Dr. Melissa Francis: Owner and Veterinarian
Dr. Melissa Francis is a Midwestern native who always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. She grew up in Paris, IL with dogs, cats, horses, and hamsters. Dr. Francis graduated with honors from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999.
Dr. Francis began her veterinary career in Phoenix, AZ at a clinic that specialized in dogs, cats, and exotic pets. Her years of veterinary practice in Phoenix gave her invaluable experience treating exotic pets. She practiced 2 years in Corpus Christi, TX then headed to southeastern Oklahoma for four years before she and her family were able to return to their Midwestern roots and settle in Monroe County. Bloomington has been her home since 2011. She and her husband Chris are the proud parents of two daughters and a son.
Dr. Brian Thunberg: Veterinarian and Mobile Surgeon
Dr. Thunberg received his DVM from Purdue University in May 2005. Following graduation, he completed a one-year small animal rotating internship and three-year small animal surgical residency at Animal Surgical and Emergency Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Thunberg relocated to Indianapolis in 2009 where he was taken on as a staff surgeon at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center. In 2012, he became part owner of Bloomington Veterinary Hospital in Bloomington. In 2016, Dr. Thunberg separated from Bloomington Veterinary Hospital and created Mobile Animal Surgical Care. He now has the ability to come to your home and perform the surgery for added convenience and comfort for you and your pet!
Lisa Broukal: Practice and General Manager
Lisa joined our clinic as a Veterinary Assistant in March of 2013. She has a deep love of animals and she works hard to make every pet’s experience at BloomingPaws a positive one. Lisa graduated high school at 16 and attended college for business before deciding to pursue her passion and dream of working with animals. As a manager, she has been able to combine her business background with her love of animals, and it is not unusual to see her helping in the Clinic with appointments, answering phones up front, watching over a play group or bringing furry friends out to their owners after a long day of play.
Active in the veterinary field since 1994, this Chicago native brings a depth of experience from her work as kennel help to surgical assistant — and everything in between — for several veterinarians. Lisa’s husband, Ray, is a diesel mechanic and small business owner. They are the proud parents of five grown children and one granddaughter.
Bailey Petry: Office Manager and Veterinary Receptionist Supervisor
Bailey joined our team as an animal care technician in our resort department her senior year of high school, six years ago. She eventually took on the position of weekend supervisor while attending college full-time, which gave her many opportunities to learn about veterinary medicine while assisting the on-call veterinarians with any medical care our boarding pets may have needed. This eventually led to her being offered a position in the clinic. While you will find her primarily in the Clinic, she stays actively involved with the boarding and daycare departments. Her husband, Tommy, is an elementary school teacher and they share their home with their Pomhuahua, Cinna.
Patricia Da Rosa: Certified Veterinary Assistant and Pet Nutritionist
Patricia has been with us for eight years. She started in our resort department as a Group Play Guardian until she did her internship for veterinary assisting in the Clinic. It was easy to see that she would be a huge asset in the Clinic and was offered a position at the completion of her internship. She currently splits her time between working remotely from home while caring for her young son and spending time in the Clinic.
This Brazilian native brought a wealth of knowledge with her. She holds an MSc in Animal Science from UNIVASF, Brazil, and a Bachelor in Animal Science from UFMS, Brazil. Patricia’s husband, Jeff, is a small business owner. They are the proud parents of one son and too many dogs to count.
Additional Clinic Support Staff
We have seven additional support staff in the Clinic who have been with us from one to three years each. They include a Certified Dog Trainer and a Veterinary Technician Program student.
Amanda Jenkins: Resort Customer Service Supervisor
Amanda Jenkins has been a part of our Resort Customer Service Team for the past four years. Amanda makes it a priority to know each of our clients and their pets on a personal level. Amanda is the bridge between the owners and the various team members of the Grooming, Boarding and Daycare departments. Her goal is to see that every pet in the Resort gets the care and attention they deserve and that our clients are happy when they take their pet home. While she does have some new team members, the majority of her team have worked with her for two to four years. Amanda has continued to learn all she can about pet care and has been learning about the Clinic protocols and procedures so that she can jump in and lend a hand whenever she is needed.
Gage Rolen: Resort Staff Team Lead
Gage has been with BloomingPaws for three years. He is an excellent Animal Care Technician and Group Play Guardian. He is always there for his team, from making sure their training or cross-training is going well, to helping out when they have questions or need assistance with a task. He has also spent some time training in the Clinic so he can be available to help the Clinic staff with a large-breed dog when needed. He is continuously looking for ways to improve the experience of each pet that comes through the doors. He is the bridge between his team’s concerns, ideas, or achievements, and management.