Dr. Charles J. Bares, Practice Partner
I graduated from MSU with a B.S. degree in Medical Technology in 1969. I then spent a one year internship at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan. I was employed in the Pathology Department at MSU as a Medical Technologist and I started working towards a M.S. degree in Clinical Laboratory Science. I subsequently graduated from MSU with my DVM in December, 1974.

I worked briefly at Orchard Lake Veterinary Hospital and then took a position at Parkway Veterinary Clinic working with Dr. Clif McClumpha and Dr. Richard Kirchgatter.

I have worked at both Parkway locations. Besides being the president and partner in the practice, I have had a considerable amount of management duties. My professional interest includes surgery, internal medicine, feline medicine, dentistry and dermatology. I have had extensive hours in continuing education at various local, national and international meetings.

I have been a member and past president of Canton Rotary Club, and am currently a member of the Plymouth Rotary Club and past president of the Plymouth Rotary Foundation. I am a member and past president of the Southeastern Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, member of Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Heartworm Society.

I am married to my wife Sue, and have two married children, David (Laura) and Lisa (James). I have two grandsons, Charlie and Evan. I currently have two Golden Retrievers named Callie and Izzy. I have a soft spot (i.e. passion) for Siamese cats.

My other interests outside of practice include riding my jet skis, water skiing, SCUBA diving, and golf. I am still active in Sokol Detroit which is a Czechoslovak based gymnastic, cultural and social organization where I have been Director of Men for several years and currently I sit on its Board of Directors. I have a passion for MSU sporting activities especially football and basketball where I am a season ticket holder.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Routson, Practice Partner
I have been interested in caring for animals from my earliest memories. When I moved to Plymouth two days before the beginning of 5th grade, I made life plans of operating a horse farm with my good friend and classmate at Bird School. She would ride the horses, and I would care for them. At that time, I thought caring for the horses involved feeding, cleaning and brushing them.

As I grew up, I maintained my fascination with animals, and loved visiting homes with pets. My mother was allergic to anything with feathers and fur, so enjoying other families' pets was the best I could do.

In school, I loved math and science and literature, a strange combination, I know. Puzzles of most types fascinated me greatly.

My father wanted to know my career goals before I applied to college, and I read college catalogues cover-to-cover so that I could choose wisely. I was the oldest of four children, and was expected to be responsible in my choice, not a bad thing, I might add.

Veterinary medicine seemed to be the best way to combine my love of problem solving, science (especially biology), animals, and interaction with people. I am pleased to report that my choice has been a wise one for me as I cannot imagine doing anything else as passionately as this.

I graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 and began work in a small animal practice in Grand Rapids. This was a great learning experience and I really learned to appreciate the Plymouth community that I had grown up in. After nine months, I returned home, and began working at a large practice located in Detroit. This practice consisted of a large central hospital with a 24 hour emergency service and several smaller satellite clinics. I loved the mix of emergency work with general practice and benefited greatly from the ability to follow cases as they recovered from the initial emergency and became healthy, happy patients once again.

In 1990, I returned to Parkway Veterinary Clinic in Plymouth. This was where I first worked as kennel help before vet school. My long-standing mentors have been Dr. Clif McClumpha and Dr. Richard Kirchgatter. I feel fortunate to have been first exposed to veterinary medicine by these two caring and wonderful veterinarians.

Currently my life centers around my faith, family and career. I have two children currently in college, and a dog, a cat, and a very patient husband. In my "spare time", I enjoy reading and nearly anything to do with textiles. This includes weaving, spinning, sewing, needlework and quilting.

My second family consists of the staff and clients of Parkway Veterinary Clinic, and I feel very privileged to be invited by clients to help them provide the best care they can for each of their beloved pets.

My current plans are to remain at Parkway Veterinary Clinic as long as I can practice, which, God willing, will be for many years to come.

Dr. Michael Neault, Practice Partner
Dr. Neault was raised in Plymouth Township and has lived in this region for much of his life. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science and two minors from the University of Michigan. He then went on to veterinary medicine and graduated from Michigan State University of College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996.

Before moving back to the Plymouth area, he worked in a mixed animal practice in Davison, Michigan, from 1996-1997. He returned to Plymouth in 1997 where he has been practicing small animal medicine at the Canton office.

Dr. Neault is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Michigan Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA), Southeastern Michigan Veterinary Medical Association (SEMVMA), Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV), and the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He won the SCAVMA Leadership award in 1996. He was editor for SEMVMA journal for a year. He was also membership committee chairperson for 8 years with the MVMA and was honored with a SEMVMA award in 2002.

Dr. Neault stays connected with his community by being involved in local softball leagues and many other various organizations. He has also made many grade school, high school, and 4H presentations locally to various age groups about veterinary medicine and animal care.

Dr. Neault's interests are in general medicine, internal medicine, dentistry, soft-tissue surgery, and some (mainly mammal, and some reptile) exotic medicine.

Pam, Practice Manager
Hi, my name is Pam and with me are Libby and Cori, two of my many best friends.

