Our caring and compassionate veterinary care team!
Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Southview Animal Hospital in West St. Paul! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Learn more about our staff:
Dr. Foster
DVM
Dr. Foster is a 1998 graduate of the University of Minnesota and current member of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association. He is also certified to perform TPLO surgeries. Dr. Foster is married to Sherry and has four children: Brandon, Dawson, Blake, and Tianna. His family also has three dogs (Sophie, a golden retriever; Cooper, a dachshund; and Coco, a mini dapple dachshund), and a green wing macaw named Watermelon. When not at the clinic, Dr. Foster enjoys watching his kids play sports, motorcycling, building models, helping his kids with homework and spending time with his family.
Dr. Godinez
DVM, Medical Director
Dr. Godinez joined Southview in June 2009. She is a graduate of Iowa State University. Her primary interests include small animal surgery and dentistry, exotic animal medicine, and building relationships with clients.
Dr. Godinez lives in Woodbury with her husband, three very active daughters, Ruby the Shih Tzu, and Herbie the Herbivore (red-footed tortoise).
Dr. Mahan
DVM
Dr. Mahan graduated with her DVM from the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical School in June of 1993. During her senior year, she knew internal medicine was her passion and she fashioned her clinics around this focus. Her efforts paid off and she was awarded the Minneapolis Kennel Club Senior Companion Animal Award. She started her work at Southview Animal Hospital in February of 2013.
Dr. Mahan’s professional interests revolve around upper level diagnostics in ultrasound and endoscopy. She is excited to apply her expertise to the exotic animal experience alongside the traditional dog and cat patient at Southview Animal Hospital. With these tools she can advise her beloved clients on the best medicine choices that fit their family. She is committed to a strong veterinary/client/patient relationship over the life of her patients and enjoys geriatric medicine a great deal. Behavior and dentistry will continue to evolve in veterinary medicine and she will continue to grow her knowledge base with these subjects as well. Having fostered a number of pets in recent years, she can identify with the rescue organizations that SAH services.
Dr. Mahan is a long time resident of Edina and is soon to be an empty nester.
Dr. Steffes
VMD
Dr. Steffes joined Southview Animal Hospital in March 2013. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2003, she completed her veterinary training at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. She joined a small animal practice outside of Chicago for 5 years then made the move north with her family in 2012. Her professional interests include endocrinology, dentistry, laser surgery, and geriatric care. Dr. Steffes has enjoyed working with the staff and clients at Southview Animal Hospital and is looking forward to continuing to foster these relationships.
Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Steffes enjoys spending time with her husband, two energetic children, and goofy Boxer named Petey. She enjoys staying active outside, practicing yoga, reading and spending time at the lake.
Dr. Lee
DVM
Dr. Lee joined Southview Animal Hospital in October, 2015. She is a native to Inver Grove Heights and is excited to return home. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music from St. Olaf College in 2002, she graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Her externships included time at the Minnesota Zoo, traveling to Tanzania with Christian Veterinary Missions, and to the Oregon Wildlife Safari drive through park. Next was Florida, where she completed a veterinary internship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel Island. Dr. Lee has worked in small animal practice, volunteered her skills at a sanctuary for wild cats, and treated animals such as backyard chickens, pot-bellied pigs, pocket pets, birds, reptiles, and of course, dogs and cats! Her special interests include neonatal care, surgery, dentistry, and exotics pet medicine. She has cats, a dog, and fosters kittens on an as needed basis! Strengthening the human-animal bond is an important goal of hers as she knows pets are important members of our families.
Dr. Kelm
DVM
Dr. Kelm graduated with her DVM from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016 and joined Southview shortly thereafter. She received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Minnesota in 2010 and worked as a veterinary assistant for several years before attending veterinary school. Her interests in the medical field include toxicology, nutrition and internal medicine. Dr. Kelm has a Rottweiler mix named Crash and two cats, Sully and Blue. Outside of the clinic she enjoys interior decorating, attending sporting events, volunteering with the local humane society and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. LaMotte
DVM
Dr. LaMotte joined the Southview Animal Hospital family shortly after graduating from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from St. Catherine University in 2013. She worked as a veterinary assistant during high school, college, and veterinary school. Her interests include soft tissue surgery, exotic animal medicine, dermatology, and cardiology. Dr. LaMotte has two spoiled cats, Felix Felicis and Susan. In her spare time, she enjoys sight-seeing in the Twin Cities, curling up with a good book, and spending time with her family and friends.
