MEET OUR STAFF
Dr. Danylo Butenko
Veterinarian
Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Dr. Danylo Butenko was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. Thanks to his parents’ love for animals, he grew up around pets. As a young person, Dr. Butenko read many books about animals, especially ones that exemplified the human – animal bond. He shared strong bonds with his pets, and at a tender age he experienced a tragic loss of one of his beloved companions. Although he did not know it at the time, this was the catalyst for his dream of becoming a veterinarian.
Dr. Butenko earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a concentration in neuro-psychology from Westminster College. He graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005 and in 2011 became a certified veterinary acupuncturist. He belongs to the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Butenko incorporates traditional Chinese veterinary medicine with western veterinary medicine. This includes using acupuncture and herbal therapy alongside conventional medicines. Dr. Butenko enjoys visiting classrooms and talking to students about veterinary medicine. He also appeared on an international news program to explain how to bring pets to the U.S. from Ukraine.
Shortly after completing veterinary school, Dr. Butenko moved to Chicago. He lives in the Ukrainian Village with his wife and two children. Dr. Butenko is fluent in both English and Ukrainian. His family has strong ties to the neighborhood and it has always been his dream to be able to serve the community that means so much to his family.
Daria
Practice Manager
This is our practice manager, Daria. She was born and raised in Ukrainian Village in Chicago. Her family has called this neighborhood home since they came from Ukraine over 70 years ago. Daria taught elementary school for 20 years until she decided to switch careers to join her husband, Dr. Butenko, in his new practice. They have 2 children and an energetic rat terrier named Luna. Her dream dog would be an old English Sheepdog. In her spare time, Daria likes to read.
Katya
Technician
This is Katya, one of our technicians. Katya grew up in Ukraine, but moved to Poland where she worked as a technician for 2 years. Katya joined the UVVC team in March of 2023. She has a Yorkshire terrier named Nika and a cat named Batman. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and drawing. Katya loves the color pink!
Michael
Head Technician
This is Michael, our head technician. He was born in the Philippines and came to Chicago in his early teens. Mike studied film at Columbia College. In his spare time, Mike like to ride and work on his motorcycle and to fix things around the house. He has two dogs, Mochi and Yoshi. He has a knack for remembering a lot of useless but interesting facts.
Roman
Technician
This is Roman, one of our technicians. Roman is from Lviv, Ukraine. He studied at Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology. His hobbies include fishing and archery. He describes himself as a helpful person who wants to make everyone smile. In the future, he would love to travel to the country of Georgia.
AlexAndrea
Reception
This is AlexAndrea. She is part of our reception staff. She is from Chicago and attended Triton College. She likes to sing, in fact, she performed with the Chicago Children’s Choir in high school. AlexAndrea has two cats – Meeka and Clyde. In the future, she would love to own a ranch and ride horses.
Svitlana
Reception
Meet Svitlana. She is part of our reception staff. Svitlana was born in Ukraine where she was a teacher. Her hobbies include reading and modeling with clay. She also enjoys taking photographs. Her dream pet would be a Maine Coon.
Darcie
Reception
Meet Darcie, our head receptionist. Darcie is originally from Round Rock, Texas. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and a Master’s Degree from the University of North Texas. Darcie enjoys the great outdoors and you might catch her biking, hiking, or paddle-boarding. Indoors, she enjoys painting and crafting, but especially bowling. She has a cat named Beez.
Jessica
Assistant
Introducing Jessica, a native of Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with minors in Psychology and Chemistry. In her free time, Jessica enjoys reading, playing video games, and softball. Fun fact: her first pet was a chicken! Jessica officially joined the UVVC team as a Veterinary Assistant in May 2024, after initially spending time with us as a dedicated volunteer. We are thrilled to announce that she will begin veterinary school in 2025!
Office
We Treat Pets As Individuals
We make recommendations based specifically on your pet. Your pet is an individual and what works for him or her may or may not work for others.
