Dr. Sara Smith
Dr. Sara Smith is the owner and founder of Stepping Stone Animal Hospital. She graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. Dr. Smith grew up in central Massachusetts on a small hobby farm with all different species of animals and that is where her love for animals and taking care of them was born. Dr. Smith values the intense human-animal bond that people share with their pets and works hard to nurture that bond. She enjoys educating new and seasoned pet owners about nutrition options, preventative medicine, behavior and surgical or medical treatment plans that help pets live their best lives. Dr. Smith enjoys living in Gardner, KS with her husband, Christian and their three children. When not helping pets, she enjoys being outside playing with her kids or running along the Gardner Greenway. Dr. Smith loves seeing her pet patients and their owners outside of the clinic and is one of the reasons she loves Gardner so much! If you see Dr. Smith out for a run around town, stop her and say hi! She probably needs a breather… and a chat is a good excuse to take a quick break!
Dr. Morgan Dunker
Dr. Morgan Dunker’s love for animals began all the way back in kindergarten and has guided her journey ever since. She started her career in veterinary medicine as a kennel assistant and worked her way up, achieving her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian after graduating from Oklahoma State University in 2023. Dr. Dunker enjoys the simple joys of country living with her two dogs by her side and is passionate about providing compassionate care to every patient she meets.
Sherri
Sherri and her family have been an active part of the Gardner Community for close to 40 years. Sherri and her husband, Mike have raised there now grown children in Gardner. Active in school, community and especially 4-H, the country life has always been home. Sherri’s passion for animals has been a major part of her life for as long as she can remember. Her dog Hank and horse Pete are top of the list. If you see Sherri trail riding or just walking her dog in town stop and say Hi. We would love the company!
Nikkie
Nicole has been an RVT since 2012. She started her career as an extern at Blue Pearl before graduation and went on to work there for 5 years. Her love for animals has taken her from Specialty medicine to shelter medicine to privatce practice. She has a love for teaching and training veterinary nurses and nurse assistants. When she’s not spoiling her patients and laughing with her clients and coworkers, she is usually running her two boys to football practice or reading. She has two rescue pit bulls, Bullet and Bluebell and a 10-week-old kitten, Special Agent Jack Bauer. It’s a house full of boys and she’s loving every minute of it.
Sailor
Sailor grew up in Gardner and having just graduated high school last year her Veterinary Medicine journey started out at a local shelter and has blossomed from there. She is currently training to be a veterinary technician and working as a veterinary technician assistant here at SSAH. Her love for animals started at a young age growing up on a farm here in Gardner and continues to grow as she works here at Stepping Stone. She is extremely excited to be part of our team. She has one dog named Willa Mae and spends her free time with her and her family.
Shawna
Shawna is a dedicated registered veterinary technician with a passion for providing compassionate care to animals. A proud mother of two daughters, she finds joy in balancing her career with family life. When she’s not at the clinic, Shawna enjoys spending her free time on the golf course and at home with her beloved cats.
Kailey
Kailey has been part of the veterinary world for years and brings her love for animals into everything she does! As a dedicated veterinary assistant and proud mom of a silly 2-year-old, she’s always on the go—whether she’s caring for patients or chasing giggles at home. She shares her heart (and maybe a few treats) with her two dogs, who keep life extra lively.
Katelynn
Katelynn is studying Biology at Baker University on the Pre-Veterinary track. She’s passionate about animals and excited to turn that passion into a career in veterinary medicine. At home, Katelynn loves spending time with her Golden Retriever, Primrose – who she absolutely adores – and her cat, Cheddar.