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Mon–Wed: 7:30am–7:00pm
Thur–Fri: 7:30am–5:30pm
Sat: 8:00am–12:00pm
Sun: Closed

(952) 448-2936
115 West Third Street,
Chaska, MN 55318

Our Doctors

Jody Elsen

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Jody Elsen has an undergraduate B.S. from the College of St. Thomas and received her DVM degree from the University of Minnesota in 1991 and became a co-owner of Chaska Valley Vet Clinic in 2000. She says: “I made the decision in first grade that veterinary medicine was for me. I grew up in a rural country town and was always surrounded by animals and pets. Initially it was the animals that attracted me – but with time it became clear that the owners and the relationships that I formed with them were equally important and rewarding. The wonderful relationships and bonding that are formed between the pets, their owners, and myself are the most rewarding part my job!”

Dr. Jody’s areas of interest include preventative, internal and geriatric medicine, and especially dentistry.

Dr. Jody grew up in the Hamel/Wayzata area and has been a resident of Chaska since 1993. Dr. Jody’s family includes her husband, Jeff Gladfelter (a retired Minnesota State Patrol trooper) and two daughters, Madison (University of Wisconsin/La Crosse and grad school in Milwaukee) and Rachel (University of Minnesota). The household also includes a Golden Retriever, Norman; a Bernese Mountain Dog, Harrison; and one cat, Jedy. Dr. Jody’s hobbies include gardening, scrapbooking, making jewelry and spending time with her family.

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Jennifer Weinberger

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Weinberger received her undergraduate degree in Biology from St. Cloud State University. She received her DVM degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota in 2001. Dr. Weinberger has been with Chaska Valley Veterinary Clinic since February 2002. She enjoys dermatology, preventative medicine and education, and getting new puppies and kitties started on the right paw!

Dr. Weinberger’s family includes her husband, son and daughter. Dr. Weinberger’s non-human family members include her dog Bentley (a Shih-Tzu/Poodle), and her cats Carl and Buddy. During her free time Dr. Weinberger enjoys spending time with her family, camping, swimming, going on walks, and taking trips to the North Shore.

 

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Alyssa Armstrong

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Alyssa Armstrong graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016 and became a member of our team in May. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota majoring in Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology and minoring in Animal Science. While Alyssa finds all aspects of veterinary medicine interesting, her specific interests include preventative medicine, dermatology, nutrition and rehabilitation. In the future, Dr. Alyssa would like to pursue certification in animal rehabilitation.

Dr. Alyssa is from Chaska, MN and is excited to be able to practice in her home town. Currently, she has two family dogs: Brody (Cocker Spaniel, Cavalier King Charles mix) and Cooper (Labrador, Rottweiler mix). In her free time, Alyssa enjoys long distance running, working out, watching football (she is a huge Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings fan), baking, traveling and playing with her dogs.

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Cat Cross

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Cat Cross is happy to join the team at Chaska Valley Vet Clinic as the “new old doctor”.

Dr. Cat Cross received her DVM degree from Texas A&M University in 1986. She completed a post-doctoral internship at the University of Illinois with areas of concentration in internal medicine and oncology. In 1996, Dr. Cross became Board Certified in Canine and Feline practice with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. At that time, she was one of only 330 veterinarians in the country with that distinction.

Dr. Cross owned a small animal hospital for twenty years in Fort Collins Colorado before moving to Minneapolis.. In addition to leading the veterinary team at the hospital, Dr. Cross has served as one of twelve selected members of the General Practitioner Advisory Board for Eli Lilly as well as a Key Opinion Leader for Novartis. Dr. Cross is a past board member of the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and the Larimer Humane Society. Her most memorable veterinary experiences all involve families and children enthusiastically welcoming a “four-footed angel” into their lives and she looks forward to meeting yours!

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Amber Olson

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Medical Director

Dr. Amber Olson completed both her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and DVM from the University of Minnesota. She joined the Chaska Valley family in December of 2017. Dr. Olson has a special interest in dentistry, dermatology, and feline behavior.

Dr. Olson grew up in Jordan, MN. She developed a love for all animals while raising and showing a variety of species as a child.

Dr. Olson now lives in Prior Lake with her husband, Eric, and son, Everett. They have 3 cats (Frank, Sandra Dee, and Tracy), 2 goats (Nellie and Star), a rabbit (Hopscotch) and a paint mare (Dynamite). Dr. Olson enjoys gardening, scrapbooking, and baking. She volunteers with the local 4-H Shooting Sports and Wildlife program.

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Heidi Terwey-Peterson

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Heidi Terwey-Peterson is a Minnesota native. She received her undergraduate degree from the College of St Benedict. She received her DVM degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She enjoys working as a team with dedicated owners in keeping their four legged companions happy and healthy.

During her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking, campfires, and time on Minnesota lakes.

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Ellie Andersen

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Ellie Andersen is a Minnesota native. She grew up in Minnetonka with a love for critters, and her interest in toads and worms in her own backyard ended up being the start of her path toward becoming a veterinarian. Dr. Andersen went to the U to get a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, and that is where she met her husband, Devon. She attended vet school at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. A highlight of her time there was volunteering at the wildlife clinic on campus, and rehabilitating injured animals including turtles, snakes, and raptors!

While her patients at Chaska Valley are dogs and cats, Dr. Andersen is still interested in wildlife and exotic pet medicine. She and Devon are parents to two housecats named Maeby and Pongo, a mutt named Minnow, and a destructive rabbit named Bowser.

In her free time, she likes to travel, read sci-fi, see shows in the Twin Cities, and any lake-related activity. Depending on the day, her favorite music to listen to during surgery is Enya and 90’s hits. The part of general practice that Dr. Andersen likes the most is forming relationships with clients and their pets, and helping owners understand what is going on with their pet’s health.

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Amy O’Brien

Relief Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Amy O’Brien received her undergraduate B.S. in animal science from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She received her DVM degree from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015 and started her dual Master’s in Public Health while in veterinary school with an anticipated graduation in 2016. Dr. Amy has been at Chaska Valley Veterinary Clinic since May 2015. She has a special interest in ophthalmology, anesthesia/pain management and preventative medicine, but also enjoys surgery and dentistry.

Dr. Amy grew up in Eden Prairie, MN. She has been a resident of Chaska since 2012 with her Husband, Collin, and their group of senior pets including two Siberian huskies (Nikita and Keesha), one pug (Otis), and one domestic short hair (Chasey). Her hobbies include golfing, fishing, camping, traveling, downhill skiing, gardening, watching professional football, home improvement projects, wood-crafting and spending time with family and friends. During her free time, she enjoys volunteering at local humane societies, teaching veterinary students through SIRVS, and at the State Fair. She is an active member of the Eden Prairie Fire Department Auxiliary.

Dr. Amy is currently working full time at The University of Minnesota, but we are lucky enough to have here on an occasional Saturday.

 

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Bernadette Rivet

Relief Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Bernadette Rivet received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota, and received her degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Edinburgh at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, in Scotland. From the United Kingdom, she moved back to her native France and practiced veterinary medicine near Dijon for four years, before moving back to the Twin Cities. Dr. Rivet joined the Chaska team in April 2020.

Dr. Rivet’s interests lie in veterinary surgery & animal welfare, so she enjoys volunteering her time for various spay/neuter clinics.

Dr. Rivet lives in Minneapolis, and has three cats: Atlas, Nyx and Gaia. In her free time she enjoys biking around the Minneapolis trails, training her cats to perform tricks, drawing, cooking, and gardening.

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