Although she had always been fascinated with science and medicine, Dr. Hannah Burnett was ultimately inspired to take the leap into veterinary care by her childhood cat, Carla. When Carla fell ill and needed medical attention, Dr. Burnett took her to a veterinarian—little did she know that she herself would become hooked! Dr. Burnett hasn’t looked back since; she’s the proud owner and chief veterinarian here at Hometown Veterinary Clinic.

Dr. Burnett grew up right here in Jacksonville and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville before earning a doctor of veterinary medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After helping pets at a practice in Springfield, Dr. Burnett and her husband Derek were thrilled to purchase Hometown Veterinary Clinic in April of 2017—she’s been tending to the area’s pets and animal parents here ever since.

As a veterinarian, Dr. Burnett is particularly fond of feline medicine and remains passionate about creating a low-stress environment for cats in order to make office visits easier for everyone. Professional interests also include soft-tissue surgery and dentistry. Most of all, Dr. Burnett loves interacting one-on-one with the pet owners of her hometown on a daily basis!

Aside from her interests in veterinary medicine, Dr. Burnett likes practicing her photography skills, working on renovation projects in her 1900s-era home, traveling (her favorite trips so far have been to Hawaii and Colorado’s Rocky Mountains!), and spending quality time with her family. She and her husband, Derek—Hometown Veterinary Clinic’s very own practice manager and co-owner—have a young son and a pair of loveable Chihuahuas, Henle and Mosby. They also have three clinic cats who spend their days here at the hospital: Scarlett, whose favorite pastime is causing trouble behind the scenes; Luna, who enjoys sitting on the front-desk counter and obstructing clients who are trying to check out; and Juliette, who can often be found snuggling with Scarlett on Dr. Burnett’s desk.

Derek first began dating his wife, Dr. Hannah Burnett, during his junior year of undergraduate studies. He’s been an integral part of the Hometown Veterinary Clinic story ever since the beginning! Derek is thrilled to serve the pets and animal owners of his native Jacksonville as the hospital’s Practice Manager and Co-owner.

Derek holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Western Illinois University, as well as a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He and Dr. Burnett purchased the practice in April of 2017, and Derek finds that he especially likes working on marketing implementation strategies and troubleshooting issues that arise day-to-day. Derek’s favorite part of his job, though, is getting to meet a wide variety of pets and animal owners on a daily basis.

When he isn’t tending to his duties here at the clinic or spending time with his wife, son, and pets at home, Derek loves playing and recording music—he plays the guitar, bass, and drums!—and attending live concerts.