Debbie
Debbie is a born and raised Hoosier! She was born in Greencastle, but grew up on a farm in Reelsville, Indiana. It wasn’t until she was married that she moved to Terre Haute.
As far back as she remembers, Debbie has always loved spending time around animals. On the farm as a child, she was surrounded by pigs, cows, horses, goats, chickens, turkeys, cats, and dogs. With her background, it’s no coincidence that she has made a career out of caring for animals. She joined the Heritage family in October of 2000.
Debbie’s first memory of a real family pet is a funny one! She recalls a time when her grandfather was working in the barn and accidentally knocked over a bird’s nest. In it was a little baby crow. Knowing that he wouldn’t survive long on his own, Debbie and her family took him in, fed, and cared for him until he was able to go off on his own. To their surprise, he had grown attached to the family and wouldn’t leave! So, they named him Baby Doll and made him their family pet. He would fly off during the day, and come back home every night where he’d sleep in his comfy cage inside the family home. He learned to communicate too! He would say things like, “Hello,” “Hi,” “Baby Doll,” and “Cracker.” He lived as their pet for about five years until one day he didn’t return. We’d like to think he found himself a lady friend and flew the coop!
Debbie’s pet family didn’t stop there. She grew up with a Chihuahua named Toto, an Old English Sheepdog named Muggins, and a cat named Petie. She currently has five pets in her home: Jaxon, a Schnauzer mix; Emma a Rottweiler; and three cats, Ceejay, Lilly, and Nitro. Her crew makes for good snuggle partners!
In her free time, Debbie enjoys spending time with her family. She has three grown children, all of who live fairly close. Her oldest son lives in Brazil, her youngest son lives in Terre Haute, and her daughter lives in Skokie, Illinois. She has three grandchildren of who she absolutely adores. She loves to have an occasional “girls” day with her oldest granddaughter! Debbie also enjoys antiquing, crafting, and anything that involves home décor.
Debbie’s favorite part of her job is meeting new patients. She enjoys seeing them, holding them, and watching them grow up! She is passionate about educating new pet owners about properly caring for their pets so they can have the best and healthiest life possible.
Debbie fun fact: Debbie’s favorite pet related movie is Home Again, and her favorite pet related cartoon is Scooby Doo!
Autumn
Autumn is from Clinton, Indiana, a small town rich in Italian heritage, just north of Terre Haute. Growing up, she was a devoted member of her local 4-H club. It was during her time with 4-H that she would be exposed to a whole world of animals and learn how to properly care for them. Over time, she would gain experience with steer, pigs, horses, and of course, her beloved dogs. Although Autumn had grown up always having a dog in her family, it wasn’t until high school that she would discover a special bond with her dogs.
Autumn attended South Vermillion High School, where she was a decorated track athlete. She had such a passion for running, she realized that she could include her dogs as running partners. Besides providing her with some good old fashion company, her dogs also protected her during long runs out in the country. This is where her love of large or giant breed dogs all began! Get her around Collies or Tibetan Mastiffs, and you’ll have one happy camper!
After high school, Autumn chose to join the Air Force. She had a successful career in information management for eight years. During that time, she got to travel the country and meet some lifelong friends along the way. Autumn left the Air Force in order to focus on her growing family. She raised three children and a husband along the way! Her fur family currently includes Nina the Collie, Dakota Bear the Tibetan Mastiff, and Willie the crazy cat!
Autumn joined the Heritage family in April of 2000 as a receptionist and recently accepted a promotion as the front desk manager.
Autumn fun fact: Her favorite animal related movie is See Spot Run and her favorite animal related cartoon is Tom and Jerry!
