Our Team - Vet in Arlington Heights

Doctors

Dr. Anne Grott completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science in 1998 and earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2002 at Purdue University. Since leaving Purdue, she has been in small animal practice in the NW Chicago suburbs.

Raised on a farm in northwest Indiana, Dr. Grott grew up with sheep, pigs, dogs, and always many, many cats. She once asked her parents for a cow, but ended up with a box full of chickens. She gained an initial understanding of animal health by taming the barn kittens and treating their ailments. Her desire to help them cemented her decision to become a veterinarian by age nine.

In her free time, Dr. Grott plays the saxophone in a community band with her husband whom she met in college where they both played in the Purdue All American Marching Band. When she’s not playing music, Dr. Grott and her husband enjoy traveling, camping, and spending time with their daughter, Ellie. Dr. Grott has traveled to 48 states, and can’t wait to finally get to Idaho and Hawaii!

Dr. Linda Vukovich is a 1973 graduate of Purdue University of Veterinary Science and Medicine. She has practiced companion animal medicine in Palatine for over thirty years, most recently making house calls for her more reluctant patients. She finds feline internal medicine fascinating and challenging, and enjoys helping to maintain the health and well-being of her patients.

Dr. Vukovich enjoys antiquing, cooking, and spending time with her extended family that includes a giant schnauzer and six cats. She is active as one of two representatives in Illinois of Great Lakes Giant Schnauzer Rescue. She is a member of the American Veterinary Association and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association.

The Team at Arlington Cat Clinic are pleased to welcome Dr. Sheila Smullen, DVM. Dr Smullen earned her DVM from the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. She revised her career plan from oceanography to veterinary medicine after a life changing summer spent working with a veterinarian. She has been practicing feline medicine since 1994. She loves the challenge of figuring out a cat’s health issues, as cats hide illness well and cannot tell her how they feel. She encourages cat parents to commit to preventive care and to learn what “normal” is for their cat, as subtle changes in behavior and demeanor can indicate health issues. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

Dr. Smullen’s clowder, the proper name for a group of cats, includes 3 actual cats – KFC (Kitty Friend from the Campground), Harris and Nibiru and 2 cats in dog’s clothing – pups Lorelei and Melbourne. She loves camping, hiking, kayaking and riding her motorcycle. She also writes poetry (she’s a published poet!) and prose, and plays the drums. Her favorite drum is the bodhran, which is commonly used in Irish music.

She is really excited to be a part of the Arlington Cat Clinic team, and looks forward to meeting the clients and patients.

Our Staff

Laurie earned a degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University. While attending college, she worked as a veterinary receptionist at a dog and cat hospital. There, she met Dr. Bob Esbensen, co-founder of Arlington Cat Clinic.

After several years of teaching, Laurie decided she was drawn to the rewards of helping small animals and their owners. She began working at Arlington Cat Clinic shortly after its opening in 1989. Her organization and leadership helped promote her to office manager in 1997. Laurie has been the general Clinic Manager at Arlington Cat Clinic since 2016. She is proud to represent the clinic’s fabulous team and its reputation for compassionate and comprehensive care for cats.

Laurie enjoys baking, reading, writing, and spending time outdoors observing wildlife, especially birds. She loves being with her family. She and her husband enjoy traveling, with a special fondness for Maui, Hawaii.

Although only starting at Arlington Cat Clinic in late 2017. Elly began her career as a receptionist/veterinary assistant in the southwest suburbs in 1973. From there she spent the next 39 years in veterinary sales until retiring.

When she can get away, Elly enjoys travel. So far she has been to Ireland, Italy, France, Eastern Europe, Spain, the Holy Land around Jerusalem and even to see the polar bears around Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba.

Robin has been a Certified Veterinary Technician since graduating in 1978. She worked in 2 other animal hospitals, including another cat clinic, prior to joining the staff at the Arlington Cat Clinic in 1988, shortly after they opened. Robin enjoys gardening, cooking, and traveling with her husband.

They have an adult son currently living in Colorado. Two loving kitties, Kamira and Joy, share their home with Robin and her husband, Ron.

Julie has been a member of the Arlington Cat Clinic family since 1996 and has enjoyed a career caring for felines since 1979. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1986, majoring in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution.

She is an avid gardener, and admits she lives for the planting season in Illinois. She and her partner, Brian, are always taking on ambitious projects, planting all sorts of unique flowers and vegetables. She also loves to cook, frequently searching out the best recipes and ingredients for her unique and personal style of “from scratch” cooking. In fact, she was named “Cook of the Month” by the Daily Herald newspaper in 2007.

She has three kitties of her own named Billy, Eddie, and Tommy.

Gayle was actually a client of Arlington Cat Clinic before joining the staff in 1995. When she isn’t working, Gayle enjoys visiting with friends and family. She has a passion for horseback riding and traveling anywhere near the ocean.

Carrie has been with Arlington Cat Clinic since 2007. She has an adult daughter who lives in Missouri with her dog, Cole. Carrie loves everything cat related. She enjoys spending her summers camping and riding ATV’s with her partner, Eric.

Carrie has 10 cats and 2 guinea pigs.

Nicole is a 20 year Arlington Cat Clinic client turned team member in early 2023. While she enjoys the company of her own 3 felines (Max, Otto and Davos) she enjoys meeting and helping other cats and their human families. She has volunteered at the St. Thomas Humane Society and assisted in several hurricane evacuations and relocation events. Her love of animals extends to the equine, previously working at a horse breeding farm. When she is not working, you can find her at the barn taking care of her horse Odie. Nicole enjoys tending to the summer vegetable garden and traveling with her husband Steve.

Stacy Carver came to the Arlington Cat Clinic in November 2022. Stacy was looking for a career change after 36 years in Law Enforcement and High School Security. Being a longtime animal lover and customer of the Arlington Cat Clinic, the clinic seemed a good fit with Stacy’s interest in animals.

Stacy has lived on a farm in Wadsworth for a time with horses, sheep, chickens and several dogs and cats. Currently she resides locally with her cat, Pixie, who is a rescue from a local agency.in her spare time, Stacy loves a good game of Pickleball, watching the Chicago Cubs, live music, and spending time with friends.

Our Kitties