Katharine Dawn Andre

“Dr. Katie” was born Nov. 21, 1960, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Naomi and James Andre. She was the oldest of four girls. The family moved to the Kansas City, Kan., area, where Katie’s affinity for animals flourished and led to a string of pets that included dogs, cats, mice, tadpoles (then frogs), ferrets and a luna moth. She graduated Shawnee Mission East High School in 1979, and earned her undergraduate and veterinary degrees at Kansas State University, finishing in 1986.

At Kansas State, Katie worked in wildlife rehabilitation and volunteered for a crisis intervention hotline. She was always the first person to extend a hand to help, to humans and animals alike.

After graduation, Katie moved to New Jersey and spent 10 years in veterinary practice there before moving to Arizona to open her own practice. Katie devoted countless hours of volunteer work and veterinary care to animal rescue organizations and inspired fierce loyalty and love among her clients and their fur babies.

Katie is survived by her partner, Cari Crew; daughter, Rhiannon (Paul) Berardi; grandsons Theodore and Oliver; sister Kimberley Andre (Bill McDonald); sister Karol Monnet; and sister Karla (Royce) Face. She was preceded in death by her parents.