Meet Our
Doctors
Doctors Andrea and Charlie Benson met at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary medicine in 2009. They quickly bonded over their shared love for animals, and their quirky senses of humor, made them fast friends. Their love brought them through those 4 challenging years. They earned their diplomas in 2013—Andrea was second in the class, and Charlie…didn’t check. Their first years out of school, they lived apart as Charlie began in general practice in LaSalle, IL, while Andrea completed a rotating internship at VCA Arboretum View in Downers Grove. Married in 2015, they moved to Charlie’s hometown of St. Charles, IL, while Andrea worked in Huntley and Charlie in Aurora. Here, they grew a family of two cats, a demented elderly Italian Greyhound, followed by two children, a more normal dog, and a betta fish.
With 12 years’ experience in medicine and surgery, and with an enthusiastic dream of bringing their talents right to their backyard, the two have begun building their dream with Monarch Veterinary Clinic.
Their shared hope is to bring their friendly, personalized style of medicine here to their neighbors and friends. Their vision is one of family-owned, personal hometown care. As corporations buy up more small animal clinics across the country, Andrea and Charlie want to make their small business, and the adaptability and flexibility that comes with it, a staple in the St. Charles community.
Get to Know Our Team
Figment
Client Service Reptile-Representative
For decades, many veterinary clinics have employed ‘clinic cats’ to patrol their lobbies and treatment areas, offering greetings and warm hellos to clients and staff. Figment will be an installation in the lobby at Monarch Veterinary Clinic to offer cold-blooded hellos, and stand as a friendly representative of lizard-kind.
Dr. Charlie has worked with reptiles since graduation and has fallen in love with bearded dragons. Seeing the importance of education in husbandry and good care for these popular pets, he and Dr Andrea brought Figment into their lives in March 2025. We have been raising him to be a good teacher – he has already made an appearance at a local grade school – and hope he will be a longtime fixture in our lobby, and elsewhere in the community, for all to enjoy.
Charlie Benson
Veterinarian
Dr. Charlie grew up in St. Charles, attending Ferson Creek, Wredling, Marmion Academy, and Loyola University Chicago, before Veterinary school at U of I. He grew up with pets of all kinds: dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, parakeets, a rabbit, frogs, crayfish, and a praying mantis. His real passion is insects, and his favorite animal is the cicada. Since there’s not much use for spaying a stinkbug, Charlie focused his career on animals with a backbone.
He loves dentistry, soft tissue surgery, and the unique challenges that come with caring for exotic critters – from bladder stones in a tiny guinea pig, to crop impaction in a chicken. His favorite part of this job, though, is the relationships he forms over time, caring for a pet from beginning to end, and getting to know its caretakers.
In his free time, Charlie loves running (watch for him hyperventilating along the Fox River Trail), camping, ice fishing, grilling, and growing giant pumpkins. He plans to bring to Monarch the same level of personalized, dependable medicine he has been proud to practice.
Andrea Benson
Veterinarian
Dr. Andrea was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her first taste of the Midwest came at U of I’s veterinary school in scenic Champaign-Urbana. She was quickly enamored with the friendly people and beautiful seasons. Although, she still struggles during any thunderstorm.
Andrea , salutatorian of her class, received her veterinary degree in 2013. She enjoys challenging medical cases and the happiness of a new puppy or kitten visit. She tries to bring joy and sunshine to even the most difficult of situations and treats all pet’s she sees as if they were her own.
In addition to juggling the daily challenges of being a veterinarian, Andrea is a mother of two beautiful children that she shares with Dr. Charlie. In her spare time (what is that?) Andrea enjoys watercolor painting, reading, and participating in the Dick Pond’s running club. She can’t wait to welcome you to her growing circle of friends!