For the past 25 years Dr. Otte has been owner and president of State Line Animal Hospital in Leawood, Kansas. As an American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (AVBP) board certified specialist, he functions as a local referral veterinarian for medical, surgical and dental cases, supervising a staff of 14 employees in the diagnosis, treatment and care of all animals presented at State Line Animal Hospital.

He currently serves as vice president of the Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners and as the alternate delegate for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) from Kansas. He has served as president of the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association (KVMA), public relations chair of the ABVP and President of the Kansas City Veterinary Medical Association. In 2000 Dr. Otte was selected as the KVMA, Kansas Veterinarian of the Year.

In August of 1966, Dr. Vern Otte started his 36-year military career with a Direct Commission in the United States Army Reserve (USAR) as second lieutenant, attending the Army Medical Field Service School at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. Early on, he held various USAR leadership positions, joining the Army Veterinary Corps after graduating with his DVM from Kansas State. His first Veterinary staff position was with the 302nd Civil Affairs Unit in Kearny, New Jersey. He has held many Veterinary Medical command and staff officer positions across the nation during his career. He was Staff officer in the 141st Medical Detachment in Columbia, Missouri and would later command this unit when it was activated for Desert Storm in 1991. He was the first Commander of the 445th Medical Detachment, a veterinary service unit in Kansas City, Missouri. His early guidance provided the basis for it to become one of the premier veterinary detachments in the service. Upon his retirement from the USAR in 2003, he was serving as Assistant Chief of the Veterinary Corps Mobilization and Reserve.

There have been several decorations, service medals and badges awarded to Dr. Otte during his years of service. Those medals and badges include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal with 2 Service Stars, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 30-year Device and Mobilization Device, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon with Numeral 12, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Expert Field Medical Badge, United States Army Excellence in Competition Badge Pistol Shot Badge and Marksmanship Qualification Badges.

Dr. Otte and his wife, Brenda, live in Leawood, Kansas. He has two children Jodie and Brian. Dr. Otte has served as a docent for the Kansas City Zoo and is a past Advisory Board member for the Shawnee Mission School’s Vocational Education program.