P.A.W.S. Pet Hospital

P.A.W.S. Team Members:

Dr. Michelle Beck, DVM

Pfizer ELITE Sedation & Weight Management, since 2008
Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, since 2009

Hi! My name is Michelle. I graduated from the University of Missouri in 1995 with my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.  After graduation I moved to the White Bear Lake area and have been practicing in the Twin Cities ever since.

I feel very lucky and privileged to be able to make a career out of my passion for animals.  For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a veterinarian and if you ask my parents they would tell you that this is what I was destined to do.When I was about three years old, my parents returned home from an evening out to find my babysitter distracted by my younger sister while I attempted to surgically repair my life-sized stuffed mouse in the front room. Now I am living my dream!

My interest in wellness services, pain and weight management, behavior and training, and preventative dentistry services come from the success I have seen in applying these skills and the resulting positive impact on an owner’s relationship with their pet. Providing client education is a cornerstone value of mine.Through my years of practice I have come to realize that veterinary medicine is actually primarily a people business.I encourage my clients to ask questions to make sure they understand the treatment we are performing on their pet and what care they may need to provide after leaving the hospital.

In 2006 my husband and I adopted two huskies, Amarok & Czar Nicholas. They love going for long walks and having a romp at the Otter Lake dog park.In the winter they enjoy pulling me on cross country skis and going sledding.This is very entertaining for observers, since I really have no idea what I am doing.  Our cat, Spooky, has been with us for 18 years and she plans to hang around indefinitely.

Outside of veterinary medicine I am often found working on home projects and gardening.  My other passion is food and cooking. I love to entertain and feed people…something passed down from my grandmother. 

Dr. Heidi Johnson, DVM

Hello, my name is Heidi and I received my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Prior to that I received my undergraduate degree in biology from St. Cloud State University.

I am very committed to helping my clients provide the best care for their pets. I enjoy the variety of challenges that I encounter in veterinary medicine and I look forward to helping you and your pets enjoy a healthy and active relationship.

There are continual advances in veterinary medicine and I constantly seek out professional learning opportunities to bring you the best veterinary services I can deliver. I do my best to offer my clients multiple treatment options which are both effective and fit with their personal circumstances. I welcome your questions and I am happy to talk through the pros and cons of various alternatives.

My husband, Keith, and I share our home with 3 fun felines, Chloe, Lakota, and Martin. And we recently adopted a cute Boston Terrier, Nala. We're very excited to be new dog owners and very much enjoying the change and added responsibilities.

Dr. Jason Doolittle, DVM

Hello, my name is Jason.  I graduated in 2005 from Ross University and then I spent my clinical year at the University of Minnesota, which was quite a change for a guy from California.

After 2 years of general practice here in the Twin Cities,  I was accepted for a one year directed internship in emergency and critical care at Animal Emergency Center and Specialty Services in Glendale, WI. 

My wife, Rebecca, and I moved back to Minnesota when she was accepted to the University of Minnesota Dental School.  We now have a son, Dallin, who keeps us very busy and happy.  We have 2 cats at home that complete our household.

Over the past four years I've been working in a general small animal practice and doing some part-time work at the emergency clinics in the area.  When I learned that P.A.W.S. was adding urgent care services I was exicted to join the team to lead the urgent care team.

While I enjoy all aspects of veterinary medicine, I am especially interested in: fluid resuscitation, pain management and trauma.

I have written two papers:

 - Oral trauma and emergencies

 - Osteomyelitis secondary to Listeria monocytogenes

and I spoke at IVECCS in 2010 on the subject of oral trauma and emergencies.

Hi! I am Anne Gillson, a certified veterinary technician at P.A.W.S. Pet Hospital. Since I was a little girl I have always felt a strong connection with animals, big and small.  I can seem quiet or introverted when you are first getting to know me, but you’ll see my boisterous side peek through when I am interacting with the animals.

I have cared for a wide variety of pets over the years; dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rats, fish...the list goes on. Currently my pack consists of two dogs and two cats.  Louie is a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix and Daisy is a Pit Bull/ Rottweiler mix. My cats, Felix and Maverick, are both very patient with the pups.  Felix is notorious for awakening me at 3 in the morning with relentless nudges and meows.  When I am not working I am exercising Daisy and Louie at the dog park or spending some quality time with my babies.

I am thrilled to be a part of the team here at P.A.W.S. Pet Hospital.The staff and facilities here at P.A.W.S. are second to none and I feel great knowing that I am delivering top notch medical care to the patients we see.I am particularly excited about our Midmark 5000 dental unit.  One of my career goals as a CVT is to gain certification as an American Veterinary Dental Specialist (AVDS). This is a long process that involves a great deal of classroom experience, wet labs and continuing education conferences to improve my dental skills. I am always ready to answer questions regarding your pets and all the exciting incidents they can get into.

Erin Munsinger, CVT

My name is Erin.I have been working in the veterinary field for 10 years. I graduated from Medical Institute of Minnesota (now called Argosy University), passed my certification exam in 2001 and have maintained my certification ever since.

