VETERINARIANS
Veterinarian/ Owner
Dr. Cody Kalmon
Dr. Cody Kalmon grew up an hour away from Bloomington in the small town of Nineveh, Indiana. As a child it was clear that he had a passion for animals. He raised pigs, chickens, goats, and ducks in 4H and served as the president of his group. He loved spending his summers working with his animals and shadowing a local veterinarian. After high school Dr. Cody completed a business degree from Ball State University. He went on to obtain his DVM at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. During school his love of surgery grew and he was awarded the Excellence in Small Animal Surgery Award during his forth year clinical rotations. After graduation he accepted an associate veterinarian position at Arlington Heights Veterinary Hospital in Bloomington, Indiana. He immediately fell in love with Bloomington's beautiful nature, Lake Monroe, and small town atmosphere. Along with his family he started Furry Friends Veterinary Hospital in the summer of 2017 with a goal to provide excellent high quality medicine and surgery customized to his clients' needs. He is passionate about veterinary medicine and his strong interest in surgery, dentistry, oncology, cytology, endocrinology and ultrasound allow him to provide exceptional care for all of his patients. He enjoys serving his community and is interested in educating youth. Please visit our Events & Specials page to learn more about youth education opportunities with Dr. Cody. When Dr. Cody isn't serving the community of Bloomington he enjoys, boating, fishing, water skiing, and doing any outdoor activities with his wife and 3 daughters as well as hanging out with his goldendoodle-Izzy, mutt-Louie, cat-Bobby and leopard gecko- Mango.
Veterinarian
Dr. Rachael James
Dr. Rachael James is a Bloomington native. She attended Purdue University for both undergraduate school and veterinary school where she graduated in 2018. She moved to Alaska after veterinary school to practice for two years prior to moving back home to Bloomington to be closer to family. Dr. Rachael likes to spend her time traveling, hiking, and creating ridiculous crafting projects. She is passionate about education, preventative care, and providing high quality medicine and care. Rachael spends her free time being controlled by her spoiled pets Hobbes (Rottweiler), Calvin (Doll Face Persian), Bugs Bunny (an Alaskan street kitty), Westrion (a criminal and genuine terror of a cat) and Pellet (a cute cat with a sprinkle of murderous spirit). She is excited to be a part of the Furry Friends team!
STAFF
Practice Manager/ Co-Founder
Whitney
Whitney grew up an hour away from Bloomington. She is very excited to call Bloomington her permanent home and to be able to serve the community through Furry Friends Veterinary Hospital. She graduated in December 2007 from Ball State University with a business degree. After college she married Dr. Cody and had various positions in marketing, management, sales, event planning and office assistance as they moved around for his schooling. She was supportive of Dr. Cody pursuing his dream to become a veterinarian and was an integral part in starting Furry Friends Veterinary Hospital. Most of her work for the clinic is unseen, but she can be spotted working around the clinic while her three young daughters are in school. In their free time, Whitney and Dr. Cody enjoy boating on Lake Monroe with their family and dogs Goldendoodle Izzy and Mutt Louie. At home they also have a cat named Bobby and a beta fish named Sparkles.
Judi, RVT
Registered Veterinary Technician/ Shift Manager
Judi and her husband Paul have lived full time in Bloomington for over two years. They had a part time home for over 18 years on Lake Monroe prior to that. Judi enjoys her time exercising with her two Vizslas, Honeyman and Jagger. In her spare time she volunteers at PALS (people and animal learning services) an organization that supports horse therapy for special needs children and adults. Judi is returning to her roots of years ago when she was registered as a Veterinary Technician after attending school at Purdue Veterinary University. In 2020, after 1.5 years at Furry Friends, she became re-certified as a RVT. She is thrilled to be a part of Dr Cody’s Veterinary staff.
Mechel
Advanced Veterinary Assistant/ Shift Manager
Mechel was born in Riverside, California before moving to South Bend, Indiana as a teenager. She then ventured to Bloomington to pursue music opportunities, which she continues to do. Having always grown up with kittens, she adopted her first rescue cat, Pistachio, in 2014. He became a big brother when she adopted two more rescue kittens, Luna & Mac. She and her significant other are also the pet parents to two guiana pigs, Toostie & Rollo. In her free time outside of being a fur momma, she loves playing guitar, conquering video games, and learning new things. She is more than excited to be a part of the team! Mechel started her career in the veterinary field with Furry Friends in 2019 and has grown tremendously in her skill and knowledge. She currently works as a technician for our team.
