Meet Our Veterinarians and Support Staff
Welcome to Monon Animal Hospital! We are a private owned business in the heart of the Nora neighborhood. We welcome pets from all over Indianapolis, Nora and the Broad Ripple area!
When opened in 2009, Dr. Sara Rueter and Dr. Ken Simpson envisioned a veterinary clinic with an outstanding team of healthcare professionals and the best care for your pet. Fifteen years later, we pride ourselves on continuing to treat your pets as we would our own. We have evolved along with veterinary medicine to provide above and beyond pet healthcare.
Our team is not only passionate about animals but to also help pet owners give their fur babies the best quality of life possible. We are all family at Monon Animal Hospital! We have gathered a fantastic team of individuals to provide exceptional service and care for you and your four-legged companions. Meet our team below!
Veterinarians
Sara Rueter, DVM Owner/Veterinarian
Lexie Barrick, DVM Veterinarian
Dr. Barrick always loved animals growing up. However, it wasn’t until her family adopted a rescue dog with severe anxiety that she realized her passion lied within strengthening the human-animal bond. Dr. Barrick completed her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Iowa State University, followed by her doctor of veterinary medicine at Ross University. During vet school, she volunteered with several outreach programs and developed a passion for animal welfare, preventative medicine and soft tissue surgery.
Dr. Barrick resides on the northside of Indianapolis with her husband Nick and their two pets, a dog (Sophie) and cat (Buttercup). In her free time, she enjoys tailgating Iowa State football games, golfing, hiking, and playing pickleball.
Na Wu, DVM Veterinarian
Dr. Wu graduated from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She has been practicing in Marion, Indiana for 10 years, and moved to the Indianapolis area in 2023. She is especially interested in soft tissue surgery and dermatology.
Dr. Wu was born in China, and got her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She came to the States for more advanced education in veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian, she loves working with pet families, and helps them find the best treatment plans for pets and their families. She is planning on pursuing more education in alternative medicine, and integrating it with western medicine to further enhance patient care.
Dr. Wu lives with her husband CJ, her son Arthur, her daughter Alaina, and her kitty Miao Mei. In her personal time, she enjoys traveling, cooking and tasting different kinds of food. She also enjoys Chinese lion and dragon dance.
Debra K. Baird, DVM, PhD, Diplomate (ACVR) Veterinarian
Dr. Debra Baird is a board-certified specialist in diagnostic imaging and presently maintains a private consultation service in Indiana. From 2001 to 2012, Dr. Baird was a faculty member at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. She has been associated with the Monon Animal Hospital since 2009. We are very fortunate to have her expertise to help assist us with our most challenging cases.
Management
Tiffany Practice Manager
Tiffany has been the practice manager at Monon Animal Hospital since 2015 when she and her husband moved to Indianapolis. Her interest in working with animals spawned from an early age and has since led her to a 17-year career in the veterinary field. During that time, Tiffany has had the privilege of working alongside some amazing doctors and other staff, which adds to her love for the industry. She and her husband, Cory, have 2 four-legged babies. Ginger is a Beagle/Shepherd mix, and Lita (Fat Mama) is a Maine Coon mix. When not wrangling the pets, you can be sure to find Tiffany with her nose in a book.
Medical Team
Diana
Jenna
Jenna started working in Veterinary Medicine in 2012 and joined the Monon family in March of 2021, although she has been surrounded by animals her whole life. What Jenna loves most about Veterinary medicine is client education, surgery/anesthesia, and radiology. Jenna grew up on a cattle/hog farm and showed pigs, horses, and chickens in 4-H. Jenna was always getting herself into trouble by bringing critters into the house when she was little. Jenna started working with animals as a career in 2009. Her love for all animals has trinkled down to her son, Kellen. Kellen one day wants to save animal lives just like his mom.
When Jenna is not here at the clinic, she enjoys spending time with Kellen and her boyfriend Clinton. They enjoy camping, fishing, and watching football. You can catch Jenna cheering on the Minnesota Vikings and the Michigan Wolverines. GO BLUE/ SKOL!!!!! 😊
Jesyca
Tamesha
Tamesha came to Monon Animal Hospital in February 2022. She was born and raised in Chicago “The Windy City”. In 2000 she was hired as a kennel attendant at the Anticruelty Society. Who knew it would result in her working there for 18 years and send her down a career path working with animals! She moved to Indiana in 2019 with her 3 boys and husband. She has a strong love for orange cats and loves anything to do with the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. Her husband likes to tease her about the amount of Jack Skellington things she has.
Kylie
Emily
Emily recently moved here from a small beach town known as Duxbury, Massachusetts and is new to our Monon family. She just graduated from the University of New Hampshire with her Bachelors degree of science and is planning her future to be a veterinarian. Her love for horses since she was a young girl inspired her future to work in the veterinary field. She accomplished research in her undergrad with Jersey cows and was a part of a published study in the Journal of Dairy Science! She enjoys watching thriller and horror movies with her boyfriend Grant, thrifting, and is a crystal-loving guru! They love to spend their free-time cuddling up with their two crazy kitty children, Theo and Nico.
Customer Service Representatives
Megan Receptionist
Megan moved to Indiana as a child and is no stranger to pet ownership. Having grown up with a small pet menagerie in her home, Megan has cared for all types of animals ranging from dogs to small rodents to ducks and turtles. Despite her childhood in animal care, she graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a degree in Law and Public Policy. After finding out her true passion was caring for animals, she began a career in animal care before joining Monon Animal Hospital in June of 2020. Currently located in Fishers, she shares a home with her fiancé Derek, their son Travis, and their three dogs, Flynn, Brute, and Perdita. In her free time, Megan can be found working on her digital art, writing short stories, or spending time with her family and pets.
Raven Receptionist
Raven came to the Monon in August of 2022. Raven previously worked in human healthcare. She was a CNA and worked with dementia patients. After the pandemic hit Raven became a stay-at-home mother for her two little girls, Remington (Remi) and Riley. Since both kids are now in school she recently decided to get back out into the working field and joined our team. She enjoys helping all of the clients needs/wants be met in a timely manner. She is also enjoying building relationships with everyone and their fur babies. In her spare time Raven loves watching any and all documentaries. She is really intrigued with the Royal family and REAL true crime.
Paige Receptionist
Paige brings 7 years of emergency & general practice experience to Monon AH. From working as a receptionist to assisting in surgery, her favorite part of vet med is creating long lasting relationships with clients and their beloved furry family members. In her free time she enjoys playing the drums, reading and tending to all of her houseplants.