I currently have 3 kids. My dog Gizmo, a pomeranian, who I got from the St. Paul Humane Society. He was my “patient” the last quarter of school at MIM. Polly is my domestic short hair cat that I had adopted through the Golden Valley Humane Society. She’s a little sassy, but I still love her. Lastly I have Collin.He was born in 2009 and is my real child! He loves to pull on Polly’s tail and finds it really amusing when Gizmo runs away from him. He also loves to offer the animals samples of his food, which they happily accept.

Over the last 12 years I have learned a lot about veterinary medicine through my experiences at work as well as from my own animals. I use all of my experiences, good and bad, to help become a better Certified Veterinary Technician to you and your pet. My favorite part of my job is seeing the exam appointments. I feel that this is our first and best chance to educate you, the pet owner, and aid you in keeping your pet happy and healthy.

Jill Nordstrom, CVT

Hello, my name is Jill Nordstrom.I grew up and still live in Mahtomedi, MN. My love for animals has been part of me for as long as I can remember. When I was about 5 I found a baby rabbit stuck in the window well of our home and convinced my parents it would be a good idea to keep it as a pet!I also got interested in horses as a child and actually owned one up until I went to college.

Currently I have a dog, 2 hamsters, and a new horse!My dog Kaiya is a 4 year-old brindle and white Pit Bull, and is absolutely the most entertaining animal I have met in a long time. My hamsters are Nibblers and Nubs (named so because one of them bit me when I first got it and the other has a nubby tail...). Finally my horse is name Chloe; she is a Quarter Horse yearling and is probably the laziest baby horse I know!

Needless to say my love of animal and people is the reason I became a CVT. I attended Argosy University and received my AAS in Veterinary Technology in January 2009. Around the same time I took and passed my certification exam (giving me the C before the VT!). I met Dr. Beck through my mom's hairdresser (weird I know) about a year ago and have wanted to work with her ever since! I am so happy to be able to be a part of the P.A.W.S. Team and give pets (and their people) the care that they need.

Andrea Bernier, CVT

...bio coming soon

Brittney Urban, CVT

Hello my name is Brittney Urban.  I grew up in White Bear Lake and still live there today.  I always knew I wanted a career with animals.  I remember in elementary school we should have "show and tell", while others would bring in cool toys I could bring stuffed animals and pictures of my pets!

I have 1 dog, a golden retriever named Hailey who is about 12 years old, Tigger is my 14 year old cat and my recent addition to my family is my cat, Michah, he is almost 2 years old.  He loves to play, run around the house, and be crazy!

In December 2011 I graduated from the Veterinary Technician program at Argosy University and I became certified in March 2012.  I have been working as a technician here with the P.A.W.S. staff since March and everyday is a great learning experience.  The staff is absolutely amazing and very dedicated.  I now take all of my pets to P.A.W.S. to get the love and care that they deserve.  I love going into work every day knowing that I get to do what I love! 

Hi my name is Danielle.  Ever since I was a little girl I was born to work with animals.  Like most of my fellow colleagues I brought home stray animals and tried to get my parents to let me keep them.  However my dad is extremely allergic to cats so of course this is what I always wanted.  One time I found a stray kitten and brought her home to live in my closet I even had a small pie pan with sand in it for her litter box I was about 6 at the time.  My Grandparents lived on a farm in Iowa and had all kinds of animals and of course I could talk to them, my mom couldn’t believe that the horses would always come to greet me when we would pull into the driveway and how the dogs would howl for a few days after I had gone.  So I was destined to work with animals.  So I went to technical college and graduated in the year 2000.

I worked with Dr Beck previously and loved working with her.   Then in 2007 I got married and took a leave of absence from the field and started a family.  I have been blessed with a beautiful daughter Makena who is now 4 and I have 2 wonderful step children Ian (6) and Emma (10).  I also have a super sweet 16 year old kitty Roxanne and a rescue dog named Ernie who is about 3.  I can see my passion for animals play out in my daughter way of playing with her Ernie dog.   I recently was looking to get back into field. I have always brought my own pets to see Dr Beck at P.A.W.S and have always loved everyone there. So I thought hmmm maybe Dr. Beck would have a position for me, the only problem was I was looking for nights and weekend hours, well after meeting with her I discovered that she was planning on expanding her clinic hours to Urgent care and that is how I came to work at P.A.W.S.   I am so happy with the decision to come back to the Veterinary field it was something I have missed dearly.

Kim D'Aoila, Vet. Tech. Assistant  

...bio coming soon

Katy Beirise, Vet. Tech. Assistant

Hi, my name is Katy Beirise. I am currently a student at Centennial High School. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a vet (my stuffed animals where my first patients).  I have always felt a strong connection with animals. After being at P.A.W.S. I am now even more convinced that veterinary medicine is the profession for me.

Being able to work at P.A.W.S. has been a dream come true.  I have already learned so much and am continuing to learn every day.  Sometimes I feel like a sponge, soaking up everything I see and hear. I am always eager to take a peek at something new and interesting. I absolutely love to ask questions, I am sure any of the technicians and doctors can attest to that!

I have a wonderful Pekapoo (Pekinese-Poodle mix), Zoey. I love her to death!  She is a crazy little girl who loves to play tug, go for walks, and curl up and watch a movie with me. Sometimes I think she forgets that she is a dog, as she prefers humans to dogs, curls up like a cat, and rubs against my legs like a cat! She's my girl though, always knowing just how to cheer me up or celebrate my little victories.