About Us
Dr. Becky Banks
I always wanted to be a veterinarian, so naturally, I earned an undergraduate degree in film. After a handful of years working in independent film, my interest in animal welfare drove me to return to the classroom as a veterinary student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I graduated with my doctorate of veterinary medicine in 2008 and have worked since then as both an emergency and primary care veterinarian in both Vermont and Wisconsin.
Riverwest has been my stomping ground since I was a kid - so after working at other clinics on the periphery of the neighborhood for years, I knew it was time to set up Riverwest Veterinary Clinic.
I have always felt the most fulfilled when I am able to earn the trust of another species. Being worthy of this relationship is the basis of my medical philosophy which focuses on utilizing my knowledge to prevent disease and to improve my patients' quality of life. I keep the premises of animal welfare as the foundation of my daily practice by focusing on the mental and physical well-being of my patients so that they can have long lives free of fear, pain, and illness.
I live with a cat named Oscar who adopted me 14 years ago, as well as a mischievous mutt named Ginsburg. We all recently suffered a huge loss when our rescue crayfish named Iceman passed away. Iceman had been with us for years and reached the size of a small lobster before his final earthly molt.
What her co-workers say:
We call her DJ Snake Beak, Banksy, or BB. You may recognize her as the flesh-colored blur that keeps going in and out of your exam room. She has a fondness for 80's tech (wears a calculator watch), break dancing, and serving your pet mashed baby food with ungloved fingers. Snake has the most OSHA violations for accidentally poking coworkers with needles and likely many unreported OSHA violations for climbing on countertops and chairs to reach things (she's a shorty). As we said, BB moves fast and can be hard to locate, but we have found the most reliable way to get her to appear magically is to crack a Mountain Dew Kick Start and throw down some Skittles. In fact, BB has consumed dog treats on more than one occasion when she mistakenly put them into her scrub's designated "Skittles pocket."
My path to veterinary medicine has been anything but linear, so much like every other veterinarian I first received a degree in Economics. After about a year of struggling with the idea of working in a big office and corporate America, I decided it wasn’t ever what I truly envisioned myself doing as a career and that I would never find something like that fulfilling. So one morning I woke up and decided to go back to UW Milwaukee to start from scratch in order to become a veterinarian. After 2 short years back in college, I was admitted to vet school. I graduated from UW Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 2023.
I actually met Dr. Banks many years ago when she took care of my family pets, then had the pleasure of working with entire Riverwest Vet Clinic crew at their last clinic. So when I heard Banks was opening a clinic of her own I couldn’t wait to officially become part of the team!!
What his co-workers say:
We call him GQ or Wanna-Be-Figs-Model. He is sincerely the nicest and most patient person ever (unless the fluorescent lights are fully up which makes him go full-blown asshole). Alex worked at Riverwest Veterinary Clinic as a receptionist for 2 months before he told us that he actually was applying for the DVM job, not the front desk position (which was fortunate because he was about to be fired for being the worst receptionist ever). GQ has the voice of an easy-listening radio host and the most handsome menagerie of pets. His hobbies include antibiotic stewardship, standing very still for 8 minutes while awaiting snap test results in the clinic, and making the best sandwiches ever. (Despite his sandwich-making talent, he was recently overheard saying, “My mom has not made me a single sandwich since I graduated from vet school.”)
Dr. Alexander Kindness
Erica
I'm Erica. Like most veterinary professionals, I have always loved animals. I was that weird kid who had too many pets and maybe not enough human friends. I spent my childhood reading books about dogs to my dog, and I worked my way through high school by walking dogs. After high school, I tried, and failed, to become a stable hand (it's hard being a horse crazy city kid). I then attempted a few non-animal related jobs, but quickly admitted defeat and got a job at the local pet shop. In my 6 years there, I befriended zoo keepers, entomologists, dog groomers, and vet techs. In 2013, a coworker (and friend) helped me stumble into my first vet job, and I was instantly hooked. I became a Certified Veterinary Technician in 2015, and I had never been so proud of anything - until now! I am honored to help build this awesome practice with these amazing people.
Born and raised on Milwaukee's South side, I now live in Bay View with my husband, my second-hand designer dog, my scruffy little Heinz 57 mutt, my husband's elderly cat, and my handsome Russian tortoise (a throwback to my pet store days).
I can't wait to meet your pets and make them love me.
What her co-workers say:
We call her ED or Daytona. Erica has a very large, mildly unsettling assemblage of small skeletons and teeth she has collected during her self-guided archeological adventures. Daytona has the absolute best Halloween parties ever, and her dogs actually enjoy when they are costumed for these shindigs. We have no idea what hair color ED was born with because it is usually Rainbow Brite Red or Ectoplasm green. Erica was once overheard while enthusiastically petting a client's recently groomed feline, "There is nothing I love more than petting a freshly shorn kitty!" It was weird for everyone because of her level of true excitement in this moment. This girl's smile could light up your way for miles and miles.
