MEET THE DVM’S, THE TEAM & OUR SPECIALISTS
Our veterinary team is dedicated to providing the highest
quality of care to your companion animals. Meet each of our team members below!
Your ECV Veterinarians
AMY BUCKMEIER, DVM
Dr. Amy Buckmeier joined the staff at East Central Veterinarians in 2000. She practices general medicine, preventive care, surgery and general dentistry.
LAURA BYERS, DVM
Dr. Laura Byers graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2006. She has been working at East Central Veterinarians since graduation. She enjoys medicine, surgery, and nutrition work. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, and spending time with family and friends.
MARK MONSON, DVM
Dr. Monson received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1983. He joined East Central Veterinarians shortly after that time. Dr. Monson works most often in our Mora location. He enjoys small animal medicine. Outside of work, he likes spending time with his kids, taking his 2 dogs for a walk and reading books.
MELODY PUST, DVM
Dr. Pust joined East Central Veterinarians in 2013. After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota in 2000, she practiced in Colorado and Kentucky before returning to Minnesota. She is an excellent addition to our team. She practices general medicine, surgery (including some orthopedic surgery), dentistry and ultrasound. Dr. Pust is our doctor who will see almost anything from cats and dogs to ferrets, snakes, pot-bellied pigs and birds.
MEGAN TRAUBA, DVM
Dr. Megan Trauba Graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2015. She joined East Central Veterinarians in 2025. Her special interests include preventative medicine, geriatric care, internal medicine, dermatology, dentistry, and end of life care. Her favorite dog breed is the golden retriever which she has two of. Their names are Huck and Finley. In her spare time, she likes to spend time at the cabin with her family, trail riding and showing her horses with her daughter Grace, and gardening. She looks forward to working with the clients and patients here at East Central Veterinarians.
JENNIFER SCHURRER, DVM, MS, CCRP, CVPM
HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR
DR AMY HAARSTAD
VETERINARY DERMATOLOGY SPECIALIST
Dr. Amy Haarstad graduated in 2001 from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Haarstad completed a one-year internship at Purdue University. She then returned to the Twin Cities and worked at a small animal practice for nine years. After her time in general practice, Dr. Haarstad participated in a three-year veterinary dermatology residency. She was board certified by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) in 2014.
Haarstad Veterinary Dermatology (HVD) was founded in the fall of 2017. HVD is a mobile practice that brings dermatology specialty services directly to clients and patients in their primary clinic. Services include intradermal (skin) allergy testing, diagnostic food trials, ear disease management, skin biopsy, etc. Visit www.HaarstadVetDerm.com for a complete list.
Dr. Haarstad grew up in Maple Grove, MN and still lives there with her husband, Steve, their three daughters and pets. As a family, they enjoy camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), downhill skiing, and playing volleyball.
DR CAL KOBLUK
VETERINARY SURGICAL SPECIALIST
Dr. Kobluk graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1978. After completing his residency in the Twin Cities he went on to become board certified in surgery. In 1995, Dr. Kobluk and his family moved to California where he worked as a full time professor and at at Referral Center until returning to Minnesota in 2001. Dr. Kobluk has a mobile practice that brings TPLO specialty services directly to our clients and patients here at East Central Veterinarians.
DR RACHEL CHMELOVSKI
VETERINARY SURGICAL SPECIALIST
Dr. Rachel Chmelovski owns and operates RCM Veterinary Surgery. Dr. Chmelovski graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Biology in 2014. She completed her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota in 2018. She then went on to complete a rotating internship in small animal surgery and medicine at the University of Minnesota from 2018-2019. Finally, she completed a three-year residency in surgery, starting at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary medicine and completing the residency at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Chmelovski passed her final surgical boards and achieved board certification from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in February of 2023. Dr. Chmelovski has a mobile small animal veterinary surgical specialist who provide surgical care to patients here at East Central Veterinarians.
The ECV Team
CHELSEY S.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Chelsey joined the staff as Operations Manager in 2021. Her interests include Human Resources and the behind-the-scenes operations of the clinics. Her hobbies include fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and reading. Her love for animals stemmed from being raised on a farm, and showing in 4H for many years. She is an advocate for all animals, and has completed her home with a dog, two cats, and two bearded dragons.
