Shannon was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with her associate's degree in veterinary technology in 2008. She has worked in many different areas of veterinary medicine including private practice, emergency medicine, and working in a histopathology lab. In the summer of 2015, she moved to Philadelphia to work primarily at Temple University's school of Medicine. After missing working with the "cute and fuzzies", she decided to come work weekends at the Cat Hospital. She enjoys relaxing with her 3 cats, Cash, Calypso, and Yoshi, and taking her dogs, Souey and Wilbur, hiking and swimming at the beach.

When asked why she does what she does, Shannon says: "Animals can't tell us what's wrong, so we have to be advocates for those who can't speak. I strive to continue learning all that I can about the critters we love in order to strengthen the human-animal bond."