Dr. Keri Ann Sanders

Dr. Keri Ann Sanders, a beloved veterinarian, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and treasured member of the Santiam Canyon community, passed away on September 25, 2026, in Scio, Oregon. She was 51 years old.

Keri was born on August 25, 1975, at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon. From an early age, she possessed a deep curiosity about the world around her and an extraordinary compassion for animals.

Keri pursued veterinary medicine at Oregon State University, where she distinguished herself academically, graduating magna cum laude from her veterinary class and earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. She was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Veterinary medicine was more than Keri’s profession. It was one of the great passions of her life.

After working for several years at veterinary clinics in the area, Keri took the courageous step of opening her own practice in Mill City. She later moved the practice to Stayton, where Ark Animal Care became much more than a veterinary clinic. To Keri, her staff, and so many of the people who walked through its doors, Ark was a special place, a place of friendship, compassion, laughter, healing, and genuine care.

Although Keri maintained a small-animal practice, her love for horses meant that she could often be found treating them as well. Her dedication to veterinary medicine led her to pursue specialized training in regenerative joint therapies, including treatments in which specialized cells were injected directly into an animal’s joint to promote healing. She loved medical research and was always reading, studying, questioning, and learning.

But those who knew Keri will remember far more than her knowledge and professional accomplishments. They will remember her heart.

Keri dearly loved the people who worked alongside her at Ark Animal Care and developed heartfelt, lasting friendships with many of her clients. She understood that caring for an animal also meant caring for the person who loved that animal. She had an especially tender heart for people who were struggling and quietly found ways to help.

During the devastating wildfires of 2020, Keri opened her heart and her practice to animals injured in the fires, providing free care to animals that had been burned. She also instructed her staff not to charge veterans who brought their animals in for treatment when they did not have the means to pay.

Ark Animal Care closed in 2024, ending an important chapter in Keri’s professional life, but the impact of her work did not end when its doors closed. It lives on in the animals she healed, the families she comforted, the staff members she loved, the friendships she formed, and the countless acts of kindness that may never have been known beyond the people who received them.

For the last seven years of her life, Keri made her home in Scio, Oregon. Away from the clinic, she found happiness in the animals and activities she loved. Horses held a particularly special place in her heart. She loved horseback riding and attending rodeos. She also enjoyed raising chickens, hiking, and running.

Keri was an avid reader and lifelong learner. She could become fascinated by almost any subject and loved studying and researching things that captured her interest. Medical research was especially important to her, reflecting the same curiosity, intelligence, and determination that characterized her work as a veterinarian.

Keri was preceded in death by her biological father, John T. Allen.

She is survived by her parents, Judith A. Heitzman and John Heitzman; her children, Kendra A. Schoenborn and Ryan J. Sanders; her two beloved granddaughters; her brother, Jonathan S. Morgan; and her two nephews.

Dr. Keri Ann Sanders devoted her life to healing. Her knowledge made her an exceptional veterinarian, but her heart made her unforgettable.

A funeral service celebrating Keri’s life will be held Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Gates Community Church, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Keri’s memory to the Wounded Warrior Project, honoring her compassion and her special concern for veterans and their families.