Meet our caring and compassionate veterinary care team!

Did you know that the AAHA Standards of Accreditation recommend veterinary practice teams have more hours of continuing education than many state veterinary medical boards require? Continuous learning and keeping skills up-to-date helps staff members build their confidence and ultimately helps hospitals provide a positive client experience, while improving the level of patient care. We use a team approach to meet the needs of our clients and patients. To maintain our high standards, we hold monthly staff meetings for Fear Free education, safety training, and for improving processes to better serve you and your pet.

Kevin Dill, DVM
Veterinarian & Practice Owner

Education: B.S. in Entomology at NDSU; DVM from University of Minnesota
Interests: Exotics, ultrasound, endoscopy

Recognized from the North Dakota Veterinary Technician Association for Outstanding Contribution to the Veterinary Technician Profession

Employee of the Month- August 2019

I am originally from Chicago but consider Fargo my home, since I attended high school and undergraduate school here. My interest in being a veterinarian stemmed from the unfortunate demise of a goldfish when I was six years old. After the ceremony over the ceramic cemetery, I decided that I wanted to fix animals.

After a brief diversion considering the military and engineering, I pursued veterinary school. My long time high school sweetheart and I got married part way through veterinary school. We then went westward to Albuquerque, NM where I practiced in a private practice in the Sandia Mountains. We happened to be the hotspot of plague in animals and diagnosed many cases of the dreaded disease. After my son was born, I took over as the Chief Medical Officer at the Animal Humane Association in Albuquerque. That was a great experience and really gave me the opportunity to help the general population of animals, and in that area overpopulation was a tremendous problem. I developed one of the top shelter clinics in the country and we performed over 600 spays and neuters a month.

I have developed a solid knowledge base in the exotics through intensive study and seminar attendance. My motto is “I’ll see anything the other folks won’t” and as a result see some unusual creatures. After some bad experiences with ostriches, I have drawn the line at seeing things that outweigh me!

Dr. Dill has a Bichon/Shih tzu cross, named Marley. In his spare time he likes to fish, be at the lakes, and watch Food Network.

Fun fact: “I ran into a grizzly bear while fishing in Alaska. Luckily the bear ran away.”

Tammy Ness, DVM, cVMA
Veterinarian & Practice Owner

Education: Undergrad at NDSCS & NDSU; Vet school- Iowa State University College
Interests: Internal medicine, dermatology, behavior, oncology

I am a North Dakota native from Wahpeton. After graduation I worked in a small animal clinic in the Twin Cities before moving back to the Fargo area. My husband and I returned to the area to be closer to both our families after starting a family of our own.

We have two dogs (Jack-Standard Poodle & Sonny- small mixed breed), and two Guinea Pigs (Frankie & Jerry).

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and reading. I look forward to aiding in the health and well being of the region’s furry family members for a long time to come.

Fun fact: “I love plants! Currently, I have over 30 plants in my house.”

Jessica Nesius, DVM
Veterinarian

Education: UND, University of MN CVM
Interests: ophthalmology, internal medicine

Growing up in Minnesota, I had a mixture of furry four-legged friends and even chickens at times, and right now my husband and I have one dog. She is a German Shorthaired Pointer named Vine and she sure keeps us busy.

In my spare time, I like to spend time with my kids and my husband.

I look forward to establishing long-term relationships within the F-M community and working together to make your pets happy and healthy!

Fun fact: A very distant relative helped with the construction of the Statue of Liberty.

Katie Habgood, DVM
Veterinarian

Education: Undergrad- NDSU; DVM- University of Minnesota
Interests: Feline medicine, dentistry, and preventative medicine

As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a veterinarian.  I was very lucky to have grown up on a farm with many different species of animals, and I especially loved the barn cats.  Seeing the barn cats develop different diseases peaked my interest in veterinary medicine and made me realize how great it would be to be able to work with pets every day!  One of the best parts about being a veterinarian is working with like-minded people who equally love what they do.  I love not only being able to treat a sick pet that the owners’ thought was untreatable but also provide preventative care to help pets live longer, healthier lives.  Dentistry is one of my passions and is one of the aspects of veterinary medicine that can improve the quality of a pet’s life almost instantly!

I grew up on a farm 50 miles SW of Fargo.  I did my undergraduate training at NDSU and received my DVM degree from the University of Minnesota in 2006.  Right after vet school I moved to Grants Pass, in Southern Oregon, where I practiced at a small animal clinic for 2 years. I was fortunate to meet my husband Ryan there, even though I was told I moved to a retirement community!  My husband and I moved to Portland in 2008 and I started practicing at a mixed animal clinic in Sandy (near Mt. Hood). Even though I loved living in Oregon, I longed to be near my family again.  We have been back in the Fargo area since 2014.  My husband and I have three cats, Quinn, Barney and Riggs.  When I’m not at work, I enjoy hiking, camping, traveling, and reading.