Dr. Anderson
DVM
Dr. Anderson joined Southview Animal Hospital May 2019. She graduated with her DVM from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine after receiving her bachelor’s degree in zoology from Minnesota State University of Mankato in 2011. Her interests include soft tissue surgery, dentistry, ultrasonography and emergency care. She loves seeing the human animal bond and helping pets live their best life with the people who love and care for them. Outside of the clinic she loves spending time with her cat JuJuBee as well as kickboxing, being out on the lake, and spending time with friends and family.
Dr. Hudson
DVM
Dr. Hudson joined Southview Animal Hospital in May of 2020 after receiving her DVM from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to this, she graduated from St. Olaf College with a bachelors in biology and environmental studies. Her favorite part about veterinary medicine is forming relationships with clients & their furry family members; however, she also thoroughly enjoys both domestic and international wildlife medicine. Some of her favorite memories of veterinary school include working on a big game reserve in South Africa, caring for baby howler monkeys in the jungle of Costa Rica, and learning how to rehabilitate wild waterfowl at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of MN! She’s excited to translate this into a clinical setting and learn more from the exotics veterinarians here at Southview. Outside of the clinic, Dr. Hudson lives near Lake Nokomis and enjoys live music, coffee shops, anything with floral print, and spending time with her two cats (Mabel & Darwin).
Dr. Stellrecht
DVM
Dr. Stellrecht started with Southview Animal Hospital in May 2020. She completed her pre-clinical semesters at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitt’s and finished her clinical year at the University of Minnesota. Prior to vet school, she completed her undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and worked as a veterinary technician for 3 years. During her time on the island in vet school she took a special interest in shelter medicine and found her love for surgery and dermatology. She has completed her Fear-Free certification and loves to work with owners and their pets at lowering stress and anxiety levels inside and outside of the clinic. Her favorite part of working at Southview is being able to work as a primary care doctor along with having the opportunity to work on urgent care and emergency cases. Dr. Stellrecht lives in Saint Paul with her german shepherd, and her two kitties she brought back from the island with her. Outside of work, she likes to spend time with her family and when she can get away to the island – hiking, snorkeling and deep sea fishing!
Dr. Barahona
DVM
Dr. Barahona was born and raised in Minnesota before moving to Miami to join marine conservation and wildlife rehabilitation efforts. It was during this time that she fell in love with veterinary medicine, and ultimately returned to her home state to pursue her degree at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Barahona enjoys building long lasting relationships with her clients and patients, exploring the human-animal bond, and incorporating fear free techniques to reduce the stress of each visit. From those first kitten vaccines to discussing end of life care for an old friend, she looks forward to being a vital part of your pet’s healthcare team during every life stage. Outside of work, Dr. Barahona enjoys spending quality time with her family and pets (Dexter the 4-legged dog and Woody the 3-legged cat), adventuring, trying new foods, and soaking up the sunshine!
Dr. Mercer Kusie
DVM
Dr. Mercer graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. Prior to veterinary school she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015. She developed a love of working with animals when she started as a Kennel Assistant in high school. While in veterinary school she went on a trip to South Africa where she learned about working with wild animals in their native habitats. In practice, Dr. Mercer especially enjoys developing lasting bonds between her patients and their owners from their first puppy/kitten visits to senior pet status. Her interests include ophthalmology, oncology, feline medicine and dermatology.
In September 2022, Dr. Mercer married her Minnesota native husband, giving her two cats, Smudge & Trixie, a new cat dad! In her free time she enjoys being outdoors, cycling, baking and crafting.
