Dr. Hicks' love for animals started as a child growing up as a cattle farmer in Darlington, Wi. He attended UW Madison for his undergraduate degree and then moved on to Iowa State to attend veterinary school. He graduated from Iowa State in 1960 and moved to Edgerton, WI where he started his own clinic in 1962. He served primarily as a cattle vet for his first twenty years in practice. His interests began to shift more and more to small animals out of his Edgerton Clinic. In 1973, he moved to Janesville where he founded the Janesville Veterinary Clinic. As the client load increased, the need for additional facilities became apparent and in 1987 Animal Hospital Pet Clinic was started to better serve the clients on the west side of Janesville.

Along with his work in Rock County, Dr. Hicks founded a clinic in the Cayman Islands bringing veterinary service to an area where it had not previously existed. The clinic has flourished and uses the services of 26 veterinarians who each work two weeks a year to provide year round veterinary services. Dr. Hicks then spread his Caribbean interestes to the islands of Turks and Caicos where he set up a new clinic. Dr. Hicks will usually be seen with his trusty sidekick, Oprah, and his cat, Jordan, can be seen sneaking around the neighborhood after he tiptoes out of the house. He enjoys spending time camping with his grandchildren and his great-grandson.