Dr. Jennifer Blum, Medical Director

Dr. Jennifer Blum graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Veterinary Medicine in May, 2006. Her interest in animals and their care started at a very young age. Growing up on a dairy farm in Northwest Wisconsin, she was very involved in 4-H and the community. Dr. Blum’s love for animals carried her into the career of veterinary medicine. Her professional interests include dentistry, internal medicine and dermatology.

Dr. Blum lives with her husband and twin girls. Her family also consists of a free-willed Labrador retriever named Eddy and the true head of household, Tigey, a tabby cat that is always getting into trouble. Her and her family love to be outside camping and hiking. Baking is her favorite way to spend time with her girls.


Dr. Mey Nevo, Medical Director

Dr. Mey Nevo graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary medicine in May 2007. She has had the opportunity to practice veterinary medicine in Illinois, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Minnesota while following her husband through his Small Animal Internal Medicine internship and residency. They finally settled down here in Minnesota to be closer to family. Dr. Nevo shares her life with her wonderful husband Dr. Steven Shadwick, their daughters Sophie, and Lucy, and their son, Robert. “These three little ones offer new and exciting challenges on a daily basis”. Her household also includes Bruce and Ruby, a couple of young and energetic border terriers who keep the whole family on their toes! As you can guess it is very busy these days at the Nevo-Shadwick household!!

Dr. Nevo is passionate about bringing a personal touch to her patient care. She has attended additional training in veterinary ultrasonography and has been integrating this imaging modality to her diagnostic repertoire on a daily basis since 2008. Dr. Nevo’s extensive ultrasound training has allowed her to bring advanced diagnostics to her clients at an affordable rate. In addition to advanced imaging techniques, Dr. Nevo’s interests include soft-tissue surgery and internal medicine.


Dr. Brett Duke

Dr. Brett Duke is a lifelong resident of Minnesota, attended Gustavus Adolphus College, and then graduated in 1996 from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Duke and his wife Lauri love to travel, yet have long enjoyed all that the Midwest and Northwoods have to offer. This includes camping, biking, snowshoeing, and attending MN professional and college sporting events. They enjoy hiking with their Border Collies, Trek, Punch and Teller. “We love the North Shore and any little towns that are off the beaten path.” They also keep very busy training and competing in the sport of canine agility, which has taken them all over the country to regional and national events. He has also been instructing agility students and their dogs for over 20 years.

Dr. Duke’s professional career has led to special interests in sports medicine, dentistry, soft-tissue surgery, and small mammal medicine. He has undergone additional training in laser surgery, which he has been utilizing in practice for 15 years. He emphasizes the importance of the bond owners have with their pets, and strives to educated clients on all options available to provide the best care possible.


Dr. Michelle Zanol

We welcomed Dr. Zanol to Elm Creek in April of 2018, and she has quickly become a joy for our staff, clients, and patients alike! Dr. Zanol completed her undergraduate from the University of MN in 2005 and her veterinary degree from Iowa State in 2010. Cocker spaniels have become her dog breed of choice, after meeting her husband’s sweet 13-year-old Cocker Spaniel named Joe. She also has Jack, who she rescued in 2016, and Crush, her 5-year-old orange tabby. Dr. Zanol and her husband, John, are newlyweds who like to fish, hike, and camp. Crafting is her favorite hobby when she takes time away from helping animals!


Dr. Jennifer Freitag

Dr. Jennifer Freitag grew up in Sheldon, Iowa. She went to Iowa State University where she completed her undergraduate degree in 2010 and her veterinary degree in 2014. While at Iowa State University, she competed in ballroom dancing competitions where she met her husband. Dr. Jennifer Freitag and her husband moved to Minnesota to be closer to family. They have a 3-year-old son and an 8-month-old daughter as well as a miniature Australian Shepherd, Josephine, a cat, Raya, and the true “master” of the house- Bruce Wayne “batcat”.

