Meet Our Team!
Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Unleashed Pet Care! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Get to Know Our Team!
Our Veterinarians
Dr. Kari Nugent
Veterinarian
Dr. Courtney Mercier
Dr. Mercier is one of our three fabulous DVMs here at Unleashed Pet Care! A fun fact about her is that she is a triplet and has older brothers that are twins! Dr. Mercier’s hobbies include all sports, with golf and pickle-ball being her favorites. She has 2 dogs and 1 cat and will always have a special place in her heart for Golden Retrievers.
Dr. Mercier went out to Arizona to pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian and graduated in 2022 from Midwestern University. She has been working here at Unleashed ever since.
Dr. Mercier’s favorite part of veterinary medicine is the human-animal bond and the important role pets play in the family. She wants to preserve that bond through good care and annual checkups to help pets live a long, happy life. Some special interests of Dr. Mercier’s are soft tissue surgeries, dental health, internal medicine, and preventative care.
Dr. Elena Panchal
Dr. Elena Panchal is one of our 3 wonderful Veterinarians at Unleashed Pet Care. She started as a Veterinary Assistant 12 years ago and has been a Vet now for almost 4 years. She grew up in New Jersey and went to school at PennVet. She dabbles in emergency work on top of general practice, and loves working with clients for preventative care to ensure their pets experience their healthiest lives. When she’s not in the office, you can find her curled up with her rescue dog and cat reading a book, tending to her native pollinator garden, or kayaking with her husband.
Our Staff
Brenda
Brenda is one of our fabulous LVTs, and co-ruler of the lab here at Unleashed Pet Care! Brenda started her career as a Medical Lab Tech more than 40 years ago. A diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism in one of her own dogs led to her growing interest in Veterinary Medicine. After obtaining her Veterinary Technician license, Brenda went to work for another wonderful clinic where she honed in her skills and grew as a technician. It was there where she met and began to work with Dr. Kari Nugent. Fast forward several years, and Brenda joined the team at Unleashed Pet Care in 2021! Brenda continues to work in both human and Veterinary Medicine where the lab holds a special place in her heart. Brenda and her husband currently share their household with 3 Beagles. She enjoys photography, craft beer, University of Michigan sports, and spending time with friends and family.
Courtney
LVT
Janeen
You may know her as Neen, veterinary medicine has been a huge part of her life for nigh on 50 years. She is the co-ruler of our lab and part of our surgical teams! Janeen’s career started as a receptionist at Westcott Hospital for Animals and she worked her way to technician and administrative assistant.
Janeen wanted to learn all she could, so she pestered her coworkers and often donated her time to accomplish that goal. With the knowledge gained from there, with a sprinkling of experience with exotics (anything from birds and reptiles to African Elephants) she was able to pass the boards and was licensed in 1984 as a Veterinary Technician.
She has had dogs, birds, fish, rats and cats. Presently, Janeen owns 3 cats, Tic, her resident curmudgeon, Walter, mystified by life, and Sir Rupert (the rotten) my most recent adoptee….an extremely (to the point of dangerous to himself) mischievous kitten.
Janeen loves her work and intends to do it until she can’t anymore. She enjoys her coworkers and all our pet parents here at Unleashed.
Molly
Molly joined the Unleashed Pet Care Team in October, 2024. She graduated from the Wayne County Veterinary Technology Program in 2012. Molly has a special interest in canine rehabilitation and received her certification as a Canine Rehabilitation Assistant in 2013. In her free time Molly enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, going to dog shows and conducting a long term study of Golden Retrievers. She shares her home with her husband and their three Golden Retrievers – Ben, Coral and Josh.
Maggie
Veterinary Assistant
Elise
Elise is a gifted Veterinary Assistant and is one of our twin Vet Assistants here at Unleashed Pet Care. She has been in vet med for over 10 years. Elise has a sense of humor that keeps us entertained and provides levity when we need it. She shares her home with her husband, daughter and a menagerie of pets including dogs and reptiles. She has a particular soft spot for Giant Breeds (she loves bit mutts, and she cannot lie).
Lace
Lace is one of our talented Veterinary Assistants at Unleashed Pet Care and is part of our surgical team. She has been in vet medicine for over 20 years. An interesting note, Lace is a twin and we have the luck to have both her and her twin Sister working with us. She is a lover of all things Bulldog and has several at home of differing varieties. She enjoys spending time with her family and assorted hobbies.
Deanne
Veterinary Assistant
Mary
Mary is one of our caring Veterinary Assistants who is just starting her career in Vet Med. She has studied zoology for 2 semesters at Michigan State and volunteered at the shelter when she could. Mary has since transferred to University of Michigan Dearborn and plans to continue to Veterinary Schooland work with small animals. Unleashed gave her, her first opportunity to really dive in and see what the veterinary world is like; we’re happy to be an active participant in her growth and education.
One fateful Christmas her and her siblings woke to find a Golden Retriever under the tree, Mary credits him with her love of veterinary medicine. One of Mary’s hobbies happens to be painting, you will find a beautiful painting of her family’s Golden in our lobby.
Dylan
Veterinary Assistant
Dylan is one of our caring Veterinarian Assistants. She has been with us a little over a year and is just starting her exciting journey in vet med and is currently pursuing her Vet Tech license. We are happy to be at the start of her foray into Vet Medicine. After getting her Vet Tech license she plans to attend MSU Veterinary School to continue her education but in the meanwhile is enjoying working and learning at Unleashed Pet Care with us.
Dylan has grown up with animals, she currently has two dogs, 3 cats and a guinea pig She was never really a cat person until their current cats; her and her cat are best friends. Her old dog has been by her side for almost 12 years and gets more mischievous the older he gets, but he’s her old man! Baking, reading, and singing are some of Dylan’s favorite hobbies, with baking taking top place and lets her relax and have fun.
Nicole
Practice Manager
Sherry
CSR
Sherry is one of our wonderful Client Service Representatives here at Unleashed Pet Care! A lifelong lover of animals, Sherry was blessed to grow up with and spoil dogs, cats and horses. After many years as a happy client of Unleashed Pet Care and watching the fledgling business grow, Sherry jumped at the opportunity to join our team of amazing and caring professionals as her “retirement” job. We are fortunate to have her sharing her skills collected over the course of her career in business and IT, joined with her love of animals to assist Unleashed Pet Care in providing excellent professional and compassionate care to pets and their owners through all stages of life. The icing on top for Sherry is getting to see all of the pets and to love on many of them.
Ruth
Ruth is one of our talented Customer Service Representatives. She brings over 30 years of experience is customer service to Unleashed Pet Care. She thrives on making connections and ensuring every person she interacts with feels valued. When Ruth is not busy delighting customers, you can find her tending to her garden where she cultivates plants and a love for nature. She also enjoys camping and canoeing adventures with her husband and their beloved pets. Ruth believes life is about balance and embraces every opportunity for fun and adventure.
Kim
CSR
Alesia
Alesia is one of our amazing Vet Assistants and Unleashed Pet Care. She has been working as a Veterinarian Assistant since 2005. Alesia truly loves what she does! Her favorite part is sharing the things she learned with our clients. She also loves being able to teach owners things that can make life easier and healthier for them and their fur babies.
Alesia shares her love with her husband, their 4 kids, 2 dogs and their cat Leo.