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Professional Care in the Comfort of Home

History of MN Pets 

Several years ago, our founder Dr. Rebecca McComas, recognized the importance of home euthanasia for her family’s two elderly beagles. Having only experienced saying goodbye to a beloved pet in a clinical setting, she was struck by how different it felt to be at home. It seemed natural to bring this much-needed service to other pet owners and so she started MN Pets in 2010, the first exclusively in-home euthanasia practice in Minnesota.

Since then, the team at MN Pets has grown to include other highly qualified veterinary professionals who share a common interest in supporting people and their pets through end of life experiences. Each of our doctors and support professionals have a similar understanding and appreciation for the bond you share with your pet and the benefits of saying goodbye at home.

We believe that pets need a gentle hand and voice and people need compassion and support as they go through this difficult experience.

Meet our Team
In loving memory of Buddy, our first patient

Meet Our Team

Our caring and compassionate veterinary care team

Our Doctors

Veterinarian

Dr. Melinda Crowe

For the past fifteen years, Dr. Melinda has worked in the Twin Cities metro area as a companion animal veterinarian. She lives with her husband and three children in the south metro. In her spare time, Melinda likes to sew, garden, and do crafts both with and without her kids. Melinda and her family share their home with Olive the cat, cockatiel named Rosie, and fish. Dr. Melinda received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She then received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota.
Veterinarian

Dr. Heather Yuill

Dr. Heather is a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation she completed an emergency/surgery/medicine internship at the U of M. She then practiced as an emergency clinician in the North metro. Dr. Heather has a passion for providing the highest standard of care and making difficult situations less stressful for pet owners. Dr. Heather lives with her husband and their twin boys. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, traveling, camping, woodworking, maple syruping, dancing, and Highland Games. Heather and her family share their home with Sigmar, an adopted rescue kitty. They will always remember their first babies, Bumper, the Chow mix with no hips, and Reebok, the sweetest fuzzy old cat, as well as Rory, a Coonhound mix.
Veterinarian

Dr. Meredith Lum

Dr. Meredith graduated from The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She then completed a one year internship specializing in Raptor/Avian Medicine and Surgery at The Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota. She has a passion for working with wildlife with an emphasis on wildlife rehabilitation and welfare. She lives in Minneapolis with her perfect three-legged pittie, Iggy Pup. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, collecting records, roasting coffee, and kayaking with Iggy.
Veterinarian

Dr. Karen Christopherson

Dr. Karen graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and subsequently worked in small animal general practice for 22 years before joining the MN Pets team. She has always been drawn to helping people navigate end of life care and decisions for their beloved pets and is also a certified veterinary acupuncturist. Karen and her husband live in South Minneapolis with three dogs (Squash, Aspen, and Maisy) and Gertie the cat. In her free time, Karen enjoys bikejoring and skijoring (depending on the season!), gardening, board games, and camping.
Veterinarian

Dr. Tali McNeil

Dr. Tali (rhymes with "Holly") grew up in San Francisco and graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She has worked in general practice ever since, seeing all species of animals large and small. She loves the opportunity to meet so many loving owners and hear stories about their amazing pets. She has two guinea pigs and a crazy Cornish Rex kitty named Elmo. In her free time, Dr. Tali loves to knit, as well as hiking, gardening, and traveling around the country in a trusty converted sprinter van.
Veterinarian

Dr. Rebecca Tollefson

Dr. Rebecca earned her DVM from the University of MN in 2004. She worked in private practice in Northfield, MN before joining a high-volume spay/neuter practice. Dr. Rebecca currently works as a medical editor and relief veterinarian, filling in at different clinics when other vets need time off or extra help. She and her husband live in Northfield with a flighty young standard poodle and a sweet older cat. In her free time, Dr. Rebecca enjoys long walks on country roads, cooking, and playing with her 2-year-old grandson.
Veterinarian

Dr. Jeske Noordergraaf

Dr. Jeske (pronounced “YES-kuh”) rejoined MN Pets after taking a short hiatus and working in a small animal practice. After graduating from the University of PA School of Veterinary Medicine and moving to Minnesota, she had founded an equine practice. She passed this on to her associate so she would finally have time to ride her own.
horses. Missing the client interactions, she joined MN Pets on a part-time basis. In her free time, she enjoys horseback riding, walking her rescue dog Marvel and biking with her husband.
Veterinarian

Dr. Kelly Lessard

Dr. Kelly grew up in Northern Minnesota and has lived in the Twin Cities for many years. She received her undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from the University of Minnesota. She also worked around exotic animals before attending vet school. She is passionate about hospice and end-of-life care, and was drawn to working for MN Pets after they helped her say goodbye to her beloved senior cat and dog. She shares her world with a variety of animals at home, and in her free time, enjoys searching for the very best cup of coffee, traveling to northern Minnesota and Canada, fostering animals (especially ones with special needs), being on the lookout for the fabulous wildlife around her including her illusive hummingbirds, and traveling to see manatees.
Veterinarian

Dr. Kara Fuchs

Dr. Kara has been working as a companion animal veterinarian in the Twin Cities since graduating from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. Every pet deserves a loving and peaceful goodbye and she has dedicated her career to providing that while also focusing on the family’s comfort. In her spare time, Dr. Kara stays busy chasing after her 2 young sons and spending time with her beautiful cat, Doc.
Veterinarian