Dr. Olson
DVM, Veterinarian/Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist
Dr. Olson of Veterinary Cardiology Specialists is a board certified veterinary cardiologist and provides her services to the patients of Southview Animal Hospital.
Jay B.
Hospital Director
Bio coming soon!
Kelli P.
Director of Human Resources
Kelli joined Southview Animal Hospital in the spring of 2016. She has bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in human resources from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Before working at Southview she was a stay at home mom to her three daughters but before that she worked at Fairview Southdale Hospital in the Human Resources department. Kelli enjoys being in the workforce again and especially likes all the staff at Southview. Kelli and her family have a dog named Hula. She enjoys playing board games with her family and watching her kids play sports.
Mallory V.
Inventory Manager / Veterinary Assistant
Mallory joined Southview Animal Hospital in January of 2019. She is attended the University of St. Thomas and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Her favorite part about working at Southview is the variety of animals she gets to work with from dogs to pigs and chickens. She has three dogs: a Catahoula mix named Rainy, a golden retriever named Leo, and a golden retriever named Cooper. In her free time, Mallory likes to go on hikes, do puzzles, and spend time with her grandma.
Marciann M.
Administrative Assistant
Marci joined Southview Animal Hospital in 2014 and provides accounting support for customers as well as assisting the hospital staff in many areas. Prior to that she worked in the healthcare industry and has worked with student transportation in the Inver Grove Heights community for a number of years. Marci and her family have a love for animals and have two faithful dogs, Bert and Gracie. She and her husband enjoy the outdoors and spending time with family and friends at their cabin in northern Minnesota.
Tina A.
HR Assistant
Tina has nearly 10 years of customer service experience and she has always enjoyed taking the time to go the extra mile to make people feel comfortable and address everyone’s needs. She loves working at Southview because, at the end of the day, her role is fulfilling. She also enjoys being able to see the wide variety of animals come in. When she is not at work, she loves going hiking and spending as much time outdoors, exploring different state parks with her dogs. She has always had a huge heart for all animals; throughout her life she has had multiple cats, dogs, fish, gerbils, bunnies, and a frog. She currently has 2 year old German Shepherd (Loki) and 1 year old kitty cat (Oliver)
Alisha H.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Anika R.
Veterinary Assistant
Anika was born and raised in Minnesota and joined the team at Southview Animal Hospital in the winter of 2022. She went to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where she studied Animal Science. She has applied to veterinary school in hopes of continuing her education in the field. Anika has 4 years of veterinary experience, including general practice, emergency, exotic animals, and equine medicine. Her favorite aspect of the job is getting to know and interact with clients and their pets. Anika has one cat at home named Chubby. In her free time she enjoys bringing Chubby on walks, traveling, working on puzzles, and trying new foods.
Ariel B.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Brittany W.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Danny X.
Veterinary Assistant
Danny Xe is currently attending River Falls University to attain his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. After he finishes his undergrad he’ll be applying to vet schools to become a veterinarian in the future. He likes working at SAH because Southview provides many types of training to further elevate his skills and knowledge about the veterinary world. He feels like the daily tasks he has at hand to do also helps strengthen his experience. He has a cat named Waffle who is a black British shorthair mix and she has the chunkiest face ever. Things he likes to do outside of work is to workout, play video games, and spend time with friends and family. He is also a competitive powerlifter at the 75kg weight class under the USAPL federation.
Dawn P.
Veterinary Assistant
Dawn has been a veterinary technician since 1986. She joined Southview in 2012 working as an overnight technician taking care of hospitalized pets. She has three cats named Haizel, Claire and Lexa, and a dog named Marti. Dawn enjoys camping and spending time with family.
Diana S.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Emily V.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Erin S.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Erin graduated from Argosy’s Vet Tech program in 2017 and spent her first 5 years as a CVT in cancer research at the U of M. Erin joined the team at Southview Animal Hospital because of their shared goal to provide high quality patient care with compassion. In her free time, Erin can be found making royal icing decorated cookies, trying new restaurants with her husband, and playing with her senior Pom, Minnie, and two boisterous cats, Betty and Flora.
