Dr. Joe Gibbs joined the Tomahawk Animal Hospital team in 2005 after completing a yearlong internship at the local specialty and emergency hospital, Mission MedVet. He was born and raised in Prairie Village and graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School. He continued his education at the University of Kansas, the birthplace and shrine of college basketball. After receiving his undergraduate degree in biology at KU, he moved down I-70 a few miles and attended Veterinary Medical School at Kansas State University, graduating in 2002.

Joe lives with his wife Courtney, their daughter, Olivia and their many pets. When not at work, Dr. Gibbs is an avid Jayhawks and Chiefs fan and spends a lot of his weekends cheering on his teams. He also enjoys many outdoor activities such as camping, biking and fishing. He plans on taking fly-fishing lessons next Spring. Trout are not too concerned at this point!

Being a veterinarian was the only thing Dr. Elizabeth Wilcox ever wanted to do when she grew up.  Born and raised right down the street from the hospital, Dr. Wilcox worked in kennels and as a veterinary assistant in the area prior to going to college at Kansas State.  She received her bachelor’s degree in animal science, then continued to veterinary school; graduating in 2006.  Now she’s a veterinarian, but still not grown up!  Dr. Wilcox spends most of her time outside work with her family. She has a large mixed breed dog named Hank, two cats named Toby and Ivan, and recently welcomed her first non-fur baby, her son Liam.  Dr. Wilcox also enjoys board games, reading and playing poker, as well as camping and attempting to play golf when the weather allows.  Dr. Wilcox joined the Tomahawk team in 2007 and will also be seeing patients at our Somerset location a couple days a week.  She loves being a veterinarian because she gets to help people enjoy a close and satisfying lifelong bond with their pets.

Dr. Kent Kraus is a first generation American and a native Kansan. Among his numerous achievements, Kent graduated sigma cum laude from a private college preparatory school, was initiated into Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society of Kansas State University, became a lifetime member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, had his first publication in Prairie Naturalist in 1988, graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991, served eight years as a board member on the Kansas City Veterinary Medical Association and is a current board member for Pets for Life.

But as Kent himself is fond of saying, "WHO CARES!? That and 52 cents might buy you a cup of coffee...somewhere." And the reason Kent would say this about his many accomplishments? As he puts it, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

And care he does. Since 1991, Dr. Kraus has had a successful career working at veterinary hospitals and clinics in the Kansas City area. In February 1997 he began working at Tomahawk Animal Hospital. In 2001 he had the opportunity to purchase the practice and became the owner of Tomahawk Animal Hospital. As owner he has continually made improvements to the hospital which have helped him continue to practice veterinary medicine the way he always has, by focusing on the well-being of the animals and doing what is right for his clients, animal and human alike.