Cassie
I'm Cassie, a Certified Vet Tech who graduated from Globe University Madison in 2011. I have been working as a vet tech since then. As a child, I immersed myself in books and nature documentaries. I spent my time reading old rabbit husbandry books I got at rummage sales, researching dog breeds, and watching Steve Irwin on Animal Planet.
While on my journey of self-discovery in college, I decided to transfer schools to enroll in the Veterinary Technician program because working with animals was the only thing I could picture myself doing until I retired. I'm looking forward to meeting new animals and seeing old friends at our Riverwest clinic.
What her co-workers say:
We call her Casserole. If she did not have magenta, blue, or purple in her hair (and usually all three), we would worry about her. Ordering food with Cassie is painful because she is the pickiest eater we know, and if she does eat a vegetable, it is likely because she grew it. She ate 3 vegetables last year. Casserole hoards plants and literally cannot focus on you during a conversation if you are situated near an interesting plant. Cassie's eye rolls are legendary. You will never know if you talked to this one on the phone because her phone voice is entirely unrecognizable from her normal speaking voice. It's quite adorable and makes her seem nicer than she is.
Caitlin
Hey, I’m Caitlin. I work as an office administrator/inventory connoisseur/receptionist/all-of-the-jobs specialist at Riverwest Veterinary Clinic. My one true love in this world is animals. I have always been drawn to them, and people say they are drawn to me. Honestly, I wouldn’t be here today without animals. The way our furry family shows compassion, love, and care is something we should all learn. At the end of every day, I sit at the end of my bed with my cat George and watch the sunset. We take a moment to reflect and truly appreciate each other.
What her co-workers say:
We call her HBIC. She watches sunset with her cat George every night which she films and shares with us via group text every eve. This gal can talk, and she talks to George more than anyone. He responds and is equally chatty (controlled hyperthyroid for those veterinary professionals wondering!). HBIC is not good at polite banter or being fake friendly to assholes. If you hear her attempt to converse or feign friendliness with rude or mean people (as is often required in customer service), you will be uncomfortable and disturbed by her expression and forced laughter. Caitlin is the first baby Banks was ever allowed to hold, and nobody who witnessed it will talk about it. Caitlin studied photography and is an amazing artist, but she still chooses to work with us. She is most likely of any of us to cry for any reason whatsoever.
Erica
Hello, I'm the Original Erica. I grew up on a big farm and have been working with animal friends my entire life. Since moving to Riverwest 20 years ago, I made it my business to meet every dog I have come across and to enter into an immediate best friendship with them. I'm very excited to be a part of my neighborhood's first vet clinic, both to provide top notch care but mostly to continue my life's mission to boop every beak ever.
What her co-workers say:
We call her E-Squared. Fact: She is the number one person on the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission's list when they have a 19 year old dog with 72 medical problems who needs a new home. Once joining her family, these dogs then become a part of her daily attire for their remaining days, as she will wear them strapped to her chest in a papoose. Erica eats only the cookie part of Oreos, and it is a classic move for her to scoop out the center and leave all of the cream remains in the center plastic trough of the package. E² has the best smelling hair in the universe (soapy and woodsy).
Kat
I never pictured myself working in vet med. When I moved to Milwaukee for school, my entire life revolved around the arts. After working at doggy daycares for a few years, I felt my trajectory change - I knew I wanted to work with animals in some way, shape, or form for the rest of my life. Not knowing if it would work out, a few years ago I took a leap of faith and accepted a receptionist position at a vet clinic. That ended up solidifying my love of helping pets and their people, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. After working at a couple different clinics, I’ve found myself back in my own neighborhood - there’s truly no place like home :)
If you’d like to get to know me, hobbies include:
-getting lost in the woods for fun
-spending every waking moment with my two dogs thinking about how cool they are
-watching basketball (Go Bucks!)
-singing, but like to an annoying degree
What her co-workers say:
Kat prefers we do not disclose what we call her, as it is her given Christian name. Kat is our only Gen Z staff member currently. Despite appearing normal, we often catch Kat reviewing PG-13 fairy novels on her lunch break. Kat is a firm believer in a burrito-a-day keeps the doctor away. Kat drives like a boss. Banks was a passenger in her 2010 Chevy Traverse once, and she said this was the most exhilarating passenger experience she has had to date. If we didn’t all know Kat previously from a clinic where we all worked, we would believe she was an AI generated android that was produced specifically to work with us as the perfect coworker to add to the mix. If she does turn out to be a robot, she appears to be water-proof and bleeds very realistically.