In their limited free time, Dr. Freitag and her husband love to travel and explore. Dr. Freitag loves to create relationships with both her patients and their owners. She is very passionate about educating owners and supporting the bond that owners have with their pets. Other professional interests include internal medicine, dentistry, and preventive medicine.

Dr. Freitag is very excited to be part of the Elm Creek Animal Hospital family.


Dr. Jackie Lozinski

Dr. Jackie Lozinski was born and raised in the Twin Cities. She went to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities for her undergraduate and veterinary degrees. She currently lives with her fiance, their dog (Iris), and twin cats (Mia and Gizmo). Dr. Lozinksi is passionate about providing high-quality medical care and reducing patient fear during veterinary visits. She is certified in Fear Free handling (Level 3) and in Feline Friendly practices. She would love to spend all her free time traveling or with cats and understands that it is their world and we are just living in it. Other interests include dentistry and soft tissue surgery.


The Animal Care Team


The backbone of Elm Creek Animal Hospital is the Animal Care Team. They treat and care for the animals, aid and assist the veterinarians, and help you make appointments. They work closely with you to answer questions, inform on treatments, and give direction on the healing process.

All of our technicians have received a degree from an accredited Veterinary Technician school. Almost all have passed the state and national exam to make them Certified (CVT’s), or are in the process!


Sarah

Office Manager & Lead Technician
Sarah joined the Elm Creek Animal Hospital team in 1999. She earned her CVT degree from the Medical Institute of Minnesota. Sarah’s favorite part of her job is seeing the bond that animals and their humans share! She shares her home with Fozzi, a senior cockapoo, Franklin, a happy and goofy golden retriever puppy, and Calvin, the cat that never stops begging for food and attention. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys spending time with her kids. You will find her cheering them on at a variety of sports events. They also like to spend time camping, hiking and bicycling.


Leslie

Certified Veterinary Technician
Leslie joined the Elm Creek team in 2015. She obtained her AAS and certification from the Medical Institute of MN. She enjoys getting to know owners and their pets. She currently shares her home with two mischievous bunnies, Carlos and Harper, but her heart belongs to guinea pigs. She is commonly known around here as ‘the guinea pig lady’. In her free time, Leslie enjoys fishing, kayaking and spending time with family and friends at her up north cabin.


Beth

CVT
Beth has been an Elm Creek team member since 1997! She earned her CVT and education through Kirkwood Community College Small Animal Program and U of M Waseca. Dogs with smooshed noses are Beth’s specialty. She is owned by four pooches. Toby, a 16 year old pug, Ginny, a 5 year old rescue chihuahua/pit mix, Plato, a 13 year old boston/pug mix, and lastly, Dash, a fun-loving pug puppy who keeps the rest of the pack on their toes. In her spare time, Beth enjoys movies with her family, going to the fair, and craft shows.


Brooke

VT
Brooke joined our team in 2016 and holds an AA degree from the Minnesota School of Business. Her favorite part of her job is the opportunity for client education. She shares her home with several pets: Nora Belle, an 8 year-old mini Rex rabbit who hates carrots, loves head rubs and runs agility courses. Chloe Beth, a 5-year-old Siamese Lynx point mix who begs for food every chance she gets, enjoys chewing on paper and leaves and is the number one bug catcher. Sammy Benson, a 4-year-old springer/setter mix, he’s a pro digger, pillow hog and extreme napper, and Finn, a 2 year-old german shepherd who is happy to let the rabbit be the boss. In her free time, Brooke enjoys Hoppy hour, rabbit agility, fostering animals, string art, restoring old furniture and boating.


Samantha

Veterinary Assistant
Samantha has been on the Elm Creek Animal Hospital team since 2008. Her favorite parts of her job are educating clients and of course, meeting all the cats! She has a Morgan horse, Melrose, and is also the very proud owner of Wall-E, a cat that was left here at Elm Creek as a kitten. She is also owned by a goofy shepherd mix named, Xena. Sam has two adventurous kids and she adores and loves spending time with her little ones! Some of her hobbies are riding her horse, cheering on the Vikings and snowmobiling.


