Meet Our Team
Dr. Shane Garner
Medical Director
Fear Free Certified Professional, AVMA Member
Dr. Shane Garner provides care at both Superior Veterinary Care and Cotner Pet Care.
Dr. Shane Garner is a passionate veterinarian who thrives in his dedicated career. With a profound love for both people and animals, he finds immense joy in the unique connection between humans and their furry companions. Dr. Garner is committed to ensuring a positive experience for both pets and their owners during veterinary visits. His efforts are focused on alleviating any stress that pets may feel, creating a comfortable environment for all.
Known for his positive and light-hearted approach, Dr. Garner brings a touch of humor to the veterinary team with his collection of dad jokes. Outside of the clinic, he cherishes moments with his family and engages in activities such as hiking, camping, and playing the guitar. Dr. Shane Garner is not just a veterinarian but a dedicated advocate for the well-being and happiness of both pets and their human families.
Dr. Cassandra Heath
Veterinarian
NVMA Board Member, AVMA Member
Dr. Heath Garner provides care at both Superior Veterinary Care and Cotner Pet Care.
Dr. Heath (like the candy bar!) grew up on a farm one hour west of Lincoln. She knew that she wanted to be a part of this profession after riding along with the local veterinarian during career day in high school. She watched him treat an injured alpaca, and realized that this lifelong journey was what she wanted to embark on. Dr. Heath will celebrate 10 years as a veterinarian in May of 2024. She says that her husband and two daughters have been an intricate part of this journey along the way. Communicating treatment and preventative wellness plans are very important in patient care and she takes pride in guiding owners in the best way to care for their pets. When taking off the stethoscope at the end of the day, she enjoys camping and spending time with friends and family!
Helena
Veterinary Assistant
Helena is one of our amazing veterinary assistants who brings amazing enthusiasm to our team. She loves cozy nights spent snuggling in with her fur babies, knitting, and catching up on her favorite shows! She has four pets at home: Winston, Loki, Junipur, and Norman. Her passion for animals started at a young age when she rescued a squirrel after it fell from a tree!
Lindsey
Veterinary Assistant
Trupanion Certified Professional
Lindsey is also one of our wonderful veterinary assistants. Since she is an undergraduate at University of Nebraska- Lincoln working towards her ultimate goal of becoming a veterinarian, most of her free time is spent studying or enjoying the amazing student life Lincoln has to offer. In her little downtime, she prioritizes time spent with her friends and family.
Colleen R.
Veterinary Assistant
Colleen thrives on care-giving to everyone and everything. For over 25 years, she has put her love into nursing homes and veterinary clinics, driven to enhance others' lives. She and her husband, Jason, have two incredible children, Spencer and Sammi, and their family is rounded out by their spoiled fur-babies: cats Fergie and Zeppelin, and their mini poodle, Cookie. Colleen is a Taekwondo wife and mom, and is the loudest cheerleader at tournaments. She loves new adventures and experiences, traveling, and spending lazy days with her family. She’s as happy as a dog with two tails!
Ashley
Practice Manager / Veterinary Assistant
Ashley is our Practice Manager and is currently in school to become a licensed technician. She came to us with an extensive background in management, HR, and doggie daycare experience, as well as a love and passion for rescue animals. She is most excited to work with behavioral cases and works tirelessly to help make the clinic fear free. She currently has a house full of dogs, Max, Luna, Dominic and Ruby, as well as two cats, Cricket and Kitty. Free time, outside of work, school and being a mom to two little girls is scarce, but live music or around a bonfire with good friends is where you will find her.
Kara
Receptionist
Kara is our fabulous receptionist at Cotner Pet Care! She has lived in Lincoln all her life. She prides herself as being a great pet mom who adores her fur babies, and regularly watches her parents' dogs that she considers furry siblings. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, as well as crafting any ideas her friends and coworkers come up with. She is excited to be the first person to greet you and your pet when you come to visit us!
Momma Ellis Cotner
Clinic Ambassador
Momma Ellis is one of our three clinic ambassadors! She takes her job very seriously of alerting the staff to any creature comfort issues. She is famous for her laid back and can nap attitude. She can be found spending her free time making others aware that diets are overrated, throwing her mane around to garner votes on Instagram, and pondering deep thoughts on how to avoid any treat supply chain issues.
Meredith Cotner
Clinic Ambassador
Meredith is one of our three clinic ambassadors! She and her sister Cristina first applied to work for us when they decided they would prefer a better home than a cold local trash compactor. She takes her job very seriously and just loves to greet ALL our clients and patients. She can be found spending her free time socializing with anyone who asks her too, cleaning up any extra fear free treats, and catching up on Grey’s Anatomy.
Cristina Cotner
Clinic Ambassador
Cristina is one of our three clinic ambassadors! She and her sister Meredith first applied to work for us when they decided they would prefer a better home than a cold local trash compactor. She takes her job very seriously, but prefers to do her work behind the scenes so she may not always be up front to say hello. She is famous for her ability to give cuddles and extra attention to the staff. She can be found spending her free time searching for leftover Churro, working on her personal self-care, discussing cases in depth with Dr. Breinin, and catching up on Grey’s Anatomy.
