Dr. Happel graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. After graduation, she practiced small animal medicine in a 3 doctor practice in Muskegon for 2 years and then worked in an 8 doctor practice in Grand Rapids for 6 years. In 2010 she decided to open her own practice and Eastown Veterinary Clinic was born June 1st, 2011. Dr. Happel’s special interest within the field of veterinary medicine is veterinary dentistry. She has done hundreds of hours of additional training to learn why dental health is so important and how to perform specialized procedures. Dr. Happel volunteers on the Eastown Business Association Board and the Uptown Business Improvement District Board. When she is not busy being a doctor or business owner, she loves to chase around her two young boys, cuddle with her dogs, cat, and husband, participate in CrossFit and read a good book.

Dr. Tittle attended Calvin College for a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Immediately after graduating from Calvin, she went to Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and obtained a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. During her time as a student at Michigan State, she also worked in the Orthopedics department for 2 years. Once graduated, she worked at Richland Animal Hospital for almost 2 years before joining Eastown Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Tittle loves the day to day challenges that veterinary medicine provides and she is also very passionate about surgery. Being a part of building and facilitating the health and bond between owners and their pets has been a dream of hers since she was 9 years old. When not at work she lives with her husband Ryan, dogs Ellie and Rylee, and her cat, Sheldon. Dr. Tittle also enjoys time at the barn working with her horse Lyon and competing in 3-day eventing.

Dr. Brockman is excited to call Grand Rapids her new home! She is originally from Chicago but has traveled back and forth across the country for school and training. She originally went to school for chemistry and physics before transitioning careers to become a veterinarian. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Physics from Northern Michigan University and then a Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. While working at a veterinary clinic in Berkeley, California, Dr. Brockman decided to pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She returned home to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

After veterinary school, Dr. Brockman pursued advanced training by completing a small animal internship at a 24-hour veterinary emergency and specialty center in the Chicago suburbs. She then practiced emergency medicine for several years at a busy veterinary emergency and specialty center in Milwaukee. Dr. Brockman is very excited to start her new veterinary adventure in Grand Rapids and become part of the Eastown community!

Outside of work, Dr. Brockman enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, biking (road, mountain, fat tire), camping, running (road and trail), and playing with her dog at the park. She has two cats that like to lay in the sun in her back yard and a Brazilian Rainbow Boa Constrictor at home.

Affiliations:

• American Veterinary Medical Association
• Michigan Veterinary Medical Association
• International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care
• Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
• Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium

“I have always enjoyed the sciences and solving problems. Veterinary medicine gives me the opportunity to blend science and compassion by helping animals and people.”

Veterinary medicine has always been a part of Dr. Swayman’s life. Both her grandfather and father were veterinarians. She has fond memories of “helping” at her dad’s clinic and riding in his truck to numerous farm-calls as a child.

After studying engineering at Purdue University for undergrad, she attended MSU (following in her father’s footsteps) and graduated in 2008 with her DVM. She has been practicing small animal medicine since.

Dr. Swayman started at EVC in February of 2020. She loves connecting with clients and helping ensure a long, happy life with their beloved pets. Meeting a new puppy or kitten with their new family and getting to follow that pet and their family as they grow and bond together through the years is priceless!

At home she has 1 dog, Rue who is a 6 year old Rat Terrier who she and her family adopted about 3 years ago. Rue is sweet and snuggly and likes to bark at anything that moves – in true terrier fashion!

Outside of work, she loves spending time with her 2 kids, Ella (11) and Ryan (9) and her husband, Keith. They play lots of games together, travel for soccer and flag football games and enjoy time at their family cottage in Northern Michigan. She is an avid reader, loves to run and hike, and is working on improving her French!

I have several pets on my husband and I’s hobby farm. Currently, we have 35+ laying hens, 1 duck, and a swan. I have a beautiful 39+-year-old mare/horse that I’ve had the privilege to love for over 20+ years and counting. We also have 8 inside kitties and 1 barn kitty (by his choice). Each of my baby kitties was rescued/abandoned. Three of them were born on my back porch and left. I found them near dead when they were less than 4 hours old in October 2017. I brought them to work with me every day and all the EVC employees got to watch them grow with me. The rest of them all have their own stories as well, enough I could fill a book.