Ania

Veterinary Technician
Ania has worked in the veterinary field since 2017, and she has became a part of the Elm Creek team in 2020. She has three family dogs, and belongs to a very energetic and lovable kitty named Salem. Ania has always had a strong passion for animals and their care.


Ben

Certified Veterinary Technician
Ben graduated from Minnesota School of Business in 2015. Shortly after, he earned his CVT credentials. He has been working in the field since, and joined our team in 2019. Ben is a teacher at heart, and loves learning new things. Ben loves Great Danes, and all “gentle giants”. He is the proud dog dad to 7 year old Carlos Rodriguez. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, hiking, road trips, knitting, and baking.


Kelsey

Certified Veterinary Technician
Kelsey joined our team in 2020. She graduated from NDSU with a bachelor’s degree, and is a Certified Veterinary Technician. The favorite part of her job is dental cleanings and educating clients. She has a 3 year old border collie mix named Sulli, after the big guy in Monsters, Inc. She says that he is a ‘big fluffy dork’, so it’s a well-fitting name. Outside of work she loves puzzles, true crime, and games of all kinds.


Keanna

Veterinary Assistant
Keanna resides in Champlin with her 5 children and her dog, Luna. She grew up in St. Francis and is proud to mention that St. Francis is the patron saint of animals. Keanna loves working with animals, and has a natural calming effect on the nervous patients. Her pastimes include sarcasm, reading and telling endless amounts of dad jokes. When she is not working, Keanna loves to spend her time with her kiddos, preferably outdoors.


Nicole

Veterinary Assistant
Nicole joined our team in early 2021, and has been taking online courses to further her career and explore her options in veterinary medicine. She loves getting the ‘hands on’ experience while she is learning. Nicole has found joy in getting to know pet owners. She has two fur-kids; Prince, who is a labrador/pit bull mix and Baldur, an adorable and sweet kitty. Nicole loves spending time with family, friends and her pets whenever she gets time. Her favorite time is when she gets to spend weekends up north.


Alexis

Veterinary Assistant
Alexis joined the Elm Creek Animal Hospital team in September 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science through Southwest MN State University, however, her love for animals made her change her mind and pursue working with them. It is rare for her to be seen without her constant companion and her 4-legged partner in crime, Wesson, who is a spoiled and mischievous rescue lab mix. In her spare time, Alexis enjoys movies with her family, and outdoor activities.


Jade

Veterinary Assistant

Bio Coming Soon!


Gabby

Veterinary Assistant

Gabby has been with Elm Creek since August 2022. She switched paths from human medicine to animal health in the hopes of exploring career options in Veterinary Medicine. She loves going to hockey games (Go Wild!). Her fur-baby, Casey joins her in her outdoor adventures of hunting and fishing.


Heidi

Front Desk

Heidi has been with Elm Creek Animal Hospital since August of 2020. She is owned by two cats, Edith and Eddie, and two basset hounds, Eeyore and Elmo. Heidi is an active wife and mother. She loves her peloton and running half marathons with her husband (who proposed after one of their marathons!). Some of Heidi’s favorite things are; spending time with her daughter, backpacking and hiking, and football.


Emma

Front Desk

Emma has been in the field of animals for six years and loves it! She loves that she can combine her customer service skills and love for animals all into one. Emma has many hobbies, including; sewing, crafts, painting, drawing, collecting porcelain dolls, going to classic car shows, organizing anything she can and spending time with family and friends. She has two cats, Mittens and Ramsey, seven tropical fish, and a rescued hound mix named Mumford. Her family is looking to add a German Shepherd puppy soon!

Emma worked with dog and cat behavior for three years before switching to client care. She loves helping others understand basic behavior and building the relationship between a pet and owner. Emma grew up in Zimmerman, Minnesota where her ‘Brady Bunch’ family raised a variety of fancy breed chickens and peacocks. She does not miss their crowing noise at 5am in the spring.
Plans for her future would be indulging back into animal behavior or pet grooming.


Our Entire Team