Our Support Team

About Kristi, Vice President

Kristi, MSW, LISW, CCFP (Licensed Independent Social Worker, Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional) joined MN Pets in 2013. Originally from rural Wisconsin, Kristi was always surrounded by animals. Her hope to help those around her led her to earn a BA in Psychology and a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, where she trained as a veterinary social worker. She lives in Minneapolis with her Shih Tzu, Piper, and her husband. Outside of work, Kristi enjoys traveling, growing her culinary skills, thrifting, and exploring dog-friendly patios in the Twin Cities.

About Elizabeth, Support Manager

Elizabeth graduated from the University of Wisconsin- River Falls with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and then earned her Veterinary Technology degree from Argosy University. She worked as a Certified Veterinary Technician for four years where she found her niche working with senior pets. She also has a soft spot for ALL rescue animals, from her own rescued pets, Margaret and Frank, to working with rescued and abused elephants in Thailand. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys working with her husband to renovate their first home and playing guitar.

About Maggie, MN Pets Manager

Maggie earned her Veterinary Technician degree in 2013 and became certified shortly after. She interned at an exotic animal practice throughout school and continued her work there for five years before joining the MN Pets team. Maggie is passionate about strengthening her bond with animals by being an advocate for all and helping be their voice. MN Pets helps her do that with aiding and understanding people when they are going through one of the most difficult decisions in their life. She was a client first before becoming an employee and her experience, though difficult, was extremely meaningful and why she’s here. She honors her family dog, Libby, every day that she works. When not working, you can find her spending time with her two couch-potatoes, Diamond and Windy.

About Robin, Support Manager

Robin was born and raised in MN and now lives River Falls, WI with her husband, two kids, and a cat named Norma. After working in human medicine for 15 years she decided to head back to school and pursue her lifelong passion for helping animals. Robin graduated from Argosy University with a Degree in Veterinary Technology and then worked with a large practice in the North Metro.  Seeing how much clients appreciated help with end-of-life care, she realized how much of a difference she could make by turning a difficult experience into one that was coming from a place of love. When Robin is not at work she enjoys watching her kids sports, spending time on the golf course with her husband, and attending SCSU Huskie hockey games.

About Anna, Communications Manager

Anna was born and raised in Osceola, Wisconsin. Before continuing her education, Anna was a live-in nanny in Utah, as well as a dog walker in Minneapolis and Des Moines. She is a graduate from Des Moines Area Community College where she earned a degree in Human Services. While finishing up her last semester, Anna interned at a service dog nonprofit where they raise, train, and place service dogs with Veterans and children with disabilities. It was there that she knew she wanted to find a career where she could help others through the human-animal bond. MN Pets has given her the opportunity to do just that. In her free time, Anna enjoys playing the ukulele, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with family, friends, and her Labradoodles, Louis and Oscar.

About Brenda, Aftercare Specialist

Brenda was born and raised in Minnesota and has always had a deep love for animals. She’s completing her Bachelor’s in Biology and then plans to go to veterinary school. She is especially interested in veterinary nephrology and veterinary forensic pathology. Her dream is to offer free to low-cost veterinary care to communities in Mexico and to help bring justice to animal cruelty cases globally. Even while previously working as a certified pharmacy technician, she was always drawn to working with animals. After having an in-home visit for her first Corgi puppy Sweet Pea, she wanted to be able to help families who are faced with the same hard decision. Brenda lives with her four cats Pancho, Guero, Luna, and Blackie, and Corgi puppy Jellybean. She can be found hiking, at local dog-friendly events with Jellybean, thrifting, at concerts, and snuggling up with her cats.

About Ashley, Clinic Representative 

Ashley  has worked with animals for 14 years, including at a dog boarding kennel, vet clinic, and through her own pet sitting business. Ashley understands how important it is to keep our pets where they are the most comfortable, and she is honored to be able to incorporate this new level of in-home care for families through MN Pets.  Ashley currently shares her home with Cinder, the cutest pit bull you’ve ever seen, and Maybelle SassyPants the rabbit.  In her free time,  she loves going on adventures with her family. They enjoy visiting family and friends, going to events both locally and away, exploring nature, camping, and traveling.