I have been with Parkway Veterinary Clinic since 1992. Before this I was with an animal clinic in Farmington Hills for several years. I could not imagine life without my Parkway co-workers. I have grown up around dogs and cats all my life, and was raised around horses. I was diagnosed at 3 months old with severe asthma. I am on a lot of medication to be around animals!

I have a high passion for finding homes for stray animals. I volunteer with English Springer Spaniel Rescue of America also known as ESRA. The most satisfaction I get in life is when a stray finds a forever home.  I am always looking for a home for someone. Don’t be surprised if I call you !

The best thing about working at Parkway is the relationships I have developed with clients that have the same passion for animals as I do. The hardest of all days are the days we help our clients with the passing of their loved ones.

I love spring, summer, flowers, gardening, being on a lake, walking, riding bikes, reading books, country music, and anything animals.

October of 2007 I spent a week at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. That experience has changed my life. I have never been so astonished in the beauty of the red rock canyon, home to the world’s largest animal sanctuary. I plan to make that a yearly visit for as long as I possibly can.

Rhonda Herrmann, Licensed Veterinary Technician
Hello, my name is Rhonda Herrmann. I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician. I graduated in 2004 form the Veterinary Technology Program at Wayne State/ WCCCD and received my bachelors of Applied Biology in 2002 from Ferris State University.

I wanted to work in the veterinary field since I was 12 years old, when I decided I got along better with animals then with people. I have two dogs, Trixie and Pickles, which I adopted from my vet tech program in 2003. I also tried having a kitten once - but even after a year and a half the dogs still wanted to eat him so we adopted him out.

My hobbies include watching "A-Team" and "The Pretender" reruns in addition to anything that involves the outdoors.

I have been married since 2002. My husband and son, Nathaniel, born in 2004, have made memories with crayon murals in the bathroom (and down the hall), pillow fights and jumping on the bed. Nathaniel's animal care skills have already begun to unfold; every night he "marches" me around the house so he can feed our two fish tanks and the kids (dogs).

I find that the endless opportunity for education, room for creativity and the immediate gratification of MOST treatments with our patients to be the most rewarding parts of my job. I love learning about anything I can get my hands on. My passion in the veterinary field is dentistry, so maybe some time we can talk teeth.

Leah Herbert, Licensed Veterinary Technician
Hi, my name is Leah, and I’m a Licensed Vet Tech here at Parkway.  I graduated from the Wayne County Community College Veterinary Technology Program in 2005 with an Associate of Applied Science.  I’m currently attending Madonna University in pursuit of a degree in Clinical Social Work.  After graduation, I want to remain in the Veterinary field part-time.  I love it too much to just say goodbye!

I live in Dearborn Heights with my husband Jimmy and our pets.  We have a Golden Retriever named Gemini, and a little Chihuahua mix named Pickle.

When I’m not busy with work, I enjoy spending time with my friends and my husband, watching movies, reading and shopping.  When I get the opportunity, I like to attend continuing education seminars because it keeps me brushed up on my technical skills and knowledge, and I always learn something new.

The things I like best about my job here at Parkway are assisting in surgery and clinical pathology.  There’s always something interesting to see under the microscope!  I take pride in what I do and it’s a great feeling to see a patient progress and become happy and health again, and to know that I played a role in his or her recovery.

Chris Mays, Veterinary Assistant
Hi, my name is Chris. I have been with Parkway for about 1 year. I am the girl Friday, I work in all the areas. I love working with the animals and take the best care of them when their mom and dads are not here. I also am a member of English Springer Rescue (Pam snookered me in) so it’s not unusual to see me fostering a dog or three! 

Debbie, Client Care
Hi, I'm Debbie. I've worked at Parkway Veterinary Clinic since 1999. I've worked in the boarding kennel and as a veterinary assistant. My favorite position is my current position of Client Care. (Big Smile) It combines my love of animals and people. I love talking to you about your pets. I can be of help if you have a question or a problem.

Equally important to me, is being comforting and understanding during sad times for you and the pet you love. I know that people who love animals are good people to know!!

On the personal side, (you had to ask!) I lost my beloved Norwegian Elkhound, Queta, in December 2006. She was with me for almost 15 years. I still miss her. I have 5 cats, all of which I adopted as strays from Parkway. Two of them were just days old when I took them in to feed and raise -- I couldn't part with them after that!! (Call me a sucker!)

I also like drawing and painting people. I'm working/learning how to do portraits and have taken and will take more art classes at schoolcraft College. I love antiques (shopping & buying) especially the Victorian era. I like traveling by car or motorcycle and stopping at out of the way places -- just because. I like crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. I like doing aerobics to rock n' roll music and last but not least, I love hockey. Go Red Wings! I hope to see you soon! Come in and say Hi!

Jennifer, Animal Caretaker Leader
My name is Jennifer (they call me Jen for short).  I have one dog named Moe (dachshund) and 2 cats, Callie and Kitty. 

