McAfee Animal Hospital is devoted to providing the best care possible for all of its customers. The organization accomplishes this by practicing aspects of veterinary medicine such as comprehensive preventive care, dental cleanings, and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. While there are a lot of people responsible for making everything flow in the workplace, there’s nobody who deserves more recognition than the team of doctors behind it all.
Dr. Brooke McAfee has been practicing medicine at McAfee Animal Hospital since graduating from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She followed in the footsteps of her grandfather, Dr. John McAfee, and her father, Dr. Larry McAfee.
“I have always known that I wanted to be a veterinarian,” Dr. Brooke McAfee said. “My grandfather opened the practice in 1943, and my family grew up next to the original McAfee Animal Hospital clinic. My earliest memories are walking up to the clinic following my dad around and observing surgeries.”
Growing up in Valparaiso, Dr. Brooke McAfee has always loved contributing to this community. She started her college career at IUPUI, playing women’s college basketball for four years and graduating with a degree in chemistry. Shortly after, she pursued vet school at Purdue which led her into McAfee Animal Hospital.
“We truly have an amazing team,” Dr. Brooke McAfee said. “This is a family atmosphere, and we have several 20+ year employees. I love how much Valparaiso has grown while we are still able to maintain our small town atmosphere. The community has played a pivotal role in shaping McAfee Animal Hospital. The encouragement, wisdom and support of my mentors helped guide my passion and turn it into a career.”
For Dr. Brooke McAfee, the passion makes it more than just a profession. She loves being able to go above and beyond with a staff that has the same goal of creating healthy bonds between humans and animals for a lifetime. She’s thankful for her amazing husband and two children, Blake and Gavin, for always supporting her. Outside of the workplace, she spends a lot of time at sporting events to cheer on her kids.
Ultimately, she’s very appreciative of her father Dr. Larry McAfee for serving as the helping hand that guided her into this journey. Dr. Larry McAfee, retired owner of McAfee Animal Hospital, has a similar sentiment about how his father helped shape his future as well.
“My father was a large animal vet,” Dr. Larry McAfee said. “I’ve wanted to be a vet since I could say the word. I’ve been here for 75 years whether it was as a kennel boy, room assistant, internship, partnership or ownership. There’s a strong sense of family and community here. We’re all about being kind, caring and honest with the clients.”
Dr. Larry McAfee also graduated from the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. Outside of the workplace, the two things that motivate him the most are his family and fishing. He’s hopeful that in the near future, the hospital will soon consist of a fourth generation McAfee vet coming aboard to the team.
While the McAfee bloodline runs the deepest, there’s plenty of other doctors that have helped shape the hospital into where it is today. One person who has done that is associate veterinarian Dr. Jessica Clements.
Graduating from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995, Dr. Clements spent four years practicing in Illinois before her move to Valparaiso. While she has been in the area for a while, she spent most of her time working at the Lake Station Pet Clinic. In 2021, she joined the McAfee team and has enjoyed every day of it.
“We work well together as a team,” Dr. Clements said. “We’re focused on practicing high quality medicine and learning from one another every day. It’s also important for us to patiently help each owner make the best decisions for the well-being of their pet.”
The biggest motivation for Dr. Clements are her husband and five kids. Aside from work, her family serves as active members of the St. Paul Catholic Church. She also enjoys reading and traveling in her free time.
Dr. Clements joined the McAfee team around the same time as Dr. Anna Sacco, who also serves as an associate veterinarian. Dr. Sacco completed four years of undergraduate studies at St. Joseph’s College while playing Division I Volleyball before getting her veterinary degree at Purdue.
“Being an animal doctor is definitely a busy practice,” Dr. Sacco said. “I have learned so much through the support of other doctors and staff members through tough cases.”
Dr. Sacco’s favorite part of being a McAfee team member is the opportunity to meet new faces in the community.
“Establishing lasting relationships with clients is something that I always look forward to,” Dr. Sacco said. “I always show compassion for the people and animals that come in because you never know what hardships they might be going through.”
Outside of the workplace, Dr. Sacco spends a lot of time with her husband and dogs. She keeps herself busy with a plethora of hobbies including pickleball, golf, volleyball, reading and riding her horses.
One reason why McAfee Animal Hospital has found success is the ability of its doctors to be versatile and manage unique situations. Dr. Danielle Walker, full-time veterinarian, currently practices medicine and surgery. She also serves as the only doctor at the hospital to see exotic animals. She received her bachelor’s degree in physiology at Michigan State University during an experience that helped her with the position she’s in today.
“I studied abroad for seven weeks in Mexico at the vet school in León,” Dr. Walker said. “I was able to study wildlife rehab and started at McAfee Animal Hospital shortly after I received my veterinary degree from Purdue University.”
Dr. Walker spends her free time playing piano and with her family. She has a daughter and two stepdaughters that make her proud everyday. She’s also happy that her parents moved to Valparaiso a few years ago to spend more time with them as well.
It’s been 19 years since Dr. Walker joined the McAfee team. She gives a lot of credit to Dr. Larry McAfee and Dr. Steve Violanti for helping her along the way.
“Those two were excellent mentors for me when I first started,” Dr. Walker said. “Everyone is constantly consulting with each other on different cases. It’s an amazing work environment and I love being a part of this team.”
Dr. Steve Violanti is a senior practicing and managing partner with a special interest in surgery, both soft tissue and orthopedics. The vision of becoming a veterinarian was at the forefront of his mind since he was a kid.
“I set the goal to become a veterinarian at 10 years old,” Dr. Violanti said. “I had straight A’s through grade school and most of my undergraduate courses at Purdue University North Central (now Purdue University Northwest) and Purdue West Lafayette. It helped me to secure a spot at Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine.”
Dr. Violanti completed his degree in 1990 and has been with McAfee Animal Hospital since graduating. He’s held positions such as associate veterinarian, junior partner, full partner and owner. Just as team members like Dr. Walker have learned a lot from him over the years, Dr. Violanti believes that the McAfee team has helped guide him as well.
“As a team of six doctors, we have the luxury of using each other's knowledge and abilities as resources,” Dr. Violanti said. “We communicate with the owners to work through the problems and give the best care for our patients and their owners.”
When he isn’t working, Dr. Violanti is a family man above all. He loves to spend time with Catey, his wife and best friend of 39 years who also serves as the financial manager of the employees at McAfee Animal Hospital. They enjoy traveling, pickleball, golf and spending quality time together. Dr. Violanti is also blessed to be surrounded with three children, their spouses and two grandsons to keep their family active and busy at all times.
It’s difficult to find a team of individuals that can constantly work together while building bonds both inside and outside of the workplace. McAfee Animal Hospital has found a group of veterinarians that make the job fun and their patients happy.For more information on McAfee Animal Hospital, you can visit its website.