Meet the Staff

Kari Maroudas, LVT

Kari went to Delaware Technical and Community College where she received her Associates degree in Veterinary Technology. After graduating from college she studied to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician. In the summer of 2012, Kari went to another local animal hospital where she did her internship, which turned into a full-time job. For over 10 years Kari has worked in many, if not all the different positions of the veterinary hospital. She has always dreamed of becoming part of a team that supports and cares for the employees just as much as she cares for and supports the clients' pets.

She recently got married and had her first child. She currently lives in Wilmington with her husband, baby girl and 2 dogs: Henry, a medium mixed breed and Chalupa, a small breed terrier mix. In her spare time, Kari likes to cook, bake, watch movies, spend time with her family, and plan for future adventures.

Kaitlyn Meier

North Carolina native, Kaitlyn moved to the tri-state area three years ago. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. With always having an interest in veterinary medicine, Kaitlyn has worked as a veterinary assistant at a couple small general practices working with dogs and cats.

Kaitlyn has two cats, Smokey (an angel) and Hammy (a mouthy, energetic, spirited kitten). In her free time Kaitlyn enjoys weightlifting, relaxing by the pool, watching SpongeBob, and eating Mexican food.

Shannon Hendricks

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Shannon has worked in the veterinary field since 2003, spending 16 of those years working emergency, critical care and specialty surgery. She enjoyed developing meaningful relationships with both our clients and our patients. She truly believes that it helps to impact the level of care and medicine we are able to offer. In her free time she enjoys gardening, traveling with friends and family, attending music festivals, and going to the beach as much as possible. There is nothing on earth that she is more passionate about than animals and the bonds they have with their humans. 



Heather Kates

Heather attended Delaware Valley college for Equine Science and Management but ended up landing in small animal veterinary medicine back in 2010. In the many years she has been involved in the veterinary industry, she has worked in General Practice, Emergency, Specialty, and Surgery. Heather has a passion for helping animals and educating owners to be able to provide the best possible care to their fur family members.


Heather has a six year old daughter, a ten year old American Bulldog (named Athos), and a ten year old Thoroughbred named Shotgun Red - who is a retired racehorse! In her free time, Heather enjoys going to the gym, taking her daughter to ride her horse, and spending time with the people and animals that she loves most.

Rion Hunter

Rion has worked in the veterinary field for the past 11 years. Starting as a kennel assistant and working his way up to becoming a certified technician. Over the past 11 years Rion has worked in general practice, shelter medicine, emergency medicine, and urgent care settings learning the various protocols and levels of care for pets. Rion has a motto of always advocating for the wellness of the pet, providing seamless pet care and fostering exceptional transparency with educating clients on pet wellness.

During his free time away from college studies Rion enjoys spending time with family & friends, advocating for social justice, kayaking , music, and cheering on our Philadelphia Eagles!

Courtney Hershey, LVT

Courtney is a Delaware native. She attended Delaware Technical and Community College where she graduated with an associate degree in veterinary technology. She became a licensed technician in 2008. She has worked in a few small animal practices. She has a special interest in surgery and orthopedics. Courtney lives with her husband Alan, son Rex, and cat Beep. In her spare time, Courtney enjoys outdoor activities, fishing, going to the beach, working in her garden, and spending time with her family and friends.

Madelyn Higman, Vet Assistant

Madelyn has been a veterinary assistant since spring of 2021. She is currently enrolled at Del Tech full time and is hopeful of being accepted into the veterinary technician program in the future. She lives with her 3 animals: Sully, an English Black Lab; Biebs, a fat Orange Tabby, and Beyoncé, a Black Domestic Shorthair. When she’s not at work she likes to spend her free time with her pets, working out, and watching sports with her family.

Nicole Scott, Vet Assistant

Nicole is a graduate from the University of Delaware where she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Pre-Veterinary Medicine and she is currently enrolled in school to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician. For the past four years Nicole has worked in general practice, working her way up from reception to veterinary assistant. This is where she learned various technician skills and found her passion in caring for animals.

Outside of work Nicole likes to spend time with her family & friends, snuggle up with her two Tri-Pod kitties, watch Netflix, and play recreational volleyball.

Mary Ellen Mitchell, Client Service Representative

With more than 15 years of experience in veterinary client services, Mary Ellen provides compassionate and comprehensive support to pets and their owners. She resides here in Wilmington with her feline friend, Asher—a super-snuggly brown tabby. Mary Ellen says the best part of her role at FSUV is “believing that I can make a positive difference in the world, by helping our clients keep their pets healthy and happy.”

Jennifer Long, Vet Assistant

Jennifer realized her love for animals at a very young age and has been working in veterinary medicine since 2016. Jen started as a veterinary receptionist and has worked her way up to a technician knowledgeable in general practice, surgery, emergency and exotics. She is a compassionate and motivated animal advocate that loves finding ways to help people and their pets. She currently has three dogs and three cats with the most recent additions being two kittens she rescued from the streets. During her free time she enjoys paintball, traveling, going to new restaurants and spending time with her furry friends and family.

Eileen Vari, Client Service Representative

Eileen graduated from Wilmington University with a master’s degree in psychology. Her love of animals has brought her into the veterinary field where she has been working for the last 8 years. Eileen currently has 4 dogs, a 10 year old American Staffordshire Terrier named Zero, an 8 year old American Bully named Flower, a 6 years old Staffy-Jack Russel Mix named Sparky, and a 8 month old Lurcher named Hip Hop.

In Eileen’s free time she competes and does dog training. She and her canine companions compete in agility, flyball, dock-diving, barn hunt, and lure racing.