MARS Veterinary Services is a nonprofit clinic providing affordable, high-quality care for your small animals, pocket pets, exotics, poultry, and avian pets.

Dr. Zachary Adams - Community Pets Dr. Adams grew up on a small hobby farm in rural Eastern Iowa, sparking a lifelong passion for animals. He earned his BS in Animal Science (2017) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (2021) from Iowa State University, along with an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Drake University.    In May 2025, Dr. Adams joined MARS as our Community Veterinarian, bringing expertise in surgery, preventive medicine, and flock health management. He provides care for pets of all kinds, including exotics and pocket pets.   Outside of work, he enjoys horror movies, metal concerts, and hiking with his partner, Alicia, and their three dogs: Barkly, Kylo, and Wendigo.

Dr. Ashley Thompson - Rescue Pets She hails from Minneapolis where she lives with her husband, two cats (Simba and Peach), senior Bulldog Mix (Leroy) and the occasional foster cat. She joined the MARS team in late 2021 and enjoys mixing the fast-paced problem-solving of rescue medicine and long-term planning with clients and their furry best friends. She has a soft spot for senior pets and loves to discuss options to help fit their unique needs. Heartworm treatment has become a passion and seeing the transformation a dental cleaning can make is one of her favorite parts of the job.  When not at the clinic she is probably at home snuggling with her own animals, spending time with family, or traveling.

 Clinic Policies: 

MARS Vet Cancellation Policy

Please cancel or reschedule your visit within 72hrs of your scheduled time. 2 consecutive reschedules or a no show will result in a deposit required for further scheduling.

Medication Policy

To ensure the safest and most effective care, our veterinarians must have seen your pet within the last 12 months before we can dispense or refill any medications. This policy follows veterinary best practices and helps us make sure treatments are appropriate for your pet’s current health needs.

Surgery Deposit-- New Clients Only 

To reserve a surgery appointment for new clients, we require a $100 deposit at the time of booking. This deposit secures your pet’s spot on our surgery schedule and will be applied toward the total cost of the procedure. Deposits are non-refundable if appointments are missed or canceled without proper notice.

Ways to Pay at Our Clinic
We accept cash, credit/debit cards, and Tap to Pay. (Sorry, no checks.)

If paying with cash, please bring exact change or consider rounding up as a donation to help support rescue pets. We are unable to provide change, and we appreciate your understanding — and your generosity!

Volunteers in Action at Our Clinic

When you arrive at our clinic, you may notice a volunteer helping by taking your pet’s leash to guide them to the exam area. Don’t worry — all of our volunteers are trained and supervised by our veterinary team. Your pet is always in safe, caring hands, and we’re right there with them every step of the way.

Rabies Vaccine Policy 

We hold our standards to the highest levels we can. This includes considerations for the safety of our staff, patients, clients, and community. As a result, we require that all healthy patients have their rabies vaccine up to date prior or at the time of their first visit. This includes prior to having any treatment(s) or procedure(s) performed. If their vaccine is due at the time of their visit, or we do not have records to indicate their rabies vaccine is up to date, we will require that their vaccine be updated at the time of their visit before proceeding with any treatments or procedures. It is our recommendation that all pets should be up to date on their rabies vaccine. This is the best practice from both a legal and public health standpoint.

Patients that have been diagnosed with a disease or condition preventing vaccination, will have case by case discussion with clients about the individual risks regarding Rabies vaccine. No other exceptions will be made. 

It should be noted that the titer is not a substitution for a rabies vaccination from a legal perspective. If a pet were to bite another pet or person or if they were exposed to a potentially rabid animal such as a skunk or a bat, then the pet would be treated as unvaccinated. This could result in a significant fine, a strict quarantine of 4-6 months in an animal control facility, or even euthanasia.