About us
Shelter Veterinary Solutions was established by Drs. Barbara Kompare and Jessica Von Waldau to provide affordable and accessible veterinary services for the animal rescue and welfare community. Both founding veterinarians have worked with multiple private, municipal, and non-profit organizations and are equipped to address the needs and challenges in this unmet area of veterinary healthcare. We have over 35 years of combined veterinary experience with over 22 years of experience in shelter medicine.
Our newly designed full service hospital allows for efficient patient care and offers a wide variety of services. As an independent business, Shelter Veterinary Solutions proudly services multiple organizations allowing for more homeless patients to get the healthcare they need and deserve.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide quality veterinary care and solutions that incorporates shelter medicine best practices for animal rescue organizations.
Our Team
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Barbara Kompare, DVM
Managing Partner
Dr. Barbara Kompare is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She worked in a low-cost clinic in the Chicago suburbs prior to her Maddie’s post-DVM Fellowship in Shelter Medicine with Purdue University. She has been working as a shelter medicine veterinarian in Chicago since completion of her fellowship in 2011. She is proud to serve on the board of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians since 2019 and the executive board since 2021. Her professional interests include infectious disease control, population management, and behavioral health. She is passionate about the importance of animal welfare, clinical decision making, and teaching the next generation about the exciting field of shelter medicine.
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Jessica Von Waldau, DVM
Managing Partner
Dr. Jessica Von Waldau is a graduate of the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine. She has over 25 years of experience of which 12+ years have been dedicated to shelter medicine. She has worked in a variety of settings including private shelter facilities, municipal shelters, mobile surgical units, and community vaccination programs. Special skills include high volume/high quality spay/ neuter, working with feral cats to provide TNVR (trap, neuter, vaccinate, return), dentistry, soft tissue surgery, reconstructive surgery, and consulting on complex medical and surgical cases.
Other areas of work include designing and modifying protocols, consultations on shelter hospital remodeling and construction, guidance on veterinary equipment purchasing, and consultations on specifications and logistics for mobile surgical units.
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Hannah Pearson
Veterinarian
Dr. Hannah Pearson is a graduate of the University of Illinois. Before vet school, she worked as a veterinary assistant in a cat shelter, and interned at multiple animal rescues. During vet school, she was the President of Shelter Medicine club and organized multiple community clinics and spay/neuter events. She also has international shelter medicine and spay/neuter experience in Costa Rica and Greece. Her veterinary interests include soft tissue surgery, dentistry, preventative care, dermatology, and internal medicine. She is enthusiastic about animal welfare, the human-animal bond, and promoting public health. Through her work at Shelter Veterinary Solutions, she hopes to make an impact on the Chicagoland rescue community and increase access to care for shelter animals.
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Sarah Combis
Lead Veterinary Assistant
Sarah Combis is originally from the Chicagoland area and recently moved back after spending the past six years in Cleveland to be closer to family. She has worked in veterinary medicine for nearly 10 years, with experience across a variety of settings, including general practice, emergency, and specialty medicine. Growing up, she spent her summers volunteering at a local animal shelter, where she developed a lasting passion for shelter medicine and a deep appreciation for the work shelters do to improve the lives of animals. Having grown up surrounded by cats, dogs, and guinea pigs, caring for animals has always been an important part of her life. She currently shares her home with her goofy Golden Retriever, Milton. Outside of work, she enjoys running, traveling, and watching sports.
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Shaina Rashes
Veterinary Assistant
Shaina started her career in animal welfare by volunteering with shelter animals in college and has been in the field ever since. Starting as a kennel technician, Shaina has worked in many areas of animal welfare, including adoptions, enrichment, and now the medical field. She is passionate about helping local animals in the Chicago community and providing care to shelter animals in need.
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Jassie Roberts
Veterinary Assistant
Jassie’s passion for shelter medicine stems from her commitment to helping Chicago’s most vulnerable animals receive the compassionate care they deserve. Before joining Shelter Veterinary Solutions, she worked as a veterinary assistant at a Chicago-based rescue organization, where she also foster-failed her cat, Mishka, while earning her bachelor’s degrees in biology and gender and sexuality studies. Having recently completed her studies, Jassie is excited to begin her full-time career in shelter medicine.