Owner, Veterinarian
With a passion for both pets and people, Dr. Rooney has enjoyed working at BRVC since becoming a veterinarian in 1987. While most of his classmates have worked at multiple clinics over the years, Dr. Rooney found a clinic and culture at BRVC that resonated with him and he has never wanted to leave. In 1991 he became a co-owner of the clinic, becoming the senior partner in 2014. During his career he has cultivated a special interest in dentistry, behavior, and internal medicine.
His love of animals started when he was young, in spite of having family members with severe allergies. Although that stopped him from growing up with a dog or a cat, he managed to own and care for all sorts of non-furry pets. He grew up with four brothers (one an identical twin), and two sisters. He met his wife, Karen, during their undergraduate days at the University of Illinois. He and Karen have been blessed with two beautiful daughters as well as two wonderful sons-in-law. His free time is divided between his love of gardening, (their lawn has slowly been disappearing giving way to rows of berries and fruit trees), baking (he makes jams and pies with the ‘fruits' of his labor), and his love of spending time with his grandchildren. (The grandchildren, now four in number, are winning out.)
His love of people has led to serving alongside colleagues as a member on the executive board of the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association. He has spoken with grieving pet-owners once a month over the phone as a volunteer counselor for the CVMA’s Pet Loss Helpline since 1991.
His love of God has led to many years teaching and serving in various capacities at his church in Darien. His earlier years there were spent helping lead their senior high youth group, eventually transitioning to serving in multiple leadership positions. He considers himself to be very blessed by God to have been able to do something he loves for a living alongside coworkers he loves. He considers them to be a second family. Throughout his career as a veterinarian, he has been blessed by numerous relationships that have developed while helping people enjoy healthier pets.