Dr. Sandra Gilmore

Dr. Gilmore is a native of Oquawka, Illinois, and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois in 2004. She began her career in mixed animal practice in Pike County, serving rural farmers and families while caring for livestock and companion animals. In 2008, she transitioned to small animal practice and joined Coble Animal Hospital on MacArthur Boulevard to provide exceptional care to pets across the greater Springfield area.

In 2017, Dr. Gilmore became the Animal Emergency Programs Coordinator for the Illinois Department of Agriculture, where she strengthened statewide animal disease preparedness and emergency response. She built partnerships across government, industry, and local communities, served as liaison to IEMA on radiologic planning for pets and livestock, supported animal care during COVID-19, and helped coordinate response efforts for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak.

In 2024, Dr. Saner purchased Coble Animal Hospital and soon invited Dr. Gilmore to lunch. Over chips and salsa at Xochimilco, Dr. Saner called out Dr. Gilmore’s not-so-secret desire to return to clinical practice. She was right—by August 2024, Dr. Gilmore had rejoined Dr. Saner at Coble’s Sangamon Avenue location.

Sandra has served more than 28 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and Illinois Army National Guard. She enlisted in 1998, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003–2005, and was commissioned as a Veterinary Corps Officer in 2008.  She has served as the Officer in Charge at Manas Air Force Base (2013), Task Force Veterinarian at Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras (2022). In these roles she led teams supporting military working dog health and ensuring food and water safety for service members and advanced global animal and public health efforts in Honduras and Guatemala. In  her current role as a Chief Evaluator for the 7302nd Medical Readiness Training Center in Madison, Wisconsin she leads a team of highly trained Army medical professionals evaluating medical units in their capstone exercise prior to deployment. Her daughter has made her pinky swear she’ll retire in two years.

Sandra lives in Springfield, Illinois, with her husband, Nick, and their three children—Nicholas (college freshman, SDSU), Sullivan (high school senior, Southeast), and Hazel (4^th grade, St Aloysius).  She enjoys running (with her 4 dogs), the outdoors, thrifting, baking, and cheering on her kids at swim meets, wrestling matches, and music performances. Along with the dogs, there are a few cats, but no one will ever know how many. 

From Pike County, to Coble MacArthur, to the Department of Agriculture, and back to Coble Sangamon, every career shift has led Dr. Gilmore exactly where she needed to be. She is grateful to once again practice medicine with the Coble team and to partner with Dr. Saner in continuing Dr. Coble’s legacy. Coble Animal Hospital is more than a name—it represents their families, their exceptional staff, and the community they proudly serve.