I started working at Parkway on August 13, 2004 and my job title is Animal Caretaker Leader.  I babysit everyone’s dog or cat when they go on vacation.  I just love my job because I feel I have a real good understanding and develop a special bond with all the animals I take care of.  (Where else do you get to hug & kiss dogs and cats all day?)

My best friend is Pam, she makes me laugh all the time.  I’m a very happy person and love to make my co-workers laugh.  They are like a second family to me. 

My two most memorable moments here were adopting my 14 year-old Dachshund, Moe from our stray ward.  (It was love at first sign for the both of us!)  I love to dress him up in all his clothes and I just can’t seem to put him down.  The other one was meeting the love of my life (Mark) while we were remodeling our building.

Another favorite thing is when all the dogs in the kennel bark & jump up & down with excitement when they see me in the morning (It’s the BEST!).  When I’m not at work I like to shop, read, and spend time with my friends and family.  One thing you can always count on is that your pet is in good hands with me.

Pam Brown-Steffen, Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
I have been working at Parkway since April of 2004. I obtained my license at the Wayne County Community College/Wayne State program in 1993 with an associate‚s degree of applied science in veterinary technology.

I like working at Parkway because I enjoy the medical field-not just working with human patients!  I enjoy emergency medicine and taking care of the sick and injured animals that come to our office.  I also like helping improve the lives of the animals and humans whose lives they touch.

I am an experienced breeder of Shiba Inus, the smallest of the Japanese Spitz.  I have bred and own several champion Shibas.  I also own a Miniature Schnauzer named Loki, and a rescued Toy Poodle, named Peaches.  Also I own a long hair Chihuahua named Baby Grand, because she was born by c-section and cost a grand before she could even open her eyes!  To round out the dog-dominated household, I also own a black cat named Snoflake (abandoned and raised by the Shibas)  and several canaries and finches.

I belong to cert., the Citizens Emergency Response Team in the city of Wayne, and am a 18 year Girl Scout.  My interests include classic cars, dog shows, and I am an accomplished baker.

Lisa Burnette
Hi, My name is Lisa and I've currently graduated Baker College with an Associate Degree in Applied Science as a Veterinary Technician. I am the newest technician at Parkway; my license is still pending due to my very recent examination to become licensed. I have four cats: Jinx, Cosmo, Kramer, and Chloe. These four are my children, at least I care for them as though they are. I would love to have a dog, but right now my busy schedule doesn't allow me the ability to give the proper attention that a dog needs. I've recently been engaged. When I'm not working, I enjoy water sports, doing yard work, and of course spending time with my fiancee' and the fantastic four (my cats). I live about an hour away from Parkway, which is quite a hike with gas prices these days. I travel three to four days out of the week to work here because I love the people I've met at Parkway. My co-worker's are an absolute blast to be around, which creates a very relaxed atmosphere for employee's, clients and their pet's. My goal is to make every pet's visit to the clinic a positive one. I'm looking forward to establishing new relationships with clients and sharing a bond with each patient that walks in that door.

Samantha, Client Care
Hello, my name is Samantha Hulin and I love to work with animals. I’ve lived in New Hudson most of my life and went to South Lyon schools. I worked at a pet store for 4 years before coming to Parkway. While there I cared for puppies, kittens and small animals. I also became certified by Dog Star as a puppy behavior and training specialist.

I own an Australian Shepherd named Spaz and two cats, Boomer and Patches. I actively take Spaz to an AKC training facility and he is canine good citizen certified. We also take classes on rally and obedience. My cats, well they just love to sleep.

I graduated from Specs Howard in 2006 and have a degree in videography. I still do video editing for fun and work freelance for EY!Vision. I also have a degree as an Animal Care Assistant, while attending Oakland Technical Campus.

I really enjoy the time I spend at Parkway Vet and am looking forward to meeting all the wonderful people that bring their pets in.

Jacob, Client Care
Hi, I’m Jacob, and I’ve only been at Parkway for a couple of months, but love it here.  I am in school preparing to enter the Wayne County Community College District Veterinary Technology program.  Prior to working at Parkway, I worked in materials science research and development. 

Both my wife Jen and I have been animal lovers our entire life.  Our families refer to our house in Wayne as either a zoo or Old MacDonald’s Farm.  Right now, I have four cats, Oscar, Milo, Sirus and Jane.  I also have two beagles, Henry and Abigail (they are with me in my picture).  On top of my two resident beagles, I usually have at least one foster beagle.  My wife and I are volunteers for BREW Midwest Beagle Rescue.  While it’s always hard to see our little babies leave us when they find their new homes, it’s a great feeling to know that they are getting a chance they otherwise wouldn’t have had.  Plus, there are always plenty of dogs in need, waiting for the chance to find a family that will love them for the rest of their life.

My favorite part of working at Parkway is the passion that everyone here has for taking care of the patients as well as educating the owners.  They really do work to be the best advocates for those who really can’t tell us what’s wrong when they don’t feel good.

Steven, Animal caretaker

Khailin, Client Care