About Us

Mendakota Animal Hospital

Dedicated to you, your pet, and our community

Mendakota Animal Hospital has been proudly serving Mendota Heights and the surrounding community since 1998. We are committed to providing personalized care to each of our patients. Our facility was designed with the needs of your pet in mind. Our separate dog and cat wards, and indoor courtyard are spacious and clean. The fully equipped surgical suite, in-house full line laboratory, endoscopy unit as well as digital x-ray and dental suites clearly indicate our recognition of the need to diagnose problems early and keep your pet healthy.

Our Doctors

Dr. Kyle Stalpes

Doctor, Owner

Dr. Stalpes grew up in Turtle Lake, WI, where his dad was the local dairy vet. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth for his undergraduate program, where he studied a variety of subjects before eventually settling on veterinary medicine.

Upon graduation, Dr. Kyle Stalpes moved with his family to Oregon and practiced small animal medicine for a number of years there. With his growing family, he made the decision to move back to the Midwest. He has been practicing at Mendakota Animal Hospital since 2019 and took over as owner in 2022.

Outside of the clinic, Dr. Stalpes is usually spending time with his wife Allie chasing around their two daughters, along with their Brittany mix Molly, and their two sibling senior cats, Jeeves and Pogo.

Dr. Javery Benson

Doctor

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.

Our Support Staff

Karen

Lead CVT

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

CVT

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

CVT

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

CVT

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

Veterinary Assistant

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

Veterinary Assistant

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.

Leslie

Veterinary Assistant

Leslie joined the Mendakota team in 2022 as a Veterinary Assistant. Leslie is passionate about animals and their care. Leslie has 2 dogs and a gulper catfish. In her free time, she enjoys Muay Thai, hiking, foraging and playing video games.

Abbie

Veterinary Assistant

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

Veterinary Assistant

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

Veterinary Assistant

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.

Erin

Animal Care Attendant

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

Business Manager

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.