Staff

Dr. Steele (she/her) has an undergraduate degree from LSSU and a veterinary degree from MSU College of veterinary medicine. Dr. Steele has owned Caring Animal Hospital since 2000. Dr. Steele’s practice philosophy includes determining the best methods to achieve positive results. Each patient is treated as an individual. We may ask you questions that seem intrusive about your pet’s life or your lifestyle. These questions are important because your pet can’t answer them, and we want to develop an individualized plan for treatment that works best for you and your pet.
Dr. Steele graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in May 1998. Originally from Grand Rapids, she spent her first 2 years after graduation in Houghton Lake. She moved back to the Lansing area in August of 2000 and purchased Caring Animal Hospital in Holt. She now resides in Charlotte with her husband, 2 children, German Shorthair Pointer (Rooster) and cat (Tiggy T). Dr. Steele enjoys working with all aspects of veterinary medicine, but dentistry (now that we perform dental x-ray on every patient), internal medicine (especially since we have added the ultrasound & digital x-ray), dermatology, behavior, and surgery are some of her favorites. Of course, seeing puppies and kittens is always a joy. Outside of work, Dr. Steele spends much of her time coaching and watching her children play volleyball, baseball, & basketball. If you’ve met Dr. Steele you know why basketball is her favorite, but she also loves working outside landscaping.

Dr. Cotter (she/her) graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. It was also here where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medicine. She was awarded her certification as a veterinary acupuncturist through the Chi Institute in Reddick, FL. Dr. Cotter is a familiar face around Caring Animal Hospital. Prior to veterinary school, she started off here as a veterinary assistant, and has since returned to us. She has 3 beloved cats at home named Sookie, Peach, and Wesley and a lovely dog named Theo. Dr. Cotter’s special interests include acupuncture, exotic animal medicine, and soft tissue surgery.

Dr. Gruenwald (she/her) obtained her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She has been practicing as a small animal veterinarian and especially enjoys working with exotic mammal species. Her other veterinary interests include the importance of preventative care, exotic animal & honeybee medicine, and animal behavior. Dr. Gruenwald is married, has two young children, and a variety of animals at home. She enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Cindy (she/her) is our “Jack of all Traits” at Caring Animal Hospital. She has worked here for over 22 years and was part of the transition from Rooker Animal Hospital to Caring Animal Hospital. She has been married for many (many) years to her husband, Harold, who is retired from the U.S. Air Force. Together they have a son and a daughter-in-law and 3 grandchildren. Over the years they have had a variety of animals including Black labs, chinchillas, a ferret and a rabbit, but currently have Rottweilers, and a cat. Cindy and Harold are also very active in AKC Conformation

Paige (she/her) started here at Caring Animal Hospital in June of 2016. She came to us in her final year of the veterinary technology program at Baker College before graduating in June of 2017. Paige has interests in exotic animal medicine and pathology. She lives in Charlotte with her husband, daughter, and cat named Lola. In her free time she enjoys reading, camping, hunting, and just being outdoors.

Erica (she/her) graduated from Baker College of Jackson’s Veterinary Technology Program in 2006 as a Licensed Veterinary Technician. She has worked for Caring Animal Hospital since 2002 when she was hired in as an assistant. When not at work, Erica enjoys spending time with her family. She keeps her plate full as a dance, wrestling, and football mom. Erica has 3 children and her furry family members include her dogs, Tip, Bella, and Peaches, and cat, Lucario. Her personal interest in the veterinary field is animal behavior and she is currently finishing the requirements to get her VTS in behavior. Animal behavior is one the number one reason why pets are euthanized today, so Erica feels, “If I can make a difference in just one pets life I have done my job.'

Maggie (she/her) started working in the veterinary field in 2001 as a receptionist and assistant. She loved it so much, she went back to school to become a LVT and graduated from Baker College of Flint in 2009. Since then Maggie has taken special interest in veterinary staff mental wellbeing, diversity in veterinary medicine, and all things practice management. During her time off Maggie loves to participate in local theater and has performed with Peppermint Creek Theater Company and The Lebowsky Center for the Performing Arts. When she isn’t on the stage, she is probably enjoying the outdoors or reading. She lives in DeWitt with her cat Penny & ball python Weasley. Her son Caleb graduated from Eastern Michigan University and lives in Ypsilanti, she is super proud of him and wishes he would visit her more often. She loves working with Caring Animal Hospital’s fantastic staff and works hard to help the practice grow. 

Beth (she/her) lives in Olivet with her husband and 2 boys. She is a graduate of Wayne State University with a BS degree in biology. Prior to coming to Caring Animal Hospital, she has worked many years as a veterinary technician. She has experience in emergency medicine and wildlife rehabilitation. Her favorite part of the job is patient care. She currently has 2 dogs, a calico cat, 1 gerbil, and 6 chickens. She enjoys hiking and being outdoors with her family, watching her boys play football, basketball, soccer, and baseball, and just spending time at home.

Casey (she/her) has been with Caring Animal Hospital since January of 2020. She graduated from Baker college of Flint in 2018 with an Associate's degree in Veterinary Science. After passing her state board exams, she is now a licensed Veterinary Technician. She has always had a passion for wanting to help and care for animals since she was a young girl. She has interests in all fields of veterinary medicine, especially in surgery, large animals, and exotics. As a technician, she has acquired a lot of animals. She lives in Elsie with her husband Justin and son Lucas. They have a dog named Lily and a three-legged cat named Charlie. In her spare time, she enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and being in the outdoors. She also loves spending most of her time with her family, niece, and her animals.

Hannah (she/her) started with Caring Animal Hospital in November of 2020. She has worked as a Veterinary Assistant since 2017.  She started in the veterinary field by working in the kennel room, taking care of hospitalized patients, cleaning, and doing laundry. Then she slowly worked her way up to assistant by learning to restrain animals and working with clients. Gaining more confidence and experience she has now started helping in appointments and answering our phones.  Hannah lives in Bannister with her three cats, dog, and cow. In her free time, she spends a lot of time with her family and friends camping and having fires at her family's property. She likes being outside, fishing, going for walks, and swimming. She also likes going up north on trips and vacations to visit family and explore new places. 

We are excited to introduce Tia (she/her), our newest veterinary assistant. She joined the team in December of 22, however, she has been involved in the veterinary field for 20 years. She started out as a volunteer at a vet clinic at 12 years of age and received on the job training to become a veterinary assistant. She has a passion for helping sick patients and loves to see how they improve with treatment. She and her husband, Mike, have been married since 2011. They live in Eaton Rapids with their 2 children, Jaxon (10y) and Alexia (6y). At home they have a cat named Grace, 2 dogs named Harley & ‘Cuda, a rabbit named Pickles, 5 hens, and a rooster named Hei Hei. In her free time, Tia loves to ride her motorcycle or cruise around in her top-down Jeep Wrangler. She loves traveling with her family, by bike or Jeep, all over the United States.

In April 2023, Caycie (she/her), started at Caring Animal Hospital as our full-time receptionist. She comes to us with 3 years of experience in the veterinary medicine field. Her favorite part of the position is connecting with the pet owners & petting all the animals. She lives in Lansing with her 3 dogs:  Benny, Jupiter, & Saturn and 3 cats: Dobby, Seeker, & Padfoot. When not at work she is an avid reader with a guilty pleasure of watching reality TV shows.