Meet Our Veterinary Team
Meet the wonderful veterinarians and staff of Arch Animal Hospital. We take great pride in providing excellent care for your pets!
Get to know our doctors.
Dr. Mike Richards
Veterinarian, Owner
Dr. Mike grew up in the Metro East since early childhood. After graduating from East Alton Wood River High School, he attended the University of Missouri-Rolla, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biological science. He then attended the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2009. While in vet school, Dr. Mike married his high school sweetheart, Beth. After graduation, they moved back to the St. Louis area. Dr. Mike first practiced in Fairview Heights for 3 years, then in Waterloo for a year. They purchased Arch Animal Hospital in early 2013.
As a young child, Dr. Mike always had an affinity for animals of all kinds. The household that he grew up in with his older brother and younger sister always had pets around. Throughout childhood, they had four dogs, three cats, a guinea pig, a turtle, and several hamsters.
Dr. Mike became interested in veterinary medicine at a fairly early age, largely inspired by his uncle, Dr. Richard Vesper, who practices small animal medicine in Columbus, Ohio. His mother was also a major influence, herself an avid animal lover.
Dr. Mike and Beth have two amazing daughters, Audrey and Eleanor, and an awesome son, Charlie. In addition, they have Rylie, a golden retriever, and Crosby, an English retriever named Crosby. They love being a part of the St. Louis community and look forward to helping the pet owners of St. Louis by providing the best possible medical care for the furry family members all over St. Louis.
Dr. Kyle Ihnken
Veterinarian
After graduating in 2015, Dr. Kyle moved to St Louis to start his career as a veterinarian. Dr. Kyle Ihnken joined the Arch Animal Hospital team in 2016 and then the Fischer Animal Hospital team in 2018. He is thrilled to finally live in Valley Park with his wife, who he met while an undergrad at Mizzou. Together they have two dogs, Penny and Mabel, who are wild and energetic but so very loving. When not working or taking care of the messes from his dogs, Dr. Kyle is a big sports fan- he is always cheering for his favorite teams, including the Cardinals, Mizzou, and many others!
Dr. Stephanie Weber
Veterinarian
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Samantha Heppermann
Veterinarian
Dr. Samantha was born in Chicago, IL but after a family move grew up in St. Louis. She had an interest in animals at a young age and came to work at Arch Animal Hospital in high school as a kennel attendant. Dr. Samantha graduated from Kennedy Catholic High School and went on to pursue a bachelor’s in science at Lindenwood University. Her relationship with Arch Animal Hospital continued throughout the years helping in various positions with the now long-term goal to receive her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed her clinical year at Kansas State University. Dr. Samantha graduated on January 31, 2023, and is eager to begin her career as a veterinarian! Her schooling has taken her to many locations but we are lucky to have her return to Arch Animal Hospital as a now Doctor of Veterinary Medicine! Dr. Samantha grew up with three siblings and always a large dog or two running around the house. Her parents took quite a liking to St. Bernards, so she is no stranger to lots of dog drool and barking. She now helps care for her family at St. Bernard, Odin, and Great Pyrenees, Athena, as well as her very own dwarf rabbit, Ragnar. In her free time, she likes to stay active, travel, and spend time with her friends and family.
Get to know our team.
Dawn
Dawn has been in the veterinary field for well over 17 years. She started as a Kennel Technician and worked her way to Veterinary Receptionist and Veterinary Assisting. She received her Certification as a Veterinary Assistant from Penn Foster. Currently, she is enrolled to gain her CVPM through Penn Foster as well. Dawn is passionate about helping others, and she wears many hats here at Arch Animal Hospital West. We are proud to have her as our Practice Manager. Outside of the hospital, you can find her with her family by the river, studying hard to gain knowledge to be the fearless leader she is. Dawn trains in Mixed Martial Arts and is working on continuing her skills to gain her blue belt. You can defiantly hear from afar when she gets home with her two hounds and heeler that keep her and her husband entertained.
Kristen
Kristen has been at Arch since May 2016. She graduated from Hickey College Vet Tech Institute in 2011 with an AAS-Veterinary Technician Degree and passed the VTNE to become a Licensed Technician in 2020. Kristen has many pets, including dogs, cats, a ferret, and various reptiles, including ball pythons, an iguana, a tegu, and a sulcata tortoise. Kristen is very passionate about her position in management. Her goal is to create a positive workspace for the Arch team. She loves attending CE that focuses on hospital management to learn as much as she can about different management styles. She enjoys mentoring technicians that are new to the field and watching them grow in their position. Kristen is also very passionate about anesthesia and pain management and strives to ensure her patients receive the most up-to-date care while they are at Arch Animal Hospital for any surgical procedure. In her free time, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and kids.
Candace
Candace has enjoyed working at Arch Animal Hospital since 2012. She graduated from the Vet Tech Institute at Hickey College, where she earned her Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology. She loves working as a customer service representative at Arch because she loves helping animals and their humans too!
In her spare time, Candace loves to read books, take walks, and spend quality time with her family. Their family also includes a playful, sweet, and affectionate orange and white cat named Thor.
Alyssa
Bio coming soon!
Rachel
Tiffany
Ashley
Kenzie
Angela
Jon
Louie
If this ginger kitty seems like a lot of fun, it’s because he is! He purrs a lot and always wants to be around his favorite person. Lou is affectionate, has a bold personality, and is not shy AT ALL about expressing himself. His motto: BE YOU, THEY’LL ADJUST. He is on the braver side as far as tabbies go. He enjoys time outdoors- harnessed and on a leash. Lou has claws and is not afraid to use them. (if you have a curious canine, consider this your warning!)
Louise
Fiercely independent and unpredictably quirky. She makes her needs and presence known with mews and meows throughout the clinic. She is a sensitive tortie cat that LOVES to eat. Louise came to us, an injured kitten, by way of a good samaritan. We don’t know how many lives she has left, but she intends to be weird with the rest of them!