Heather Mitchell, DVM
Veterinarian

Education: Undergrad- South Dakota State University; DVM- Iowa State University
Interests: Dentistry, Behavior, Senior Feline Healthcare, Birds, Reptiles

Being a veterinarian is a rewarding, fast-paced, challenging and sometimes stressful job. I wouldn’t have it any other way! I am very lucky to be able to work in a clinic in which it hardly seems like work at all!  I am also lucky to be the proud pet parent to 3 senior pets. Sometimes my husband says we have a geriatric pet nursing home at our house.  One pet is a little old lady cat named Lando; she is 18 years old now and still sprinting around the house avoiding me at all costs when it’s time for her medication. Scooter is almost 13 years old and is often getting into trouble on a regular basis. His philosophy is that rules don’t apply to him and he does whatever he wants! He eats plants, dog food, jumps on the counters, jumps on the bed and sleeps on my husband’s pillows. As a kitten, he climbed all the way up to the top of the Christmas tree, stuck his head out of the branches and gave the most cutest and sweetest  “Meeewww.”  It was quite adorable until the tree fell down!  Our third pet is Dorothy Gale, an 11 year old Labrador Retriever.  She is the greatest and sweetest dog, so characteristic of a lab.  She recently had knee surgery because she tore her cruciate ligament running into the back yard at rocket speed with 3 feet of snow on the ground, so she could bark at the neighbor dogs.  Animal Health Clinic is such a great and progressive place to work. With all my geriatric pets, each one has something that needs to be treated. Lando is taking medication for hyperthyroidism and feline asthma; Scooter has a food allergy and has been difficult to manage his itching. Dorothy has arthritis in both her hips that has previously needed medication to help ease the pain.  Thankfully, I have been able to use laser therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) to control her arthritis. She doesn’t even need medication anymore!  I never would have known about laser therapy and PRP without the help of Animal Health Clinic!

Being a veterinarian is my day job; at night I put on my mother and wife hat.  I am the mother and step-mother to 4 children ages 13 to 6. My husband and I are well-versed in video games, LOL dolls, hatchimals, and monster trucks!  My wonderful husband is originally from Kansas so we take yearly family trips to visit relatives down south.  My husband works for Dakota Refrigeration as a HVAC technician in the commercial business industry.  He recently served as lead technician on a project to establish the first NXT-Cold ammonia-based refrigerant system in a storage freezer in the northern United States.  In our free time, my husband and I like to go to movies, music concerts, the shooting range, and travel.  I am not a fisherman by any means, but it is one of my husband’s favorite activities whether it be on hard water or soft.  Therefore, I am a wife of a fisherman, and have developed an ALMOST  liking to the sport!

Volunteering is an important aspect of who I am, also. Volunteering helps my heart become full by helping unwanted pets find loving and forever homes.  I sit on the Board of Directors for Diamond in the Ruff Pet Rescue.  This position allows me to be active in event planning, fundraising and community education.  Diamond in the Ruff Pet Rescue is run 100% by volunteers. We don’t have a building to house our rescued animals, so we rely heavily on the availability of our foster families to take in these pets.  Making a difference in the world is something I hope to do. I want to make sure our kids are kind, respectful, smart and self-sustaining, responsible adults.  I want to make sure that all pets are loved, have their basic needs cared for, and are happy and comfortable.  I just want to make the world a little better than how it was when I started.

Kendra Maurer, DVM
Veterinarian

Education: Undergrad at NDSU; Vet school at Kansas State University
Interests: Preventative Medicine, Dermatology, Behavior

I have always wanted to be a veterinarian. I remember getting my first cat when I was six years old from my grandparents’ farm. Ever since then, my interest in veterinary medicine has only increased. As a child, I never understood why I couldn’t have a multitude of animals in our home. As I grew up and started to understand the responsibility of pet ownership, I realized that I may never be able to have all the animals that I would like in my own home. I soon realized that if I worked in the veterinary field that I could help these animals and become a small part of their life. I am fortunate to be able to live out my dream of being a veterinarian and be able to help these animals in the ways that they need.

I enjoy educating clients on preventative medicine to help their pets stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. One of my passions in veterinary medicine is behavior. I love coming up with ideas to help improve the human-animal bond by allowing owners to seek out wanted behaviors from their pets.

I was born and raised in Fargo, ND. I received my bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University and my DVM from Kansas State University. My husband and I have two golden retrievers, Cassie and Hattie. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, gardening, traveling, and spending time with family.