I purchased my home in 2013. It is an 1800 Victorian that my mother and I have been renovating. My husband (married in 2019) is now helping me keep it going with the more intensive renovations. When I’m not working on the house I am working on things around and for the house. I refurbish old antiques and rebuild them. I do all sorts of crafts and have entered a couple of craft shows. I also just recently restarted horseback riding, as I had stopped once I retired my mare. I am taking riding lessons in dressage to get back into it. My plan is to get another horse, that I can ride and drive; that can also give my mare some company. My husband has added so many new hobbies in my life as well. We are working on making our homestead off-grid and are currently running 95% on solar alone; the other 5% being natural gas. We are planning to add two wind turbines soon as well to help in the winter. He has also introduced me to e-dirt biking, that we use solar to charge their batteries.

Proud to have been born and raised here in Grand Rapids! I graduated from Michigan State University in the spring of 2014 earning my bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Technology. I was hired at Eastown Veterinary Clinic in the fall of 2014. I’m a licensed veterinary technician and also the inventory manager for the practice. I love my job because it is different every single day! My co-workers, patients, and clients make each day enjoyable no matter what the day may bring. We are so lucky to have clients who support and appreciate the gold standard of care we strive to provide to our patients.

When I’m not at work you can find me spending time with my husband, our two chiildren, and our fur children; Rookie, Nemo, and our purrty cat Callie. When I have a quiet moment to myself I enjoy reading, writing, and indulging in Netflix marathons. My most recent hobby has been experimenting with cooking! I look forward to many more memories with my EVC team!

I grew up in the small town of Cedar Springs, Michigan. Growing up in the country we have always had dogs around us, in fact, I don’t think there was a single time that we didn’t have a dog in our home. I have always had a strong passion for animals and love being around them all the time. My boyfriend and I currently have three dogs and one cat. We have a crazy Belgian Malinois, a cuddly Labrador, a sassy Maltipoo, and a shorthair cat who thinks she’s one of the dogs!

I graduated in 2015 with my Associate’s degree in Business Administration and decided this winter that I wanted to go back to school. I am currently working towards my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and will be starting at Grand Valley State University in the fall.

I always knew growing up that I wanted to work somewhere that I could be around animals every day. I started working in the veterinary field in 2015 as a veterinary assistant in a small veterinary hospital in Cedar Springs. Over the past years, I have been grateful for all of the experience and knowledge that I have gained and love applying that to my work here at Eastown Veterinary Clinic. I love interacting with all of the great clients and their amazing pets here at EVC. I look forward to seeing all the different dogs and cats each day that I come into work!

Hello, I’m Kenzie! Growing up, I was always extremely passionate about animals, leading me to pursue a Biology degree from Grand Valley State University. Throughout school, I did volunteer work with John Ball Zoo and other wildlife rehabilitation organizations as I decided what avenue I wanted to pursue further. Meanwhile, I worked as a makeup artist for the Estee Lauder company, Clinique, and started doing my own freelance makeup artistry, leading me down a different path for a while. I sometimes feel like I have lived many lives! I wanted to get back into an animal-related field and started working with Eastown Veterinary Clinic because I recognized not only the high standard of care but the true emphasis the staff place on continuing education to provide that gold standard. I have my own baby girl, Ripley Blue, a (currently) ten-month-old blue merle Australian Shepherd who is the love of my life! She is a true ‘velcro dog’ and we do everything together, especially cuddling in the mornings, road trips (including the 1468 miles we drove to get her!), running, and anything involving a ball. I am the stereotypical girl who always misses her puppy, so if you bring in your shepherd, I am probably the one who asks to come say hello! If I’m not working or with Miss Rip, I love to play sports and hang out with my family and friends.

Hello! When I was a kid growing up here in Grand Rapids, I always wanted to work with animals in the future. We always had a house full of dogs, cats, birds, and fish. In high school, I helped take care of the birds and reptiles that called the school home. It wasn’t until I started working at Eastown Veterinary Clinic that I found where my heart was happiest. I love coming to work every day and getting to know the patients and their owners. Unfortunately, I do not have any pets of my own at the moment but frequently dog/cat sit for my parents and other family members. If I’m not working or hanging out with my family’s pets, you can usually find me “nerding” out by reading, playing video games, or binge-watching my newest tv addiction!

