Photo by Aubrey Weishaar – Dr. Maddie Barrett
by Aubrey Weishaar
After seven years of education, countless hours of hands-on training, and a passion for helping both animals and the people who care for them, Dr. Maddie Barrett is beginning her veterinary career at Meriden Animal Hospital.
Barrett, formerly Maddie Martin, graduated from Kansas State University, Manhattan, in May with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree after also earning her undergraduate degree in animal science from K-State. Her position at Meriden Animal Hospital marks her first job as a veterinarian.
Although she’s new to the profession, Barrett gained extensive hands-on experience throughout veterinary school by completing externships and shadowing veterinarians at multiple clinics during summer and winter breaks while balancing classes and lab work.
As a mixed-animal practitioner, Barrett treats both companion animals and livestock. Her work ranges from routine surgeries, wellness exams, and diagnostic testing for dogs and cats to providing care for cattle and other large animals. She’s also comfortable treating more unique species, including alpacas, after being exposed to a wide variety of animals during veterinary school.
“I like all animals, but snakes,” Barrett said with a laugh.
While she enjoys working with every species, Barrett admits cattle have always been her favorite. That interest has already expanded the services offered at Meriden Animal Hospital.
With Barrett joining the staff, the clinic now offers ultrasound services for cattle, allowing producers to perform pregnancy checks and other diagnostic procedures that previously weren’t available. The hospital has also added a small-animal ultrasound machine, which Barrett plans to incorporate into her practice after completing additional training.
“I think it will be a really useful diagnostic tool,” she said.
Although she’s excited to expand the clinic’s livestock services, Barrett says she currently feels most comfortable working with dogs and cats because they made up the majority of the cases she encountered during veterinary school.
Her passion for veterinary medicine began long before college.
While in high school in Protection, Kan., Barrett worked at her local veterinary clinic, where she discovered she enjoyed caring for animals and helping their owners.
“I grew up on a small farm and I was involved in showing livestock through 4-H and FFA, so I always liked working with animals,” Barrett adds. “Doing that my whole life and growing up in a small community allowed me to see the role that veterinarians played. That was something I knew I wanted to be a part of.”
That early experience led her to Kansas State University, where she spent many years learning the skills needed to care for animals of all sizes. She was also selected to participate in K-State’s Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas, a competitive program that provides financial assistance and specialized training for veterinary students committed to practicing food-animal and mixed-animal medicine in rural Kansas.
Through the program, Barrett received scholarship assistance that helped her complete veterinary school. In return, participants agree to practice full time in one of 95 Kansas counties with populations under 40,000 for four years after graduation.
For Barrett, that commitment fit naturally with the future she already envisioned.
“A big part of coming here was that I was also from a small community, and this just felt right,” Barrett said. “I wanted that small-town feel and connections you don’t see as often in a big city.”
Another piece of the puzzle came together while she was attending Kansas State, where she met her future husband, Payden Barrett. His family farms outside Grantville, and the couple now calls the area home.
“I was already planning on working in a rural community, so everything just kind of fell into place,” she said.
Barrett says every day as a veterinarian brings a new challenge. Between diagnosing illnesses, treating injuries, and helping anxious pet owners, she never knows exactly what the day will hold.
“The most challenging part is that every day is different,” she said. “You’re constantly learning and trying to serve your clients and their animals the best you can. But solving the mystery is also one of the most fun and rewarding parts.”
For Barrett, however, the greatest reward isn’t solving the medical puzzle—it’s helping the people behind the animals.
“Pets are part of our families, and they need someone to help them too,” she said.
She understands that bringing a sick or injured animal to the veterinarian can be emotional, and she hopes to provide reassurance and compassion alongside medical care.
When she isn’t seeing appointments in the clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and every other Saturday, Barrett’s truck is stocked with a veterinary box filled with supplies, allowing her to make house calls whenever needed.
Meriden Animal Hospital, led by Dr. Jeff Van Petten, is excited to welcome Barrett to the practice.
“We are very lucky to have her here,” Dr. Van Petten exclaimed. “She spent a week here before, and you could tell she was an individual who was not afraid to do hard work and she was willing to jump in and take the bull by the horns and solve the problem to make them better. All of the client interactions so far have been great and the clients have been very favorable and glad that she is here.”
Just a few weeks into her career, Barrett says she’s already felt welcomed by the community.
“I am really excited to be here, and the clients have been very welcoming so far,” she said.
As she settles into her first veterinary position, Barrett hopes to continue expanding her knowledge, strengthening relationships with local farmers and pet owners, and providing compassionate care to every animal that comes through the clinic’s doors—whether it walks in on four legs, arrives in a trailer, or is waiting out in the pasture.