Spotlight on MVMA's Small Animal Welfare Committee

The Small Animal Welfare Committee is one of 18 active committees, task forces, and action teams working through MVMA to advance and advocate for the veterinary profession in Minnesota. More than 200 MVMA members currently volunteer their time and expertise serving on committees of the association.

MVMA Member Gives Back Through Care of Magical Creatures

Dr. Coniferous Forest Green found himself in awe while having a conversation with a 9-year-old girl who not only dreams of being a veterinarian someday, but already has her whole veterinary career plan mapped out.

Rice Pet Clinic Staying True to its Roots

A Neighborhood Practice is Born

Dr. George Krienke was prepared to go back to Wisconsin to get a job in veterinary medicine closer to home, but by the time he graduated from veterinary school his wife had already climbed the ladder at her job which led him to buy a practice in Minnesota. A decision that years later has impacted an entire neighborhood, multiple family generations and shaped Rice Pet Clinic into what it is today.

Black Dog Animal Hospital Puts Kindness First

Work-life balance is something all veterinarians strive for, but we all know it is easier said than done to find. Especially when you add in the stress of raising a family. A recent MVMA clinic visit to Black Dog Animal Hospital in Red Wing, MN, provided a great reminder of the benefits that come with prioritizing kindness not only to the people and pets that walk through the door, but also for the staff that work inside.

“We really do support each other as a team. We have a lot of young moms that work with us,” Black Dog owner and MVMA member Dr. Jennifer Scott said. “We try to support each other with work schedules, kids being sick and just show kindness. Being a veterinarian is part of who you are so it’s hard to have firm boundaries. When we were building the clinic, it wasn’t uncommon for kids to be here. My kids have grown up through the construction process.”

A Look at the Minnesota Department of Health Zoonotic Diseases Unit

Dr. Joni Scheftel still remembers the moment that her life was changed forever. She was a partner in a mixed animal veterinary practice in Watertown, MN when a tragic farm accident caused the death of an 8-year-old boy and rocked the community.

“I needed to do something,” Dr. Scheftel recalls.

Buffalo Equine Thriving With Top Notch Facility

The staff at Buffalo Equine gathered around for a picture on a recent MVMA clinic visit and remarked that it was the first time the majority of them were together in one spot in weeks. Such is life for the busy clinic that has been a staple in Buffalo, Minn. And the surrounding community.

The clinic has MVMA ties all the way back to 1962 when Dr. Stanley Held (MVMA President, 1972-73) purchased the practice and operated it out of his house for years before opening what is now home to Buffalo Companion Animal Clinic. Buffalo Equine split in 2001 and at the end of 2012 opened the much-needed equine building and hospital we visited.

Home Sweet Gnome

While the clinic name may catch your attention first, a deeper look through the doors of the Homey Gnome Veterinary Clinic shows there is more that makes them a standout environment for staff, clients and the pets they care for.

Remember when the pandemic started? So does Homey Gnome. They were getting ready to open their brand-new clinic after Dr. Noemi Plantz signed the lease on February 26, 2020.