Our Team

Dr. Javery Benson graduated in 1997 from the University of MN College of Veterinary Medicine. Since that time he has practiced small animal medicine in the Twin Cities metro area. He has a Goldendoodle named Rufus and a calico cat named Finley.

When not at work Dr. Benson enjoys spending time with his wife and two teenage children. He also enjoys woodworking.

Karen graduated from the Minnesota School of Business – Globe University in 2007. She joined Mendakota Animal Hospital in 2005 as a kennel attendant and worked her way up the ladder as a Certified Veterinary Technician. Karen has 1 cat and 1 dog at home that are both very relaxed fur babies. In her free time she likes to play softball, kickball, fish, camp and relax with her family and friends.

Krista graduated from the Medical Institute of Minnesota in 2000, and obtained her national and state certification in 2001. She joined Mendakota Animal Hospital in 2003. Her favorite part of her work is combining her passion for animal medicine and being able to communicate with pet owners about their healthcare. Krista has a strong interest in small animal anesthesia, and senior/geriatric pet care. Krista currently has 1 dog, and 3 cats. Outside of her work, she loves interacting with horses, reading, art, bike riding, and live music.

Alyssa graduated from Argosy University as a Certified Veterinary Technician in 2016. She joined Mendakota Animal Hospital as a Veterinary Assistant in 2014, completed her internship and remained on staff after obtaining her AAS in Veterinary Technology. She has a passion for cats, dogs and aquatic mammals. Alyssa has two cats at home whose very different personalities keep her on her toes. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys being creative by making cards, playing video games and spending time at her cabin.

Michelle graduated from Argosy University and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 2013 with a BS in Animal Science with a Veterinary technician emphasis. She joined Mendakota Animal hospital in 2013 as a Veterinary Assistant/Kennel Attendant and after obtaining her certification became a Certified Veterinary Technician in 2014. Michelle has two dogs and recently added a goldfish that her son won from a county fair. Outside of the clinic, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and two young sons. She also enjoys reading, drawing, arts and crafts, and collecting penguin art.

Michelle joined the Mendakota Team in 2021 as a Veterinary Assistant. She is very passionate about animals and knew she always wanted to work with them. Michelle has 2 dogs, a hedgehog and a crested gecko. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, playing video games, reading and spending time at her cabin.

Lilly joined the Mendakota team in 2022 as a Veterinary Assistant. She is a veterinary student at the University of Minnesota in the class of 2025 and has an interest in small animal medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her standard poodle, Olive, volunteering with student organizations, reading, and listening to live music.

Abbie joined the Mendakota team in 2022 as a Veterinary Assistant. Abbie has a passion for animals, especially horses. When not at work, Abbie enjoys spending time with her dog, going hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

Evelyn joined the Mendakota team in 2023. She is in school to become a CVT through the Dakota County Technical College program. She always knew that working with animals would be her passion. She has a Pomeranian that she takes with her everywhere she goes.

In her free time, Evelyn enjoys embellishing bags and clothing with rhinestones, indulging in marathon sessions of shows, and swimming and basking under the sun.

Kayla started her career in Iowa at an emergency veterinary clinic in 2022. She grew up watching her mom work at Mendakota Animal Hospital, and had always known she wanted with work with animals.

In her free time she likes to relax with her cats, spend time with family and friends, and spend time outdoors.

Nia has been in the animal medicine field for 6 years starting at the age of 18 and has had a passion for making sure each pet feels safe and healthy when being cared for since. She’s got a soft spot for the pups that have the real floppy or pointy ears. Nia has 3 pups of her own who are all very different from one another and a male leopard gecko.

When she’s not at work she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, being outdoors; fishing, four wheeling and hunting with her dad.

Erin rejoined the team in 2023 as an Animal Care Attendant and had previously worked at Mendakota as a Kennel Attendant. When not working, Erin enjoys spending time with her family, watching the Minnesota Wild, reading, and doing word search puzzles. She has two dogs at home, named Chase and Izzy.

Allie has been handling the business end of the clinic since 2022. She mostly works behind the scenes ensuring the day to day organization and flow of the clinic are running smoothly.

Outside of the clinic, Allie enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, doing crafts, and being outdoors.