About Misa, Aftercare Specialist

Misa was born in Columbus, Ohio, and relocated several times with their family to various states in the country. They were never without their faithful animal companions of all shapes and sizes, which led to a passion and empathy for all animals. Misa made Minnesota a permanent home in 2016. Misa found a little black cat who needed a home and named him Salem. Misa’s love for animals kept growing stronger and they discovered that helping animals was their calling. They decided to pursue an Animal Science degree at the University of Minnesota with the hope of attending Veterinary school in the future. In Misa’s free time, they volunteer at the Feline Rescue and cuddle Salem the cat.

About Nicole, Aftercare Specialist

 Nicole has rarely been without a furry (or scaly) companion and even as a young child she knew she was destined to work with animals. She attained her Bachelor’s in biology at Iowa State University with a course load geared towards animal behavior, husbandry, and human psychology. During her time at ISU, she volunteered at the Wildlife Care Clinic, which later led to an internship. When she returned to Minnesota, she began working at a dog boarding facility and discovered a love for senior pets. Then she found MN Pets and she knew with her background that it would be a perfect match. Nicole hopes to have her own hobby farm where she’ll have a mix of rescue animals and space for simple wildlife rehabilitation.

About Kinzie, Support Specialist

Kinzie was born in Iowa, but has spent most of her life in Arizona and Wisconsin. As a late blooming pet owner, she was pleasantly surprised to discover the depth of the human-animal bond.  Kinzie was drawn to her role at MN Pets because of her passion for helping people, as well as the experience that she had when saying goodbye to her own pet. She was moved by the compassion and kindness that her veterinarian and their team showed, and was also surprised by how difficult the drive home was. When the opportunity to join MN Pets and be a part of a similar community where owners could say goodbye from the comfort of their home arose, she jumped. When not at work, Kinzie loves reading, music, and watching movie marathons with her friends.

About Julia, Support Specialist

Julia’s love for animals started when she was a young child feeding calves on her grandparent’s farm. From then on, she knew veterinary medicine was her calling. Julia has been working in the veterinary field for 11 years. Starting out as a kennel assistant working her way up to veterinary technician. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology.  Julia lives in River Falls Wisconsin with her boyfriend Sam; she has a Golden Retriever named Bleu (as in bleu cheese) and a Persian named Stanley. In her free time, Julia enjoys hiking, golfing, kayaking, spending time at the lake, and anything that is dog friendly.

About Anna, Support Specialist

Anna was born and raised in Orange, CA and has treasured animals her whole life. Recently joining MN Pets in 2021, she earned her BA in Sociology from California State University of Fullerton, and is currently attending Mt. San Antonio College for her AA in both Livestock Management and Psychology. She volunteers with Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah and recently got married there in 2019. Her future aspirations are to get her MSW in Social Work and become a Veterinary Social Worker. Anna has greatly enjoyed working with dogs, cats, exotics, cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep as a Veterinary Assistant and has nearly completed her RVT certification. She also has deep compassion for helping people deal with the heartache of pet loss, and is a licensed Pet Loss Specialist. Her PAWS Pathway counseling focuses on the unique human-animal bond and is in honor of her sweet little Poodle, Alfie, who passed away in 2016. On her days off, Anna enjoys roller skating, driving, and white water rafting, and always loves cuddling with her three dogs Endi, Jenny, and Charlie.

About Rachael, Support Specialist

Rachael was raised in Minnesota. She has always been an active member of the healthcare community, whether it be with humans or animals. From working on family farms when she was young, she found that she has a deep love and appreciation for animals. Rachael started her early career working in group homes, later to become a Nursing Assistant in a larger residential facility working with older adults, all while volunteering at the Animal Humane Society and the Minnesota Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Rachael loved her time working with her older residents but knew it was time to pursue her passion and is continuing her education in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Behavior. She has a hope of one day running her own animal sanctuary.

About Jessica, Support Specialist

Jessica has always had a love for animals. Originally from Minnesota, her family relocated to northwestern Wisconsin where they started a small hobby farm on 8.5 acres. Her family had several animals at a time and it was always her responsibility to care for them. Growing up she had dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, chickens, ducks, a pot-bellied pig, fish, and a parakeet. In 2019 she graduated from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College as a Healthcare Receptionist and in 2020 as a Health Office Professional. Jessica has experience working with patients in the medical field and was introduced to veterinary medicine when she started working as a receptionist at a mixed practice clinic. It was here that she fell in love with helping both clients and their pets. In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and their five dogs and two cats. She also enjoys being at the lake, traveling the country, and attending concerts.

