Dr. Katie Dymek, DVM, is the new Medical Director at Harbor Animal Hospital! Dr. Dymek graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007 and completed her clinical training at Purdue University. She also held a rotating internship at Animal Emergency Center in Northbrook, IL. Dr. Dymek also holds a VSMT certification (Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy - chiropractic) and her areas of professional interest include internal medicine and surgery.
Dr. Dymek began working in the veterinary field in 2002 and is constantly inspired by her love for animals and educating owners about their pets. Originally from Poland, Dr. Dymek has lived in Germany, Slovenia, St. Kitts, and Nevis throughout her life. Dr. Dymek has been in Wadsworth, IL for 17 years and lives with her husband, son, two German Shepherd dogs, two cats, three horses, and seven chickens! In her free time, Dr. Dymek enjoys spending time with family, riding horses, jogging with her dogs, and gardening.
Dr. Spieker is an experienced, outgoing veterinarian who after 12 years in full time practice still believes that she is in the best profession on earth! Following graduation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008, she worked in a small animal general practice in Chicago's Rogers Park until 2016, which experienced tremendous growth throughout her time there. She has been providing relief work in more than 40 animal hospitals throughout the Chicagoland area since 2016.
She has a track record of working extremely well both with clients as well as colleagues and support staff, creating an environment of mutual respect, which leads to efficient and fulfilling teamwork. Dr. Spieker stays current on the latest developments in veterinary practice through regular attendance of continuing education events, including yearly AVMA, Western States or Northwestern Conferences, as well as local CE's etc. Additionally, she has also visited and received direct mentorship from local specialists in dermatology, surgery, dentistry, and ER medicine.
Dr. April Bufton graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette Indiana in 1995. She has volunteered with Brookfield Zoo, Willowbrook Wildlife Center, and the Shedd Aquarium. Dr. Bufton has been in the veterinary field since the age of 18 and enjoys all aspects of animal medicine. She enjoys small animals and exotics so much, she has filled her house with them over the years.
Presently, she shares her home with a mini English Bulldog named Skye, and boy, is she sassy. Dr. Bufton also has a passion for continuing education. She attends local conferences and has also traveled to the VMX in Orlando. In her free time, Dr. Bufton enjoys photography, swimming in the ocean, and she is an avid SVU organized crime fan.
Dr. Brooke Kinroth graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Blackburn College and went on to receive her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois in 2021. Her interests are in surgery, oncology, and end-of-life care.
As most veterinarians, Dr. Kinroth knew since childhood that she wanted to step into this career. She did so in 2015 by starting as an Emergency Veterinary Assistant.
Originally from South Beloit, IL, Dr. Kinroth now resides in Winthrop Harbor, IL. She lives here with her wife (Kendra) and their feisty three-year-old daughter (Piper). Dr. Kinroth has four dogs, four cats, and mischievous rats. In her free time, Dr. Kinroth loves reading from her massive collection of books, horses and trail riding, and hiking with her dogs.
Lori is our Practice Manager. She has been with Harbor since August 2021. She comes to Harbor with 25 years of experience in the medical field. Lori looks forward to learning all about animal healthcare and welcoming clients and their fur babies to Harbor. She has 2 pups, Boss, a Boston Terrier, who is 3 years old and Whiskey, a 6 month old Boxer/Lab mix who she rescued in May 2021. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, reading and watching reality TV to de-stress. Lori also enjoys spending time with her blended family which includes her boyfriend of 4 years, 5 teenagers and her 2 dogs.
Alyssa is our Lead Veterinary Technician at Harbor. A fun fact about Alyssa, she is certified to train dolphins! She is also a huge advocate for bully breeds, especially pit bulls. She loves when they come to visit, so she can care for them and love on them. She can't wait to meet your Pitbull babies. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys running with her Pitbull Denali and plays on volleyball leagues.
Haley is a vet assistant at Harbor. She has worked at Harbor for one year and is a great asset to our team. She has 4 dogs that she loves to take on walks and play tug with. Haley manages our social media accounts and keeps all of our patients and followers up to date with all Harbor happenings. Her drive and desire to help animals has led her to enroll in school and pursue a degree to become a certified vet tech. In her free time she loves to be outdoors and hang out with her family and friends.
Kayla is a receptionist at Harbor. She came to Harbor with 9 years of experience in the animal field and with many certifications. At Harbor, Kayla answers calls to schedule appointments, brings medications to clients at curbside and loves greeting and loving on your pets when they arrive. In her free time, she enjoys long drives that lead to beautiful scenery. The little things in life inspire her and she truly loves spending quality time with loved ones.
Directly off of Sheridan Rd, just .7 miles from Village Park and 2.5 miles from the North Dunes Nature Preserve.
Phone: 847-746-1915