Paige
Advanced Veterinary Assistant/ Shift Manager
Paige has lived in southern Indiana her whole life. She’s always had a passion for animals and the idea of working with them. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her dog, Riley. They love to travel and explore new places to hike. This is her first job in animal care and she has enjoyed every minute of it. She’s very proud to be a part of the Furry Friends team and is excited to keep growing as a veterinary assistant.
Renee
Advanced Veterinary Assistant/Shift Manager
Renee joined the Furry Friends team in the fall of 2021 as a receptionist after having worked in various customer service positions. She always had an interest in working with animals, but this is her first job in the veterinary field. She feels it has been the most challenging and rewarding experience. From the interactions with clients and their pets, to the incredible amount of knowledge she has gained, to the hands-on training as a vet assistant, she is honored to be a part of such a driven, compassionate team who shares like-minded goals of providing quality care for our patients. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her partner and generally being outdoors, listening to music, reading, and playing with her cat, Furocious. She hopes to one day have a canine companion. She volunteers at Wildcare, a local wildlife rehab. Renee and her partner have big dreams to build their own sustainable home where they can live with goats, chickens, and other various creature friends.
Mary
Advanced Veterinary Assistant/ Shift Manager
Mary is originally from Daytona Beach, FL, and grew up traveling with the carnival as a child until she was old enough to start school. After settling down in Southern Indiana with her family, she became a professional seamstress under the tutelage of her late mother, and subsequently took ownership of her sewing business. Growing up she helped take care of as many as eight rescue cats at a time and now has 3 dogs, Benny, Zoey, and Ollie, and 2 cats, Wednesday and Mac. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, traveling, and being outdoors with her dogs and family. She has been with Furry Friends since 2022, and is absolutely loving it.
Stephanie
Customer Service Representative/ Advanced Veterinary Assistant
Stephanie grew up in Owensburg, Indiana and has lived in southern Indiana her whole life. She’s had a passion for animals for as long as she can remember. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors hiking and kayaking. She also loves spending time with her four fur babies. She worked in animal care years ago and is so happy to be back caring for animals as part of the Furry Friends team!
Lisa
Customer Service Representative/ Advanced Veterinary Assistant
Lisa grew up on the west coast and moved to Bloomington in 2020 with her husband Mike. They moved here to be closer to his parents and start a family of their own. Lisa has worked in the Veterinary field since 2006 and has a special interest in feline medicine. With her extensive experience, knowledge and skill, Lisa works as a customer service representative and serves as a technician at Furry Friends. She shares her home with four kitties and enjoys spending time with family. Her hobbies include anime, cosplay and gaming.
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Makinna
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Makinna grew up in Bloomington and went to school for criminal justice but has always had a passion for animals. In her free time she likes to travel, hike with her dogs and make stained glass art. In 2021 she took in a German Shepherd puppy from a bad home and decided to get him the care he needed. He ended up having a lot of medical problems and was told he wouldn’t live past 1 year old. She made it her mission to make sure that didn’t happen. Early 2026 Koda just turned 5 years old and is happy and healthy living his best life! Makinna wanted to learn more about veterinary medicine and help more animals in need, and is very excited to be apart of the Furry Friends team and keep growing in her knowledge and skills to keep animals happy and healthy!
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Nicole
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Nicole was born and raised in Dallas,TX. She moved to Bloomington in August of 2021 with her dog Jackie and cat Madam Mim. Nicole has been with Furry Friends since November of 2021 and is looking forward to continuing to learn new things. During her free time she enjoys watching movies, playing video games and enjoys playing board games.
Jasmine
Customer Service Representative/ Advanced Veterinary Assistant
Jasmine grew up on her parents farm about 30 minutes outside of Bloomington. She cannot remember a time in her life when she has not had a pet. In February of 2017, she met her soul dog, a doberman-pitbull puppy named Cocoa. Cocoa passed in the Spring of 2022 after being diagnosed with cancer. This made Jasmine want to help other pets in her honor, so she transitioned from human medicine to veterinary in the Fall of 2022. When she’s not at work or being a fur mom to her two dachshunds (Moo and Oink) and black cat (Aki), she enjoys reading, kayaking, camping, and anything art-related. Jasmine is so proud to be a part of this team, and cannot wait to meet your furry friend!