About Hether, Aftercare Specialist

Hether grew up on a hobby/horse farm in Corcoran, MN, and has always been surrounded by animals of all kinds and sizes. Currently, she lives in Minneapolis with her cats and dogs, plus the occasional hospice or foster dog. She is passionate about end of life care for humans and animals – and is finishing up her Bachelor of Science with the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota. She honors the memory of her “soul dog” Ike, each day that she works at MN Pets – and believes that everyone should be shown compassion and respect while dealing with the loss of a loved family member.

About Laurie, Support Specialist

Laurie has been an animal lover her entire life. She has spent most of her career in the veterinary field, specializing in shelter management as well as emergency triage. She loves every part of the veterinary field but has a particular interest in exploring and enhancing the human-animal bond, and feels a calling to help support it in any way she can. She loves French bulldogs, and she and her husband Seth live in the middle of the woods in Wisconsin with their dogs Mabel and Lola and their cat Magenta. When she’s not at work, she is a self-described geek who loves tabletop board games, video games, knitting, and science fiction. She also enjoys performing at local comedy shows, working on home renovation/improvement projects, being an auntie, and is starting to learn how to build her own furniture.

About Bridget, Support Specialist

Bridget is a Concordia University alumn who graduated with her Bachelor’s in Psychology. She is pursuing her graduate studies in UX Design to combine her love of psychology, technology, and art. Bridget has worked in both the mental health and veterinary medicine fields, providing her with a varied and holistic background well-suited for the work of MN Pets. Bridget loves to spend her days cuddling her rescue cat, Jupiter, as well as expressing herself creatively, spending time outdoors, and getting lost in a new book.

About Ann, Support Specialist

A lifelong animal lover, Ann has worked in the veterinary field since 2003. Ann‘s previous pets have included horses, Pomeranians, parrots, British Shorthair, and Maine Coon cats. Ann also raises and shows Maine Coon cats. In fact, a gorgeous Maine Coon named Bugatti is Ann‘s current assistant during the workday, although he is not always as helpful as he thinks he is! Ann has three grown children and lives with her husband and pets in Northfield. In her spare time, Ann enjoys cat shows, crafting, making miniatures, and refurbishing dollhouses.

About Kelly, Support Specialist

Kelly was born and raised in New England, but now resides in southern Virginia with her family. She has always loved animals and found herself looking for ways to interact with them from early on: from farms, to clinics, and volunteering with animal-assisted therapy. She went on to dedicate years working in educational programs to provide opportunities for children to connect with both wildlife and farm animals. Kelly eventually found her way into working in animal end-of-life care after her own experience of losing her dog, and feels it is an honor to be witness to the strength of the human-animal bond. She joined to MN Pets in 2023 and enjoys helping others find peace, and meeting them with compassion through such a difficult experience. Outside of work, Kelly can be found hiking with her family, playing with her cats Nimbus and Orion, crafting, cooking, and working toward building her family’s homestead.

About Kaitlynn, Support Specialist

Kaitlynn was born and raised in California. She has always had a love for working with both animals and humans. She started her journey in the veterinary field studying Animal Science/Veterinary Technology and became a certified Animal Health Technician, Animal Science Specialist, and Equine Science Specialist with experience in both emergency/specialty and primary care hospitals. She is a strong mental health advocate and has chosen to further her education in psychology to apply her knowledge about the human-animal bond as a therapist and incorporate service/emotional support animals into her practice. Kaitlynn currently has one furry cat companion named Levi and enjoys gaming and gyming in her free time.

About Tadjanae, Support Specialist

Tadjanae was born and raised in Chicago before making her long drive to Virginia Beach, where she currently lives. She worked in the veterinary industry for 6+ years as a receptionist and assistant. Tadjanae is currently pursuing an Associates degree in surgical technology while also being a new mom to a 1 year old little girl named Nayomi. In her free time, she enjoys working out, doing arts and crafts with her baby, and FaceTiming with her rabbit due to their temporary distance.