About
Who we are
Mission Statement
Southwest Veterinary Urgent Care (SVUC) was created to address the rapidly growing need for veterinary care in the Fort Wayne and surrounding areas. The pet population is ever increasing, which brings about an increased demand for veterinary services. In particular is the need for emergency services.
Our goal is to provide diagnostics and treatment for your sick and/or injured pet. We will primarily focus on treating mild to moderate illnesses. If your pet needs more advanced care that we can't provide (namely surgery and/or overnight hospitalization), we will direct you to the appropriate facility. Please check out the "Who we are" page to learn more about our mission and goals for serving the community.
Dr. Michael Wibel
Owner/Medical Director
Dr. Wibel was born and raised in Fort Wayne, IN. He attended Bishop Luers High School and went on to study general health sciences at Purdue University. He then took his studies to the University of Illinois to get his DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine).
Dr. Wibel spent two years in general practice followed by the last 5 years in emergency medicine. He has had the chance to work at multiple emergency hospitals, ranging from small private ER's to large multi-specialty facilities. Dr. Wibel could not be more excited to be back home in Fort Wayne and be able to serve the pets in the Fort Wayne area and beyond.
In his free time, Dr. Wibel enjoys exploring the outdoors, exercising, and watching sports. He has a golden retriever named Ruxin (pictured) that is the SVUC mascot! If you get him to start talking about college basketball, he may not stop!
Dr. Michael Wibel
Owner and Medical Director
Dr. Wibel was born and raised in Fort Wayne. He did his undergraduate work at Purdue University and then graduated with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois in 2015. He worked in general practice in the Chicago suburbs for 2 years, followed by emergency medicine in Charlotte, NC for 4 years. His interests include cardiology, endocrinology, and toxicology. He has a golden retriever named Ruxin, who is the SVUC mascot!
Dr. Kendra Jiannuzzi
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Jiannuzzi was born and raised in Van Wert, Ohio. She attended Van Wert High School and went on to study Pre-Vet at Malone College in Canton, Ohio. She then obtained her DVM from The Ohio State University in 1996. Dr. Jiannuzzi practiced in Fort Wayne for eight years before moving to San Diego where she practiced for twelve years gaining experience in general practice, shelter medicine, and emergency care. Family brought her back home to Fort Wayne in 2016 where she has worked since.
Dr. Jiannuzzi is currently studying Holistic Veterinary Medicine, in particular Homeopathy and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) in which she is working towards her certification. She is also working towards certification as a Master Beekeeper and is willing to
help others with their hives around the Fort Wayne area.
In her free time, Dr. Jiannuzzi loves taking care of her two dogs (Benny-who is pictured, and Autumn), two cats (Adatoo and Murray), several tarantulas, and of course her beehives. She also enjoys spending time with her granddaughter, reading, and watching TV.
Our Team
Justine McDaniel
Veterinary Assistant
Justine has been in the veterinary field for 10 years with a wide range of experience. She is married with two children (one boy and one girl). They also have 5 cats and a dog! She is particularly fond of Dachshunds, Calicos, and Tortie cats.
Lauren Smith
Registered Veterinary Technician
Lauren has been a vet tech for 25 years. She has two teenagers at home who keep her busy with sports. She also has two dogs (Leena and Jaxson) and three cats (Skeeter, Fern, and Elenore). Her hobby is wildlife rehab when she has some free time!
Rachel Colley
Veterinary Assistant
Rachel has been working in veterinary medicine since 2014. She has a long-haired cat named Einstein at home. She also works in the restaurant industry and enjoys crafting in her free time!
Catherine Bogdon
Veterinary Assistant
Catherine is a Fort Wayne native who has worked as a veterinary assistant since 2002. She is a proud owner of three golden retrievers (Maverick, Primrose, and Tansy) who enjoy going on all her adventures. She also has 5 cats (Goose, Arthur, Josephine, Macaroni, and Sebastian). In her free time, she enjoys hiking and spending time on the water.
Kendal Sagear
Client Service Representative
Kendal was raised in Fort Wayne and attended Homestead High School. She graduated from Purdue-Fort Wayne in 2023. During her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, knitting, reading, cooking, and spending time with her Westie, Lily.
Maya Hower
Veterinary Assistant
Sarah Liechty
Registered Veterinary Technician
Sarah graduated from Canterbury HS in Fort Wayne. She then attended Michigan State University majoring in Animal Science, and Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver, Colorado for Veterinary Technician Training. She is a true nerd and always excited to learn. She has a mixed breed dog named Macadamia at home. She enjoys spending time with my family, traveling, trying new foods, going to concerts or Broadway shows, and watching movies and TV shows.
Hailee Bowling
Veterinary Assistant
Maya was born and raised in Fort Wayne and graduated from Snider HS. She is currently attending Indiana Tech and pursuing a degree in Pre-Vet/Biology. Her plan is to apply to veterinary school. She has a dog named Henry and a cat named Nova. Maya enjoys playing hockey and spending time with friends in her free time!
Dakota Studebaker
Veterinary Assistant
Dakota attended Purdue University (Boiler Up!) where she graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Animal Sciences with a concentration in Behavior and Well-being as well as a minor in Psychology and a minor in Fisheries. She has been working as a veterinary assistant for almost 2 years. When not at work she is more than likely in a bowling alley or doing some kind of traveling. She has a dog (Maya) and 4 cats (Bean, Rhea, Sunny, and Mouse).
Savannah Simmers
Veterinary Assistant
Abby Osterman
Veterinary Assistant
Abby is currently a student at PFW working toward a B.S. in Biology and Associates in Chemical methods. She plans to go to veterinary school! She brings with her experience in emergency practice. She has two snakes at home (Lumiere and Quinn) and three cats (Sawyer, Toulouse, and Delilah), and a dog (Bentley).
Anne Coughlin
Registered Veterinary Technician
Anne grew up in Michigan. She graduated from Brown Mackie College in 2017 and has been an RVT since 2018. She has spent her career in emergency medicine. She shares her home with her partner and four children, along with two Great Danes (Reggie and Whiskey), seven cats (Selena, Eragon, Kimber, Pete, Dobby, Harry Potter and Hagrid), and five quail. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, as well as running her own pet sitting/dog walking business.