TINA M.
OFFICE & INVENTORY MANAGER
Tina is a 1994 graduate of MIM (Medical Institute of Minnesota). She has been a technician at ECV since 1996 with special interests in surgery and radiology. She fills her spare time with family, raising and showing rabbits, gardening and being a 4-H leader.
KELSEY C., CVT
CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN (CVT) LEAD
Kelsey joined our ECV team in July of 2016 as a Veterinary Assistant and Client Service Representative. After completing veterinary technology classes, she completed an externship at ECV. She recently graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Argosy University and has passed her board exam to become a Certified Veterinary Technician.
When Kelsey is not at work she is field farming and raising a herd of beef cattle. She can also be found at barrel races and rodeos every weekend running her horses with her fiancé.
TORI G., CVT
CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN (CVT)
Tori joined our team in June of 2023. She graduated from Ridgewater College in 2022 with an Associate in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. She passed her board exam later that year and became a Certified Veterinary Technician. Outside of the clinic, Tori enjoys spending time with her two cats, Murphy and Tabitha. She also enjoys being outdoors, crocheting, and baking.
MICHAELA J., CVT
CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN (CVT)
Michaela joined the team at ECV in August of 2023. She graduated with an AAS degree in Veterinary Technology from Ridgewater college in 2022. She then went on to pass her boards in the spring of 2023, when she became a Certified Veterinary Technician. Michaela grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota and has always had a passion for animals large and small, furry and scaled. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and quilting. She now resides in the area with her family, 3 cats, and 2 dogs.
HEIDI O., CVT
CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN (CVT)
Heidi began working at East Central Veterinarians in March of 1996. She received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 1990 and spent a number of years training horses before returning to school. She received an Associate in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology in 1993. She has been working as a Certified Veterinary Technician since.
TANYA P., CVT
CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN (CVT)
Anytime you walk in our clinic and hear wild and crazy music, you can assume Tanya is working. She joined the clinic in 2014 and is a talented CVT. She can work in any area of our clinic with ease. Tanya is married and has three children. She spends many of her spring and summer days following them with their sports games.
ALESHA S., CVT
CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN (CVT) & RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER
I love all kinds of animals from reptiles, avian, rodents, small animals and farm animals. I have two cats, Alice and Bean. I used to help my aunt on the farm, as well as taking care of animals at PetSmart with my mother. I was raised in San Antonio, TX. I eventually moved up north to Onamia, MN senior year of high school. Graduated from Ridgewater Community College, Veterinary Technician Program in 2023. I will be taking my national boards exam soon to be a future Certified Veterinary Technician. I enjoy watching anime, gaming, and cosplaying.
MICHELLE C., CVT
CERTIFIED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
Michelle joined the ECV team in October 2024 as a Certified Veterinary Technician. She has always loved animals and taking care of them. She recently graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Rochester Community and Technical College, earning an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Veterinary Technology. Additionally, she passed her board exams in the summer of 2024 to become a Certified Veterinary Technician.
When she is at home, Michelle loves walking and exploring with her dog Trixie, and in her spare time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, making jewelry, baking, and spending time with her family.
BLONGXIA “B” H.
CERTIFIED PHARMACY TECHNICIAN & CAMBRIDGE INVENTORY LEAD
B joined the ECV team in February of 2024. She grew up in Colorado. B has previous experience working as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. B has 2 dogs. When not working you can find B spending her time hiking, reading, training her dogs, cooking and watching Netflix. You can find B at the Cambridge clinics.
KAYLA L.
TECHNICIAN
Often “quiet as a church mouse”, Kayla easily transitions her role from a client service representative to a veterinary assistant on a regular basis. She can be found in our Mora or Cambridge location and is always willing to help out. She did her veterinary technician internship with us and has been here since 2014. She finds she has a special place in her heart for cats but loves all creatures we see at East Central Veterinarians.