Ethan R.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Gabby G.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Griffin L.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Jada T.
Veterinary Assistant
Jada joined Southview in November 2019. She is currently attending Dakota County Technical College to receive her veterinary technician associate’s degree. She has always had a love and compassion for animals. Her favorite things about working at Southview are her coworkers as they are really fun to work with, she learns something new everyday, and she gets to see all different types of animal species. In her free time she likes spending time with family and friends, camping, fishing, four wheeling and cuddling with her Husky/Australian Shepherd mix Bernie.
Jessie P.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Joan L.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Joan has been with Southview since May 1998 and her knowledge is an asset to every area of our practice. She loves the hands on work of being a CVT, favoring dentals and assisting in surgery. Joan enjoys this line of work because it is always challenging and interesting. She enjoys her co-workers because they work as a team. She loves to travel with family and enjoys learning about the area when visiting new places. Joan has an affinity for Persian cats and has two of them herself.
Karina I.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Karley S.
Kennel Assistant
Karley is from Sturgeon Bay, WI, and she is currently attending the University of Wisconsin- River Falls for her bachelors in Animal Science- Vet Tech Emphasis. After completing her bachelors credits, she will attend Northwood Technical College for her associates degree for Vet Technician and from there she will take the board exam to become a CVT. She has always wanted to work with animals from a very young age and growing up with no pets only increased her passion. She has a dwarf hamster named Po and her roommates and her share a cat named Kota (commonly called Kota Bean). Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with close friends and family members, watching the Milwaukee Brewers (she’s a big fan of the Brewers!), and playing various sports such as volleyball and softball. She’s excited to be a new member of the Southview Animal Hospital staff and looks forward to starting her career in the veterinary field!
Kelly V.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Kyla B.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Laurie T.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Laurie has been with Southview from the beginning of her career in 1986. She joined SAH after receiving her associate degree in science and graduating from the Veterinary Technician Program at The Medical Institute of Minnesota. She enjoys camping, hiking, quilting, gardening, and playing flute in community band. She has one dog, three cats and one frog.
Lorena S.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Lynn W.
Kennel Assistant
Lynn is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology and physiology with a minor in animal science at Purdue University. She has dreams of attending veterinary school after completing her undergraduate education. Lynn has always had a passion for animal welfare and enjoys helping others with their needs. She likes working at Southview because she can help people, interact with numerous different types of animals, and be apart of the caring atmosphere within Southview. Outside of work, she loves hanging out with others and her family puppy, Remi – a young energetic yellow lab.
Maggie G.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Margo D.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Mariah B.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Mary T.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Nicole O.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Paige M.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Raberta D.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Samantha H.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Sarah H.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Sarah earned her AAS degree from the Veterinary Technology Program at Argosy University and joined the team here at Southview Animal Hospital in 2016. She is a native Minnesotan and has a high energy french bulldog named Gus. She has an innate curiosity and loves treating and caring for the variety species seen at Southview Animal Hospital. Sarah has a passion for public health and serves as our Radiological Safety Officer to the Minnesota Department of Health. She loves dentistry, anesthesia, emergency medicine, performing microscopic examinations in our in house lab, and excels at client education and relations.
Sarah M.
Veterinary Assistant
Sarah has lived in Minnesota all her life. She has been interested in veterinary medicine since she was young, and is happily working on making it her career. Sarah loves working one-on-one with clients to help them care for their animals as best they can, and values creating a safe, friendly, and comfortable environment for both clients and patients. Sarah is excited to continue learning and growing at Southview Animal Hospital.
Sarah P.
Veterinary Technician
Bio coming soon!
Sarah T.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Sarah started at Southview Animal Hospital in January 2011. She graduated from Argosy University with her AAS in Veterinary Technology. Sarah’s interests in the clinic are handling reptiles, taking in new pet exams, feline medicine and taking x-rays. She has two dogs, Tracer a Boston Terrier, and Sydney a Springer Spaniel mix. She also has an orange tabby cat named Charlie. After work Sarah likes spending time with family especially her daughter. She also likes to watch hockey, go fishing, shooting skeet and play Texas holdem.
