FORT STREET VET - Key Persons

Dr. Christie Banks is an Omaha native who, as a child, dreamed of becoming another Jane Goodall, living amongst and studying the animals of Africa. She had to make do by living with a menagerie of pets at home. Her dream of caring for animals never died and she took her first step toward pursuing it by earning her B.S. degree in Biology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. While a student, she worked as an assistant at a mixed-animal veterinary clinic. "I was immediately captivated by the challenging cases and great recoveries that I observed there and knew for a fact that veterinary medicine was my calling," she recalls. Dr. Banks went on to attend Iowa State University where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Upon graduation, she joined a small animal practice in Hastings, NE and there became an experienced veterinarian with special interests in veterinary dermatology, oncology, senior pet care and the management of chronic health conditions. After several years, Dr. Banks, along with her husband Brian and their young daughter, decided it was time to return "home" to Omaha and she accepted the position at Fort Street Veterinarian. "I was drawn to Fort Street Veterinarian because of the quality medical and personal care that Dr. Busselman and his team provide to each pet and client," Dr. Banks explains. "I was also impressed that Dr. Busselman went out of his way to meet my family and understood the important role they play in my life. I am unbelievably excited to join Fort Street Veterinarian!" "We're delighted to have Dr. Banks with us," says Dr. Busselman. "She's passionate about exceptional patient care, thoroughly enjoys building lasting relationships with pets and their people, and helps clients make informed decisions for their pets. Because we're continuing to grow with every year, we need another skilled veterinarian on staff and we believe that Dr. Banks fills the bill perfectly." In her free time Dr. Banks enjoys hitting the gym, traveling and spending time outdoors with her family. The Bankses currently share their home with a domestic shorthair cat named Bob. As a tiny kitten, Bob was left with his littermates in a cardboard box outside a gas station. Dr. Banks splinted his broken leg, fell in love with his rambunctious personality and decided to make him a permanent family member.

Dr. Danielle Weidauer is a Kansas native, raised in a small town in western Kansas. Farm and ranch life resulted in a profound love of animals, and at an early age, she had a strong desire to be a veterinarian. She attended Kansas State University for her undergraduate education where she also earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. Dr. Danielle brings over 15 years of experience in veterinary medicine, with expertise in soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, and abdominal ultrasound. Her career began in the St. Louis metro area, but she has spent the majority of her career at a busy animal hospital here in Omaha. She is a member of the AVMA and has served on the Nebraska Academy of Veterinary Medicine Board of Directors. Dr. Danielle and her husband, Kurt, have two children and a fun-loving Boston Terrier, Oscar. She loves spending time with her family and friends and is an avid fan of Kansas State athletics. The Weidauer family is involved with their church and enjoys participating in various sports and traveling.

Animals have been a lifelong fascination for Dr. Smith, even though she did not have pets until later in childhood. As a young child in Alabama, she would catch anole lizards in her front yard, examine them and then release them back into her yard. Her family still tells a story about a 2-inch-long beetle that ended up in her mother's handbag. A child of two teachers, community service was a keystone of Dr. Smith's upbringing. Her family moved to Lincoln when she was 11, and as soon as she was old enough, she began volunteering at the Capital Humane Society. While volunteering there, she fell in love with a mixed breed puppy. After several days of persuading, her father finally agreed to let her adopt the puppy. By that time, the puppy was slated to be euthanized due to a parvo outbreak at the shelter. Dr. Smith was able to adopt the puppy, and with the help of a Lincoln veterinarian, she nursed "Jack" back to health. This experience planted the idea of veterinary medicine as a career. Jack was an amazing dog and an all-around good boy. He passed away a few weeks after Dr. Smith graduated from veterinary school. Dr. Smith continued volunteering at the Capital Humane Society through her high school and college years. Eventually, she began taking adoptable pets for pet therapy visits to Lincoln area nursing homes and in-patient mental health facilities. This very rewarding experience demonstrated the tremendous power of the human-animal bond and cemented Dr. Smith's decision to become a veterinarian. Dr. Smith obtained her B.S. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and went on to earn her DVM from Kansas State University in 2006. After graduation, she moved to Washington state where she practiced small animal and exotics medicine, emergency medicine and canine reproduction. In Washington, she served on her county's emergency response team. She also volunteered with an organization providing veterinary care for pets of the homeless as well as an organization working to preserve wild raptors. She also helped establish a rudimentary adoption program/shelter for adoptable pets relinquished to animal control in her county. Dr. Smith moved back to Nebraska in 2015 after starting her family, and she's been practicing in the Omaha area since then. Dr. Smith enjoys working with families to help them make the best workable decisions for their pet and for their family. She also enjoys pediatrics, senior pet medicine and internal medicine. Dr. Smith is a member of the AVMA and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and holds an AAFP certificate as a Cat Friendly Veterinarian. Away from the clinic, Dr. Smith enjoys spending time with her children and her menagerie of family pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits, a tortoise, and her toddler's stuffed caticorn, "Bob".

Dr. Jennifer Jones is a Massachusetts native whose love of animals was instilled growing up with her family's dogs and her horse, Scotty. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she did her thesis research on equine reproduction techniques and competed on the school's equestrian team. She received her veterinary doctorate from the Virginia-Maryland School of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech where she specialized in their combined large and small animal program. Dr. Jones practiced for over 10 years in Virginia and Maryland before moving to Nebraska. She is an AVMA member, past President of the Nebraska Academy of Veterinary Medicine, and is certified in veterinary ultrasound. Dr. Jones loves spending time with her daughter Eliana and their French Bulldog, Bear, and cat, Spooky, traveling home to be with her family, and gardening.

Dr. Shauna Tordrup grew up in the small South Central Nebraska town of Doniphan. It was in high school that her deep interest in science and medicine, combined with her love of animals, sparked her "epiphany" to become a veterinarian. She graduated from Doniphan High School and went on to receive her Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from Nebraska Wesleyan University. From there, she went to veterinary school at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with her DVM in 2008. She spent 2008-2009 completing a Small Animal Medicine & Surgery Internship in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she gained invaluable experience working with various veterinary specialists as well as primary care emergency work. In 2009, she joined the Fort Street Vet practice. "From the first time I set foot in the clinic, I knew that I could call Fort Street Veterinarian my work ‘home.' Everyone was so inviting, the clinic was clean with a very welcoming atmosphere, and Dr. Busselman took time to get to know me as a person and not just as a veterinarian. I could tell how much the staff and clients respected him and I knew that I wanted to be a part of the Fort Street Vet family. "Under Dr. Busselman's leadership, we've built a very solid team here at Fort Street Vet. Each member contributes to the impact we have on a client and their experience at ‘the vet' and I believe that it's because of this team effort that we're able to deliver high quality care and communications. It's also why clients come back and refer others to us. Everyone here is dedicated to making each and every client and pet feel welcome and at home." Dr. Tordup is married to her best friend, Shawn, and loves spending as much time possible with him and their two adorable young ones. Their animal family members include Bernice (Pug Mix), Windsor (English Bulldog) and Doctor Dog (Black lab mix) who is Dr. Tordrup's constant sidekick and companion. Dr. Tordrup is very close with her family, especially her mom and sister who have been her biggest supporters throughout her career journey. Her hobbies include Jazzercise, playing the piano, reading, Husker football and spending time with friends and family