filed correctly with the county and keeps us stocked up on rabies tags! In her free time, she likes to read and her favorite thing about animals is their unconditional love, and of course – butt wiggles!

Billi Dickey, Receptionist

Billi has been with the Carter team for two years now. She joined us for puppy cuddles, helping animals, and the ability to grow within our company. Billi helps us communicate with company representatives regarding heartworm and flea and tick prevention for our patients, doing what she can to keep us fully stocked! Her favorite dog breed is the Labrador, especially the chocolate kind, and she just adores the amount of love they give. Billi and her high school sweetheart, Dakota, are expecting their first baby this summer! They also have 3 fur babies at home: Callie, Gracie, and Oaklyn. Billi’s favorite thing about animals is butt wiggles!

Brittany Howell, Receptionist

Brittany has always loved animals and wanted a career caring for them. She has been in the field for eight months and in that time has become a valued member of our team. Brittany grew up with many animals such as horses, fish, hamsters, cats, and dogs! She has two doggy siblings, Neveah, and Gus. She and her spouse, Cole, have five cats together. Quincy, Alfred, Jack, Lucipurr, and Ember! Brittany has her Master’s degree in Professional Writing and in her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, playing video games, and spending time with her spouse and her cats. She hopes to begin training to become a veterinary technician very soon. Brittany’s favorite thing about animals is seeing all the different personalities shine through!

Alyssa Weidinger, Receptionist

Alyssa joined our team in August of 2021 and in that time, she has truly blossomed! Alyssa’s mom worked in the field, and she used to go to work with her when she was younger, so she has been around animals in a clinic setting for quite some time. Alyssa previously worked as an animal care technician at Petropolis for four years, and her experience there taught her a lot about animal behavior and helped her realize she wanted to further her knowledge in veterinary medicine. Her favorite thing about pets? Butt wiggles! Alyssa has recently enrolled in classes to become a veterinary technician. She has one cat named Bandit and her favorite dog breeds are dachshunds and (yellow) labradors. In her spare time, she enjoys bonding with her significant other, Jack, and her other friends and family. She also likes to read and spend time in nature! Alyssa is truly one of a kind.

Hanna Johnston, Receptionist

Animals have always been a passion of Hanna’s! In her younger years, she would collect baby birds that had fallen from their nests and build cages for them. Hanna has her Associates’s degree in Veterinary Technology and has been in the field for four years. She has spent nine months with us here at Carter and her favorite thing about pets is seeing them excited to come to the vet! In Hanna’s free time she likes to read, write, play video games, and spend quality time with her family. She and her partner Cameron have a baby on the way and currently have three dogs named Brody, Bella, and Chestnut as well as two cats named Indigo and Olive. Hanna’s favorite dog breed is the Welsh Corgi and any time she sees one she just must give them a little extra love!.

Angie Frese, Receptionist

Angie has always had a passion and interest in animal care. As a child, she wanted to be a veterinarian. After 22 years as a dental hygienist, she decided to pursue her lifelong dream in a slightly different capacity. She loves to be able to learn and grow in the field. Angie feels as if it is truly a blessing to be doing what she loves, and we feel blessed to have her on our team! Angie has three children with her husband Tim named Austin, Tristan, and Abigail. They have a dog named Gunner and two cats named Echo and Flash who are littermates! Angie has her Associates degree in Applied Science and has been in the field for five and a half years. She has owned animals her whole life and has rescued numerous scared, abandoned strays throughout the years. In Angie`s limited amount of spare time she enjoys reading, putting together puzzles, baking, and spending time with her family- furry members included! Angie is interested in anything Boxer related, nutrition, and learning new things. Her favorite things about pets include wiggle butts, special needs, their unconditional love, connecting with them and providing them with a fear free experience. Angie keeps our prescription diets stocked and handles our special orders for our patients!

Christopher Pacult, Kennels

Christopher has always had a special interest in animals and their overall health and happiness. From a young age, he was surrounded by them, and getting to help them brings him joy. Christopher’s mom has a knack for taking in all animals who need help. He has gotten to experience pigs, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, hamsters, birds, fish, and countless cats and dogs. Christopher loves learning about animals’ behavior and interaction. He previously worked for a boarding facility and got to participate in daycare, some light grooming, and caring for the pets that stayed overnight. Christopher has been coming in to help us at Carter for a few years now and officially became a part of our team in the fall of 2021. He finds himself outdoors as much as possible and loves to spend time with his family watching a good movie. Christopher and his wife Ciara have a son named Cavren and a houseful of pets! They have four dogs named Karma, Skye, Bumble, and Aura. They also have a “clowder” of cats. Their names are Stormie, Luna, Achilles, Athena, Whiskey, Lumos, and Uno. They have two kois named Echo and Cora as well as countless snails and ghost shrimp! Christopher’s favorite things about animals are how happy they are to see him, face rubs, and knowing he can give his pets the best life possible and keep them safe!

Jace Sanders, Kennels

Jace was drawn into veterinary medicine when he discovered his love for animals of all kinds and his desire to help those in need. Jace has one dog named Autumn who is a coon hound/Golden Retriever mix. He has experience volunteering for shelters in the STL area as well and is going to South Tech High School’s vet program in the mornings! Jace has been a part of our team since November of 2021 and says his favorite thing about animals is seeing how happy they are when they are taken care of and loved. In his spare time, Jace likes to hang out with friends, play the ukulele, listen to music, stargaze, and read. Jace loves pugs and is hoping to attend Veterinary Medicine programs in college after completing high school!

Sandy Ottinger, Kennels

Sandy has always been around animals and can’t imagine living without at least one pet. Her daughter Jamie is the one who truly introduced her to the field! She has been an employee of ours for a year and a half now. Sandy has been with her husband Scott for 38 years! They have children Jack, Jamie, and Dani who gave Sandy a son in law named Braxton and are expecting to bring Sandy her first grandchild, Charli Rose, very soon! Sandy has three dogs named Tommy Woodrow and Punkin, and three cats named Deets, James and Newt! She lists her other pets as her grandoggy, Ranger, and her grandkitties Cesar, Milo, Apollo and Noel. Sandy especially loves caring for fearful or aggressive pets and offering them love and affection so that they know they are loved and that not everyone is bad. Sandy is looking forward to spending time with her granddaughter and when asked what her favorite things about pets are she lists “The Zoomies”, their unconditional love and snuggles!