Hi, I am Emery. I’m from the Detroit area. Growing up I loved playing soccer and having pets. I went to Madonna University and got my degree in Criminal Justice back in 2006. I worked several different jobs from a parole officer to a private investigator and several in-between but none that I loved. In that time I had acquired 5 rescue dogs (border collie and variances of them) and was inspired by the idea of opening a rescue myself. I bought a house with a couple of acres and some outbuildings to start. I took in one stray, got all medical needs taken care of, and adopted him out. Through some unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to pursue this passion any further. I married my wife who was my college sweetheart. We moved out to Grand Rapids in 2017 for her career. Since being here, I’ve been fortunate to work at a humane society and a local animal hospital. I love getting to work with animals day in and day out being able to provide help, care, and love. At home, it’s just my lovely wife Bethany, our dog Latte, and our cat Kaffe, but there is always a risk I come home with a new family member. When I’m not at work you can find me at home with the animals, a local brewery, traveling, or at Griffin’s game.

This is my first time working in veterinary medicine! My educational background is in human health care, but I have always had an interest in working with animals. I am excited to finally have an opportunity to explore this field! I am most excited about getting to interact with the animals and make a difference in the lives of them and their owners.

I have a black and white American Cocker Spaniel named Dusty. She is turning 13 in December, so she is a little old lady. Dusty is the family dog that I grew up with and she still lives at my parents’ house, so I try to visit her often!! Fun facts: she is super fuzzy and takes forever to dry after baths, she is VERY sassy which I love, she is great at learning tricks (roll over and play dead among others!), and she loves the wind and chasing leaves.

I love spending time outside. I am big into running, but I supplement this with biking and yoga, and when the opportunity arises kayaking, hiking, and skiing! I enjoy listening to music and singing along loudly. Sometimes I play my guitar while I sing loudly as well! Since graduating from college about a year ago, I have rediscovered an enjoyment of reading and typically like biographies and non-fiction (fun non-fiction though lol). I also enjoy trying out new restaurants, eating in general, and petting my dog.

I’ve worked at Eastown since March of 2020 and I previously worked as a groomer and at Harbor Humane. My favorite part of my job is learning about veterinary medicine, interacting with pets, and educating clients.

I have one dog and one cat. Bones, my dog, loves exploring the woods more than anything. Loves to swim, still warming up to the big waves at Lake Michigan though. Adopted in 2016, was 8 months old and heartworm positive. He’s my best friend. Nova, my cat, would rather sleep on the cable box than anywhere else, is the definition of clingy, cries incessantly if she can see the bottom of her food bowl, tiny but mighty. I found her on the side of the road when she was 4 months old, is now 11. My little pumpkin.

I love hiking with my dog, photography, painting, sewing, writing, and music – making and listening to it.

I am a licensed veterinary technician, certified manual therapist, and veterinary physical rehabilitation assistant. As an East Grand Rapids native and long-time Eastown resident, I am thrilled to be working in the community that I live in, serving my friends and neighbors in caring for their pets.

I have been involved with animals for my entire life. From exotic birds, reptiles, and amphibians, to guinea pigs, chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs, and horses, I have lived with them all and enjoyed every minute of it! I went back to school to start my second career as a veterinary technician in 2005, and have gone on to do a certification program in veterinary physical rehabilitation. I am currently working towards my technician specialty in animal behavior.

The most rewarding part of veterinary medicine for me is using my additional training in physical rehabilitation and behavior modification. Helping pets and owners overcome physical or emotional barriers to living a healthy, happy life and strengthen the bond between them is something special that I feel very privileged to be a part of. In addition to seeing behavior and physical rehabilitation patients by appointment, I absolutely love to teach our Puppy Kindergarten and Adult Obedience classes, as well as private training sessions and Canine Good Citizen testing through the American Kennel Club. I also teach canine agility and physical fitness classes at a training center in the Grand Rapids area.

I spend some of my time on weekends helping out at the local emergency veterinary clinic, where I enjoy using my emergency and critical care nursing skills to help the ER docs save lives.

When I’m not working, I love volunteering with West Michigan Therapy Dogs and MSU’s Master Naturalist/Master Gardener programs. I spend as much time as possible with my husband, children, and extended Grand Rapids family. I share my life and home with two-pound puppies, Simone and Madigan, and a handi-“capable” Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Spanky. My family also includes three kitties, two birds, two rats, and a hedgehog. My husband recently made me sign an agreement not to adopt any more animals.