P.A.W.S. Pet Hospital

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

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 16 years and she plans to hang around indefinitely.

Outside of veterinary medicine I am often found working on home projects. I also enjoy gardening and occasionally getting out on our motorcycles with my husband, Matt. 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. 

Hi! I am Anne Carlson, 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. I also help take care of Squirt and Shredder, our rats here at the clinic. 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 Ulstad, 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 happy to accept.

Over the last 10 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 ther 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!  

Angie Novatney, CVT
Hello, my name is Angie Novatney. I grew up in Blaine and still live there today. I have a Miniature Pinscher named Sargent and a Calico Cat named Cinnamon. I have always wanted to work with animals and decided from a young age that I wanted to be a Veterinary Technician. My dad and I have saved so many animals along the way. We have saved anything from a gull with a broken wing to a frog, who we named "Kermit," that jumped off a delivery truck from a southern state last winter and brought both of them to a wild bird and animal sanctuary.

I graduated from Minnesota School of Business in December 2007 with my Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology. After college I passed both the state and national exams and became a Certified Veterinary Technician.

I met both Dr. Beck and Dr. Johnson at other clincis where we used to work together. After we parted ways for a little while, time brought us all back together! I am so excited to be working here in a team atmosphere where everyone shares the same goals, to take care of animals and give the best care that we can.

Hi, My name is Chelsea and I am the newest recruit at P.A.W.S. I recently graduated from Argosy University with an AAS in Veterinary Technology. A little birdie hinted to me to see if I could do my internship at this great new clinic in Hugo. I jumped to the opportunity and was so excited when Michelle accepted me as her first intern. I had so much fun
and learned so much that I knew it was a good fit!

I am now a Certified Veterinary Technician here at P.A.W.S. and every day is an adventure.

I love my job and couldn't see my life any other way. I grew up in various parts of the Twin Cities but graduated high school and currently live in Circle Pines, MN. I have a very handsome black lab named Rocky and a bunny named Tumbleweed. In my free time (there is not much of it), I like to take Rocky running as well as going on hikes through the woods. I feel very lucky to be a part of the team here at P.A.W.S., it is such a great atmosphere and our staff truly is looking out for the best interest of the pets that we see as well as their owners.