Fiia Jokela DVM, DABVP (canine/feline), ACVB Resident

Dr. Jokela is a 1990 DVM graduate of Purdue University and became board certified in Canine and Feline Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) in 1998 and re-certified in 2008 and 2016. She spent 26 years in general practice, including starting her own small animal practice in 2001. In 2016 she left her general practice to devote her time to behavior practice exclusively and to pursue her passion for behavior education. She attended Dr. Karen Overall’s Veterinary Behavior Medicine Institute in 2013 and again in 2016. The Institute experience was pivotal in her decision to enter a non-conforming residency program for board certification by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB).

In 2017, Dr. John Ciribassi, DACVB invited Dr. Jokela to join his practice, Chicagoland Veterinary Behavior Consultants (CVBC), which serves clients from the city of Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, Northwest Indiana, and Southeastern Wisconsin. In 2018, with Dr. Ciribassi seeking semi-retirement, Dr. Jokela took over ownership of CVBC. Dr. Ciribassis still sees cases on a limited basis at the Buffalo Grove, IL location. Dr. Jokela sees patients full time at Mokena, IL and Schererville, IN locations which are both Chicago suburbs.

Special interest areas include helping shelter and rescue pets become more adoptable, and working with new adopters to find solutions to post adoption behavior problems. Dr. Jokela is the post-adoption veterinary behavior consultant for the PAWS Chicago Shelter. In addition, she is the Veterinary Behavior Consultant for the “A Sound Beginning Program”, which is a unique education and training program that helps build bonds between new adopters and their pets from numerous rescues and shelters across the Chicago area. 

Most recently, Dr. Jokela was honored to become AVSAB President in Oct 2018 for a 2 year term.