At Crysler Animal Hospital, we believe that great pet care starts with a great team. For over 40 years, we’ve been a trusted name in veterinary medicine for the Kansas City suburbs of Independence, Raytown, Lee’s Summit, and Blue Springs, and that kind of longevity doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of the people behind it.
Our culture is built around collaboration, respect, high standards of care, and a shared commitment to doing what is right for every patient. Whether we’re working through a complex case, supporting a pet owner, or helping a colleague through a busy day, teamwork is central to how we practice veterinary medicine.
A Team Built on Experience and Heart
Our veterinary team is dedicated to serving the full range of medical needs for pets, providing everything from routine examinations to potentially lifesaving surgical procedures, and everything in between. With decades of combined experience in the field, our doctors are committed to providing the highest quality of veterinary care available, while our technicians and support staff work just as hard to make every visit positive for pets and their people.
Our doctors include Dr. Jay Schweizer, Dr. Kevin Harsha, Dr. Daniel Bowen, Dr. Alex Mandi, and Dr. Erica Nowlin, a group whose combined experience spans decades of general practice, surgery, and specialty interests. Dr. Schweizer, for example, earned his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri with magna cum laude honors, while Dr. Bowen brings over 30 years of small-animal clinical practice experience, including a background in emergency and critical care medicine.
That same depth of experience runs through our support staff. Our team includes registered veterinary technicians like Megan Torrens, who has worked in the veterinary industry since 2010 with a focus on phlebotomy and clinical pathology, and Valerie Hoffman, another long-tenured RVT on our team. It’s this mix of steady, experienced hands and genuine care for animals that shapes the way we work together every day.
What Is It Like to Work at Crysler Animal Hospital?
Veterinary medicine can be fast-paced and demanding, which makes the people you work beside especially important. At Crysler Animal Hospital, our goal is to create an environment where team members can communicate openly, rely on one another, and remain focused on providing thoughtful care even during busy days.
Our team works across preventive care, diagnostics, dentistry, surgery, urgent medical concerns, senior care, and a variety of other cases. That clinical diversity helps keep the work engaging while giving team members exposure to different areas of veterinary medicine.
For veterinary professionals who value hands-on experience and continued learning, working alongside colleagues with decades of clinical knowledge can provide meaningful opportunities to exchange ideas and develop professionally.
What Makes Our Environment Different
A world-class experience, built on rigorous standards. Beyond offering a state-of-the-art facility that allows us to meet the needs of a wide range of pets, health needs, and conditions, we’re proud to uphold rigorous industry standards. These standards help ensure our practice provides an experience that keeps pets comfortable, at ease, and safe throughout their visit, while owners receive flawless communication, service, and respect.
A full-service, well-equipped practice. Our team works with digital radiography, dental radiography, in-house labs, CO2 laser, and ultrasound technology. We perform everything from elective spays and neuters to orthopedic procedures like cruciate ligament and fracture repair. Working in an environment equipped for this range of medicine means our team is always learning and applying real clinical variety, not just routine visits.
A practice that treats pets like family, and treats its people the same way. We describe our approach to clients as treating every pet as if they were our own, and that same warmth extends to how our team treats each other. Whether it’s celebrating milestones like our seasonal Pet Dental Month awareness campaign or working together on a full surgical caseload, our team approaches the work with the same compassion we ask our clients to trust us with.
A hospital rooted in its community. We’ve spent over 40 years building relationships with pet owners across Independence, Raytown, Lee’s Summit, and Blue Springs. Our team takes pride in being a familiar, trusted resource in the community, the kind of place where clients become regulars and team members become fixtures.
Why Our Culture Matters
A veterinary hospital only runs as well as the people inside it. That’s why we’ve built a team where experienced doctors and technicians work side-by-side, where standards are high but support is constant, and where the same care we bring to our patients extends to the people who show up every day to provide it.
If this sounds like the kind of environment you’d want to be part of, we’d love to have you learn more about our team and what it’s like to work here.
Explore Life and Veterinary Careers at Crysler Animal Hospital
If you’re looking for a veterinary career in Independence, MO, and value collaborative medicine, diverse clinical experience, and a team-centered work environment, we invite you to learn more about Crysler Animal Hospital.
Explore our team, get to know our approach to veterinary medicine, and discover what it can mean to build your career with a hospital that has been caring for local pets and families for more than 40 years.