Dr. Mike O’Sullivan

Dr. Mike grew up in Atlanta, GA, and graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. His career started in equine medicine, but he quickly found his true passion was in helping people and their pets through the end-of-life process. He cherishes the opportunity to be able to provide pets a gentle and peaceful passing in the comfort of their home setting. In his free time, Dr. Mike enjoys live music, hiking, camping, biking, and golfing.
Veterinarian

Dr. Karen Borgert

Dr. Karen is a lifelong Minnesotan, growing up in Roseville, and attending St. Olaf College and the University of MN for veterinary school. She then lived in Blaine with her husband and 3 children. After spending 20 years as a local general practitioner, and the loss of her 7-year-old chocolate lab, Zoe, she has chosen to devote herself to supporting owners as they say their final goodbyes to their beloved pets. She enjoys golfing, spending time with friends, walking her two chocolate labs, Sophie and Beemer, and enjoying her back patio with a good glass of wine.
Veterinarian

Dr. Erica Hartz

Dr. Erica is a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She worked as a general practitioner for several years in St. Paul before joining the MN Pets team in 2023. Originally from Pittsburgh, Dr. Erica has called the Twin Cities home since 2013. She lives with her husband, Marty, along with their three dachshunds and two cats. Dr. Erica loves all areas of veterinary medicine, but she is especially passionate about end-of-life care and honoring the human-animal bond. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, running, learning Spanish, reading, and cooking.
Veterinarian

Dr. Theresa Hunt

Dr. Theresa grew up in east central Minnesota. She spent much of her childhood at the neighboring horse farm developing a great love for and appreciation of animals. She graduated from the College of St. Benedict with a degree in Natural Sciences and an emphasis on education. She received her doctorate from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She has enjoyed owning two veterinary hospitals and practiced for over thirty years. Her professional interests include dentistry, dermatology and behavioral medicine, and she enjoys counseling clients in end of life decisions. She has two adult children and shares her home with a deaf King Charles Cavalier, a playful Standard Poodle and a comical British Shorthair. Outside of work, Dr. Theresa loves spending time with family and friends as well as gardening, home improvement projects, seeing live music and hiking with her dogs.
Veterinarian

Dr. Jasmine Hoveland

Dr. Jasmine grew up in Minnesota and graduated from UMN in 2019. In addition to joining the MN Pets team, she has worked at the same general practice clinic since graduation and she loves what she does. Her special interests are surgery, brachycephalic care, and end of life support. She enjoys getting to know families and their pets. She lives with her husband, 2 year old daughter and 5 dogs. Most of her pets have special needs and she also fosters special needs dogs and find a lot of joy in finding them their forever homes. In her free time she loves being outside, shopping, and spending time with my family.
Veterinarian

Dr. Cherie Igielski

Dr. Cherie grew up in the Twin Cities and attended St. Kate's for Biology, then earned her DVM from the University of Minnesota. After working in companion animal medicine for 17 years, with a short stint in Ethiopia, she is eager to join the team at MN Pets to help assist people in saying goodbye well to their beloved pets. Dr. Cherie enjoys traveling to new places among new people, reading great books, kayaking the great lakes of Minnesota, and cycling on the numerous paths around the Cities.

Our Support Staff

Vice President

Kristi

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. She lives in Minneapolis with her Shih Tzu, Piper, and her husband. Outside of work, Kristi enjoys traveling, experimenting with new recipes, thrifting, and exploring dog-friendly patios in the Twin Cities.
MN Pets Manager

Maggie

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.
Support Manager

Elizabeth

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.
Support Manager

Robin

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.
Communications Manager

Anna

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.
Clinic Representative

Ashley

Ashley has worked with animals since she was 14 years old, with experience at a dog boarding facility, multiple vet clinics, and through owning and operating 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 level of in-home care for families through MN Pets. Ashley currently shares her home with Banjo Woodford, a doxle, and Sir Fredrick Gunflint, an active mixed breed. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family. They enjoy camping, hiking, going to events both locally and away, and playing board games.
Aftercare Specialist

Brenda

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.
Aftercare Specialist

Nicole

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 earned 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.
Aftercare Specialist

Lex

Lex grew up in the small town of Winnebago, Minnesota. After graduating from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato with a degree in business, Lex started a career in the corporate world. However, it didn’t take long to realize her heart wasn’t in it. After moving to Blaine, she began a career in pet sitting and dog walking. Through this experience she found her passion and her work has allowed her to form meaningful connections with both pets and their owners, offering compassion and reassurance in moments that matter most. In her free time, she enjoys walks with her dog, Chai, and snuggling her kitty, Xanadu. Lex also loves to bake, read, and do crafts of all sorts.
Aftercare Specialist

Olivia

Olivia was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota. She currently lives with her partner and 3 wonderful cats, Vanya (pictured), Klaus, and Stumpkin. She graduated from Winona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and is currently attending the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine to become a veterinarian. Since childhood Olivia has always had a passion for animals and dreamt of working in the animal industry. She has worked in several animal shelters and veterinary clinics and has a soft spot for all rescue animals. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crafting, and playing with her cats.

Our Connection with IAAHPC

We are proud members of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). This membership reflects our commitment to compassionate, ethical, and comfort-focused end-of-life care for pets and their families. As part of this organization, we align with established standards and best practices in animal hospice and palliative care, ensuring every visit is guided by respect, dignity, and thoughtful support during a deeply personal time.