I have wanted to be a veterinarian at Animal Health Clinic since we started taking our family pets here when I was a child. I am beyond fortunate to be able to live out that dream and to be able to call AHC home as I start to develop those same long-term relationships with clients here. I look forward to contributing to the health of your family’s pets.

Natalie Gruchow, CVPM, SHRM-CP
Certified Veterinary Practice Manager

Education: B.A. in Psychology from MSUM, Minors in Business Administration & English Writing;  Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional; Certified Veterinary Practice Manager from Veterinary Hospital Manager Association
Interests: Animals of all kinds (especially dogs), interacting with clients & their pets, human resources, industrial-organizational psychology, continuing education, & business development
Email: natalie@ahcfargo.com

Natalie is from Fargo and has a black lab (Sniff), 2 bearded dragons (Piney & Lanky), and a 120 gallon aquarium. She also has a clinic betta fish (Brad Phish).

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, taking Sniff with on adventures, cooking, trying new foods, and listening to music.

Natalie also founded the nonprofit, Petiquette, where she empowers pet parents to advocate for their pet’s emotional wellbeing with a focus on raising leash etiquette and why it matters.  Not all dogs like to say hello and that’s ok. Her supporting #LeashEtiquette flyer won a VETTY Award, which celebrates excellence in animal health marketing. She has been invited to speak at major veterinary conferences, such as VMX, the Fear Free Pet Behavior Symposium, & VHMA, as well as many local community events.

Fun fact: “I’ve snorkeled with wild reef sharks, whale sharks, and blue sharks!”

Becky
Licensed Veterinary Technician- Team Lead
Fear Free Cat Champion

Education: B.S. in Veterinary Technology from NDSU

Interests: Working with fearful cats, cat behavior, lab/microscope work

Becky is from Sauk Centre, MN.  She graduated from NDSU in 2005, and has been at the Animal Health Clinic ever since.  Her current responsibilities include being team lead, inventory manager, and surgery coordinator, along with her usual veterinary technician duties.  Becky currently lives in West Fargo with her husband and two sons.  They have a rescued lab mix named Sully, and 2 rescued cat siblings named Cricket and Hazel.  In her spare time Becky enjoys reading, scrapbooking, gardening and baking.  She is also continuing her education in feline behavior in hopes of adding feline behavior consultant to her credentials!

Fun Fact: I love canning!

Jen
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Fear Free Coordinator

Education: B.S. in Veterinary Technology from NDSU
Interests: Chemo therapy, anesthesia, canine behavior

Jen is from Litchville, ND and has 2 yorkie/maltese crosses (Syrie & Lita). In her spare time she enjoys walking her dogs, rally obedience training, agility & therapy pet training with Syrie, spending time with family, and watching the Green Bay Packers!

Lyndi
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Education: Minnesota School of Business- Veterinary Technology
Interests: Drawing blood, anesthesia, dermatology

Lyndi is from Valley City and has a Springer Spaniel mix (McKade), and a cat (Marty).

In her spare time, she enjoys going to the lake, and spending time with friends and family.

Fun fact: She has 10 hours towards her pilot’s license.

Danielle
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Fear Free Dog Champion

Education: AAS Veterinary Technology- MN School of Business
Interests: Behavior

Danielle is from Moorhead and has a dog (Jezebel) and a cat (Callie).

In her spare time, she likes to read, watch movies, and sew.

Deborah
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Education: Argosy University Twin Cities- veterinary technology
Interests: Dentistry, rehab/massage, orthopedics

Deb is from Minot, ND.  She has two Italian Greyhounds (Cuddy & Bella), and two Great Pyrenees (Daphne & Sully).

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with kids and camping.  She also is the volunteer regional coordinator for the Italian Greyhound Rescue, and volunteers for the Diamond in the Ruff.

April
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Education: Veterinary Technology from Globe University
Interests: Neonatal care & dentistry

April is from Vita, Manitoba, Canada, and has a domestic shorthair tabby (Zoey), and 2 Yorkshire Terriers (Kimber; Kemmy).  In her spare time she enjoys running, swimming, spending time with family, and biking.

Fun fact: “I have freckles on my eyes.”

Tasha
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Education: Certified Veterinary Technician
Interests: Dream job is to work in a zoo

Tasha is from Hewitt, MN, and has 3 cats (Apollo, Mama, & Meeka), a golden retriever (Tucker), and a mare horse (Brandy).

In the summer she likes to disc golf, ride horse, ride bicycle, go swimming, and fishing.  She also loves to travel.  In the winter she enjoys movies, puzzles, and making tie blankets.

