Mon – Wed: 7:30am – 6pm
Thurs – Fri: 7:30am – 5:30pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
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.
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.
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.
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.