Sam
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Sam is an incredibly passionate person dedicated to the care of all animals. Throughout her life she has cared for a majority of furry, scaly, and feathered creatures. Born and raised in Utah, she recently moved to Bloomington to finish her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Behavior at IU. Sam has a dream to work alongside the more exotic animals, and bring awareness to the importance of their conservation. Sam currently lives on the outskirts of Bloomington with her husband, Clay; 1 dog, and 2 very spoiled cats. She enjoys golfing, kayaking, and going on motorcycle rides. If it’s sunny, she’s outside!
Bea
Registered Veterinary Technician
Bea was born and raised in Brazil and moved to the United States in 2022 to pursue her studies in veterinary medicine at St. Petersburg College in Florida. She earned her AS degree in Veterinary Technology and became a Registered Veterinary Technician shortly after graduating. Bea worked as an emergency veterinary technician in a specialty hospital, where she developed a passion for ER/critical care and helping animals through their most challenging moments. From a young age, Bea knew she wanted to work with animals and make a difference in their lives. She is dedicated to providing compassionate, gentle care to every patient and supporting their families. Recently, she moved up north with her husband, Cole, and is excited for this new chapter in their lives. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and exploring the outdoors. Bea is proud to be part of the Furry Friends family!
Skye
Registered Veterinary Technician
Skye was born in Kokomo, IN and moved to Bloomington in 2011 after graduating high school. They graduated from Harrison College with an AAS in Veterinary Technology in 2015 and has been a RVT since 2019. Skye joined the Furry Friends team in September 2023. They have a keen interest in feline and wildlife medicine. They live with their 3 gray DSH cats named Hoods, Max, and Koda. In their free time, you can find Skye hiking in national parks, rock climbing, gardening, or watching scary movies.
Lauren
Customer Service Representative/ Advanced Veterinary Assistant
Lauren joined the Furry Friends team in July 2023 after graduating from Butler University with a degree in Biology. She realized her love for taking care of animals after working for a pet sitting company while in college. Lauren lives in Bloomington with her boyfriend, Conor, their spicy cat, Ozzy, and their mischievous golden retriever puppy, Winston. In her free time, Lauren loves to travel, spend time with family and friends, and play tennis.
Xa
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Xa grew up in Monticello, IL and went to collage at Eastern Illinois University for degrees in Biology and Chemistry. After graduating, she worked with exotic animals as a zookeeper at accredited zoos in North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee; and with domestic animals as a kennel technician at an animal shelter in Tennessee. (Her favorite zoo animals to work with were ocelots, raccoons, and three-banded armadillos!) Her dedication to help animals and educate people brought her back to the Midwest to Furry Friends in August 2023. She is thriving and has continued learning and growing as an animal care professional!
Kathryn
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Kathryn is Bloomington born and raised, and has always had a love for animals. She joined the Furry Friends Team in August 2024, and has been loving every second since. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, kayaking, and cuddling with her pets Salty and Koda.
Gwyn
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Gwyn was born in Maryland but moved to Bloomington as a young child. She started with Furry Friends as a high school intern in 2022. She is attending Indiana University majoring in Biology and hopes to continue on to veterinary school after undergrad. In her free time Gwyn enjoys reading, swimming, and spending time with friends and family. She can be found around the clinic mostly during summer and holiday breaks and part time during the school year.
Liv
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Liv was born and raised in Bloomington and graduated from Bloomington High School North in 2022. She joined the Furry Friends team as an intern in 2021 and she is currently a student at Purdue University. In her free time, Liv enjoys spending time with her family and going on long walks with her pup, Lenny
Tyler
Customer Service Representative/ Veterinary Assistant
Tyler was born and raised in Lagrange, a small town in North-East Indiana. He started shadowing at Furry Friends in the fall of 2023 and began working there shortly after. Tyler is attending Indiana University, majoring in Biology and minoring in History, with hopes to attend vet school after graduating from undergrad. Tyler likes to be outdoors, read, and play games with friends in his free time.