Fun fact: “I have been to Australia, New Zealand, & South Africa.”

Amanda
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Education: Certified Veterinary Technician
Interests: Dentals, lab, and cats

Amanda is from Osakis, Minnesota, and has 2 cats (Ichigo; Nodoka).  In her spare time, she likes to read, write, and do crafts.

Fun fact: “I took a 2 year internship in Denmark.”

Madi
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Education: LVT at Ridgewater College
Interests: Exotics, laboratory, dentals

Madi is from Grand Forks and has 2 Guinea Pigs (Beans; Juno) and a Miniature Pinscher (Sarge).

In her spare time she likes to hang with family, friends, and pets.  Also to go walk in the summertime.

Erica
Appointment Assistant- Team Lead

Education: Zoology Major from NDSU

Erica is from Moorhead and has a mini Australian Shepherd (Jango), a Shiba Inu/Basset cross (Nugget), a rescue kitty (Sheridan), and 2 bull python snakes (Stoli & Pendleton).

Fun fact: She just had her first child and is getting married in the summer of 2016.

Christine
Appointment Assistant

Education: Bachelors in New Media & Web Design with a minor in Art from NDSU
Interests: Dog & cat grooming

Christine is from Fargo. Her two cats (Timba & Sagwa) are sisters that were rescued from Cat’s Cradle. In her spare time she enjoys reading, watching Netflix, cross stitch, and sewing.

Fun fact: “My dream pets are a border collie and bare eyed cockatoo”.

Raina
Appointment Assistant

Education: I’m doing it. For as long as I remember I wanted to work with animals.

Raina is also trained as a Front Office Support Specialist.

Raina lived in Carrington until age 13, then moved to Fargo. She has 2 dogs (Pheobe, Nathan), 2 cats (Blinkin the blind kitty, & Molly), 2 Guinea pigs, and 2 beta fish.

She has no spare time.

Fun fact: “Too many to list, but I did just win a 5 minute, $500 grocery shopping spree!”

Debi
Appointment Assistant

Education: Commercial Art
Professional Interests: Working with pets and their owners.

Debi is from Barnesville, MN, and has 2 cats (Mina; Banshee).  In her spare time she enjoys relaxing, watching horror movies, gardening, reading, going to thrift stores, and garage sales.

Fun fact: “I love going to zombie pub crawls.”

Kim
Front Office Coordinator & Appointment Assistant

Education: Bachelors in Zoology
Professional Interests: Working in animal care and/or conservation

Kim is from Fargo and has a chinchilla (Poe).  She likes to read in her spare time.

Fun fact: Unable to be fingerprinted!

Dana
Front Office Support

Education: Concordia College and MSUM
Interests: Animal care; customer service

Dana grew up in Mora,MN and moved up here for college in 2003. She now lives in Fargo with her husband. She has two black cats (Murphy & Zaney) and two pitbull mixes (Maeby & Puddy). In her spare time she likes to volunteer for the 4 Luv of Dog Rescue and hosts foster dogs while they wait for their forever homes. She also loves to sew, screenprint, cook and go on hiking/outdoor adventures with her family.

Fun fact: “I constantly have a creative project in the works whether it be sewing, screenprinting, painting, etc.”

Stacy
Front Office Support

Stacy is from St. Paul, Minnesota and has two cats (Beezus & Zooey). In her spare time she likes to cook, listen to music, and hang out with her boyfriend, Tony, and the cats.

Fun fact: “I got to sing one of my favorite songs on stage with the band who recorded it at MSUM.”

Lauren
Front Office Support

Education: Communication Studies, minor in events & PR
Professional Interests: Petting puppies & client service

Lauren is from central MN and has one human child and a golden retriever named Jules.  In her spare time she enjoys being outside (unless it’s winter), movies, and spending time with family.

Fun fact: Cotton candy was my favorite ice cream flavor!

Selena
Front Office Support

Education: Associates in Childcare Development & “lots of life experiences”
Professional Interests: To continue to grow every day and find contentment in this new and exciting career!

Selena is from Pennsylvania and has a cat named Koda.  In her spare time, she loves to be outside, travel, & spend time with family & friends.

Fun fact: “I have been to 34 states and 13 countries.”

Jared
Front Office Support

Education: NDSU

Professional Interests: Being of service to people and their pets.

Jared is from Fargo and has an aquarium of dwarf cichlids, tetras, & shrimp.  In his spare time he enjoys gardening, fishing, and cooking.

Fun fact: He has 20 years of experience working and managing pet stores, and has been bitten by an octupus!

Jennifer S
Internal Accountant

Email: fargoahc@gmail.com