Dr. Richard Banks

Practice Owner and Veterinarian

Dr. Banks grew up in the Lansing area and graduated from Grand Ledge High School. He graduated with honors from MSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. After graduation, he accepted a job in the Grand Rapids area. This is when he began to fall in love with West Michigan.

After working in the area for several years he decided this is where he wanted to plant roots and start his family. He opened Northland Animal Hospital in April of 2001. His goal was to run a hospital based on quality medicine, client education, and excellent customer service. After all these years he believes Northland sets the standards in all of these areas.

Outside of medicine he enjoys time with his wife Dana, daughter Hope, and son Foster. Camping, boating, and travel are their favorite family activities. He shares his life with his cat, Pepper, as well as two dogs, Bella and Brie.

Dr. Jenna Bauer

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Bauer was born and raised in southeast Michigan. She graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2015 after having completed her clinical year at Kansas State University. She and her family are thrilled to settle in West Michigan.

Dr. Bauer enjoys many aspects of veterinary medicine, including preventative care, dentistry, and senior medicine. Dr. Bauer loves connecting with clients and helping ensure a long, happy life with their beloved pets. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, their Golden Retriever named Huckleberry and cat named Poppy, reading, hiking, traveling, and cheering for the Detroit Red Wings.

Dani

Practice Manager

Dani has been with Northland Animal Hospital since 2016. She began as a Client Service Representative and Office Manager and was promoted to Practice Manager in 2024. She began her career working with animals at the Humane Society of West Michigan in 2010 and then worked in a few other veterinary clinics before finding a home at Northland Animal Hospital. Her favorite part of working at Northland is the relationships that she is able to build with the clients and their pets.

Dani has a B.A. in English from Arizona State University and has studied Veterinary Practice Management through Penn Foster College. In her spare time, Dani enjoys going to concerts, reading, and spending time with her friends and family, including her two cats Pippa and Ducky.

Michelle

Lead Licensed Veterinary Technician

Michelle has been with Northland Animal Hospital since 2017. She has been a licensed veterinary technician since 2013, but has been in the veterinary field since 2000. She has 14 years of experience in emergency veterinary medicine, and combined 9 years in general practice.

Michelle’s professional passions include dentistry, nutrition and weight loss, and finding solutions to practice problems. Her favorite thing about working at Northland animal hospital is having the time to dedicate to our clients and patients. She also loves using fear free techniques and skills she’s learned from her certification.

Michelle’s biggest personal passion, aside from her human and furry family, is native Michigan plants and ecology. She shares her home with her dog, Bacon; cats Mouse, Cletus, and Jeff; and chickens Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia, and Rose.

Isabella 'Bella'

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Isabella ‘Bella’ is a licensed veterinary technician who graduated from Baker College in 2020 and worked at another general practice in West Michigan before she joined our team in September of 2022. She has a passion for small animal care, preventative care, and educating clients.

In her spare time, she loves taking her pups, Pepper and Koda, to the dog park and lazy days at home reading books and snuggling with her cats Rogue and Polaris. Otherwise you can find her outside camping with her family.

Ashley

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Ashley has been with us since August 2023. She graduated high school from a small town called Ellsworth, Michigan, and then went on to complete her associates of applied science degree in veterinary technology from Baker College of Cadillac. Two years ago she moved to Grand Rapids and has now settled here at Northland. Ashley's passions as a veterinary technician are dentistry and diagnostics.

Ashley lives at home with her husband Chad, their 1 year old Tabby kitty named Mando, and 7 year old Brittany named Moki. In her free time she enjoys being outside, going boating and jet skiing, playing softball, and playing games on her PC and Switch.

Sam

Veterinary Assistant

Sam has been working at Northland Animal Hospital since 2019. She started off working as facility assistant before moving to a veterinary assistant in 2021. Outside of work, Sam rides horses competitively across Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky and has been doing so for 10 years now.

Currently, Sam is a student at Grand Valley State University studying Biology with an emphasis of pre-veterinary. Outside of her busy lifestyle, Sam enjoys hanging out with her two dogs, Maxine and Penny, buying new houseplants, and antique shopping!

Dani 'D'

Veterinary Assistant and Client Service Representative

Dani ‘D’ was a client of Northland Animal Hospital for 10 years before joining the team in April 2022. When asked about her time at Northland she said “Having been a client myself for so long and now an employee, I can honestly say that the people at Northland Animal Hospital truly do care about their clients and the animals they meet. I am very proud to be a part of this team.”

Dani works at the front desk and also spends time in the back as a vet assistant. Her favorite things about working at Northland are the animals she meets and also the great people she gets to work alongside.