Staff

  • Dr Jack Shepherd DVM
    Dr. Jack Shepherd, DVM
    Veterinarian

    Dr. Jack Shepherd grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, where pets were a part of life from day one. He started working for a local veterinary clinic when he was only 15 years old—that was in 1970, and he’s been involved full-time with the veterinary field ever since. Dr. Shepherd and his team have been providing the very best in compassionate veterinary care for more than three decades, and he couldn’t be more proud to serve as the hospital’s Owner and Chief Veterinarian.

    Dr. Shepherd worked at pet hospitals throughout his undergraduate years and during his veterinary studies at Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating in 1981, and spent the next several years working in small-animal care at a variety of clinics in the area. In 1986, he got a call from the former owner of Westside Animal Hospital, Dr. Sharon Bennett, who was looking to sell the practice. Dr. Shepherd began ownership that year and started full-time operations at the hospital two years later in 1988. The rest is history! 

    As a vet, Dr. Shepherd has particular passions for internal medicine cases and surgical work. He loves to interact with his team members, the pet owners of the public, and their wonderful animal companions. And getting to dote on adorable puppies and kittens never fails to put a smile on his face. 

    When he’s not at work, Dr. Shepherd enjoys golfing, collecting stamps and coins, cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins, traveling, and spending quality time with his family. He and his wife, Connie, have two children. Genny works with her father here at Westside Animal Hospital, and Nick works in radiology at Good Samaritan Hospital. At home, Dr. Shepherd and his wife have two pets: Holly, a Golden Retriever who follows Dr. Shepherd everywhere (including into the office every day), and a longhaired cat named Izzy.

  • Dr. Melissa Shepherd, DVM
    Dr. Melissa Shepherd, DVM
    Veterinarian

    Dr. Melissa Shepherd’s favorite subjects in school were always science-related, whether it was biology, anatomy, chemistry, or physics. She's been a problem-solver all her life. Of course, Dr. Shepherd has also adored pets for as long as she can remember. What better way to satisfy her scientific interests while helping the earth’s creatures, she thought, than by becoming a veterinarian? Dr. Shepherd did just that. Now, she’s a proud member of the Westside Animal Hospital family!

    Dr. Shepherd is a Cincinnati native and grew up only miles from Westside Animal Hospital, where she brought her own pets all her life. She signed on here at the clinic in 2011 during her first year of undergraduate pre-veterinary studies at the University of Findlay. Dr. Shepherd transferred to the University of Cincinnati to finish her degree, then attended veterinary school at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee, continuing to work here at the hospital over the summers and on breaks. During her last semester of veterinary school, Dr. Jack Shepherd offered her a position on his team—she gladly accepted, and the rest is history! 

    As a vet, Dr. Shepherd likes the way her job constantly keeps her on her toes. She never knows quite what the next shift will bring! Most of all, she likes meeting pet owners and building a rapport with the animal parents of the area. 

    When she has time away from work, Dr. Shepherd likes running, playing soccer, hiking, gardening, rock-climbing, helping out at her daughter’s school, and spending quality time with her family. She and her young daughter named Elizabeth share their home with several pets. They have a loveable cat named Suki and three dogs: Torrey, a Black Labrador who is one of the most loyal dogs Dr. Shepherd has ever known; Dakota, a goofy Husky who comes to work with Dr. Shepherd every day; and a high-maintenance Chocolate Labrador/Doberman mix named Hattie.