Getting to know you: Dr. Shannon Jensen

Dr. Shannon Jensen can be found at the Perkins County Veterinary Hospital and Animal Shelter most days of the week, and Grant’s pet parents know their animals are safe in her hands.

However, there is much more the community can learn about Perkins County’s beloved veterinarian.

Jensen, who lists her age as “middle,” grew up in Benkelman. Her graduating class at Dundy County High was 30 students. She lived in town with excursions to her grandparents’ farm near Max, Nebraska.

She knew by her sophomore year of high school that she wanted to go to veterinary school, and ran on the motivation of “do better than my parents.”

Jensen met her husband Darren through mutual friends while in high school in Benkelman. Now, the couple has been married 31 years.

She attended college at Colorado State University from 1988 to 1993 where she received her Bachelor of Equine Science.

Jensen then moved on to Colorado State University of Professional Veterinary Medicine where she attended from 1995 to 2000. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine there.

Now, Jensen has been a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine for nearly 21 years, and can now be found taking care of area pets at the Perkins County Veterinary Hospital and the Perkins County Animal Shelter in Grant.

One thing Jensen loves about being a veterinarian is the opportunity to “work miracles” at her job.

“Sometimes it’s the most horrible looking wound or the sickest patient that is the most gratifying and has the best outcome,” she said. “When owners are just pleasantly astonished at the work we do it really makes my day.”

She decided on the position in Grant because at the time there was no local veterinarian. The area also needed an HVAC technician, so Darren, who is HVAC certified, a licensed plumber and a general contractor, would fill that role in town.

They also wanted to raise their young children, who were five and eight years old at the time, in a small town setting.

One of Jensen’s favorite things about living in Southwest Nebraska is having the space available to raise her animals. She also enjoys helping clients that she gets to see regularly, and filling a void for services in the town.

“There are disadvantages, too, but I like to drive,” Jensen laughed.

Jensen currently lives on the south edge of Grant with her husband and many animals: five French Bulldogs, one Great Dane, one King Charles Cavelier Spaniel, two Chihuahuas and 15 horses with two foals coming at the end of February.

Jensen’s children, 29-year-old Gage and 25-year-old Lacey, have now grown up and have jobs of their own. Gage works in sales and is an HVAC technician, and Lacy is a Registered Nurse at Bryan West in Lincoln as a charge nurse in the Trauma ICU/Covid Unit.

Shannon Shares

While living in Grant, Jensen has been heavily involved in the community in a variety of ways.

She has been on the fair board, housing development board and was a horse 4H leader.

She is currently a member of Rotary and the Perkins County Chamber of Commerce.

“Most of my effort goes into the Perkins County Animal Shelter,” she said. “When I arrived in the area there were few options for local law enforcement to hold animals, and the closest place to adopt or surrender a pet was North Platte or McCook.”

Something most people don’t know about her is that she and Darren travel in the summertime to different destinations. The purpose of these trips is to go “glamping” with their horses. They like to explore new trails to ride and see new sites.

Another thing people may not know is that she breeds American Paint Horses and French Bulldogs. The animals she has bred have homes “from coast to coast,” according to Jensen.

Something that scares her is not having enough money for retirement, which she believes is age related.

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