Sonah Y.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Sue J.
Certified Veterinary Technician
Sue recently started at Southview Animal Hospital because she wanted to be part of a veterinary clinic that has been in the community for as long as Southview has. She has been a CVT since 2002 and is passionate about being able to help care for patients and helping their owners in the best way she can. Sue has many interests that include: spending time with her husband working on different kinds of projects in or around the house, enjoying the company of her pets, reading, watching favorite movies or shows and working on different crafting projects.
Victoria L.
Veterinary Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Amanda W.
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Ashley E.
Client Service Representative
Ashley started with a back ground in cosmetology and has done work in various fields including data entry. Ashley loves customer service and feels at her best when she’s able to bring a smile to your face! She has worked in customer service for 8 years. She loves seeing various animals that come through the doors. Adores cats and dogs but has a special spot in her heart for reptiles. Ashley spent 15 years in Florida and grew to love various types of snakes gators and lizards. At home she lives with her two cats Loki and Bowser. Who love to meow at her and give her head bumps and play fetch. While she is not at work she loves everything from renaissance festival to hiking the north shore and camping. She especially loves drawing as this is something she has been doing since she was little.
August L.
Client Service Representative
August is a graduate from Coe College and before you ask, NO! She was not born in August! She has been worked in customer service for 5 years, ranging from Crayola, MN State Fair, and currently Southview. She loves seeing the wide variety of animals that come through our doors, and being able to help them when they are in need. At home she lives with her dog Beau, who loves jumping on her bright and early in the morning. While she is not at work she loves to read, write, and watch lots of movies. She also loves to travel and has been to 10 different countries in the last 6 years.
Beth M.
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Carrie M.
CSR Manager
Carrie has worked in customer service for 20 years. She has always had a passion for helping animals, so it’s no wonder she landed at Southview – helping people with their pets! She brings a smile and positive energy into the clinic every day. In fact, clients can often overhear her singing or laughing at the front desk. She has two black and white “cow cats”, named Forrest and Wobbles. Along with a pitty name Ducky.
Danielle B.
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Emily W.
CSR Lead
Bio coming soon!
Jada A.
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Jessica S.
CSR Lead
Jessica has been working in the animal industry for 4 years. Starting her career at the Animal Humane Society she quickly realized that veterinary was her calling. She loves to get to know the clients and their pets as individuals. In her free time, Jessica loves to watch sports and hang out with her two cats, Mariucci and Vanek, named after the University of Minnesota Gopher hockey program. You may also find Jessica walking her dog Misty around the block.
Jill T.
Client Service Representative
Jill started working at Southview in September 2020. After staying at home with her three sons, she embarked on a career in animal care in 2014. Jill began by volunteering with the Animal Humane Society, eventually accepting a position at their Now Boarding Pets facility. With her background, it was a natural fit for her to move to Southview Animal Hospital. She loves the fast paced environment and working closely with our customers to ensure they are receiving the best care possible for their pets. In her free time, Jill enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading books, hiking and biking the local trails, and traveling!
Mallory F.
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!
Marie K.
CSR Lead
Marie has been in customer service for 9 years now. Love for animals has always been a part of her life. Growing up her and her siblings have had cats, dogs, fish, rodents and snakes and they were all very loved. She enjoys working at Southview and being able to help those that come in. In her free time, she loves to go hiking with her significant other and spend quality time with her family.
Chayse B.
Kennel Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Emma F.
Kennel Assistant
Emma joined Southview Animal Hospital in June of 2016. She is currently attending the University of Minnesota to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology, society, and the environment. She plans to pursue a career in sonography after completing her bachelor’s degree. Her favorite part of working at Southview is her amazing coworkers and getting to see all the different animals that come in. In her free time, Emma likes to take her dogs on walks, and spend time with her family.
Sara C.
Kennel Assistant
Bio coming soon!