SAVANNAH F.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
I have always had a passion for animals of all shapes and sizes. I have a huge soft spot for cats. I always wanted to work with animals. I grew up in Ogilvie in the country, so I was always surrounded by wildlife. I myself have 2 kitties Charlie and Binx. I got with my husband in 2004 and we have 3 amazing boys. I enjoy Camping, Fishing, Swimming, Cooking, spending time with and doing all of the above with my family! And I promise to always show as much love and compassion to your pets as I do my own!
AMY S.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Amy joined the East Central Veterinarian team at the end of April 2019. Amy got her love of animals from growing up on a dairy farm near Dalbo MN. She has two dogs, Domino and Freckles, and several cats, three of which she bottle fed herself. She enjoys spending time with her family that includes three children and one grandchild.
LILLY K.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Lilly joined the ECV team in November of 2023. She grew up in the East Bethel/North Branch area. Lilly has always had animals while growing up, she currently has 1 dog and 3 cats. When not working you can find Lilly spending time with family and friends, fishing (summer & winter) & watching Netflix.
ALAINA K.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls with a Bachelor’s in Companion Animal Science, Alaina joined the ECV team in August of 2024. She has found her passion working with critters from all walks, hops, slithers, swims, and flights of life. She has moved up north from Oakdale, MN to further pursue her career in veterinary medicine, attending school online to become a CVT. She also has a passion for animal training and behavior in any species she can see! With experience in household pets, large animals, and some of the wildest critters you could imagine, Alaina is beyond excited to be helping out your pets.
JENNY R.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Jenny grew up living in a state park on the North Shore (where her father was a park manager) which probably led to her love of the outdoors and animals. She has worked in the veterinary field since 1989 and has been with ECV since 2002 working as an assistant and receptionist. Her hobbies include breeding and raising horses, and she has, (in the past) also raised many exotic species. She also enjoys 4 wheeling, gardening, and spending time with her 3 children (including twin daughers who really keep her busy).
BAILEY R.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Bailey joined our team at ECV in February 2024. She grew up in Cambridge and earned her Master of Science in Biology from St. Cloud State in 2022. She has loved animals from a young age and has a particular interest in reptiles and amphibians. She currently owns two leopard geckos and a crested gecko. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and being outdoors.
TANAYA R.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT & CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
Bio coming soon.
MIKELENE W.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
I love animals. I always have. When I was little, I would scour magazines for pictures of animals and create flashcards to quiz myself on how quickly I could remember facts about each animal. I grew up owning cats, horses, ducks, pocket pets, a flying squirrel and a wolfhound. Later in life, I managed a pet store and worked with Macaws, Cockatoos, Amazon and Conure parrots. In 2018, I moved from the cities to start our 40 acre farm, Bur Oak Heritage Farm. We are currently raising Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf goats to sell and produce milk, cheese and soap. We also have a myriad of chickens and two cats-a Chocolate Point Siamese and an Oriental Short hair. In addition to our farm and working at ECV, I home-school my two amazing sons. Life keeps me busy. I am grateful for the vast richness that each animal brings to my life: Every one having its own complex and beautiful personality.
KIRSTEN B.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
Bio coming soon!
DANIELLE D.
CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE LEAD
Danielle joined East Central Veterinarians in October of 2016 greeting clients and patients at the front desk. She enjoys assisting clients and patients in every day in any way she can! Even though her college career didn’t focus on animals she knew from a young age that she wanted to be in the Veterinary field because of her love for all animals, furry, scaly, and everything in between. On her days off you can find her crafting, fishing, and enjoying time with family and friends.
MANDY H.
CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
I grew up in Great Falls, MT and spent my summers on my family’s cattle ranch near the Canadian Border running around and helping out with chores. I have always loved all kinds of animals, but am a big push over for dogs. Growing up we had pet rats, turtles, salamanders, 3 dogs, and a cat. When I was older and living on my own, I had a blind ferret that I rescued, 2 cats, a Red-Tailed Boa Constrictor, a Tokay Gecko, an Iguana, a ball python and my 2 greatly missed big dogs. I went to college at the University of Montana in Missoula, MT for journalism but decided it was not for me. I lived in Missoula until 2011 when I moved to Minnesota with my fiance to help with his family’s farm. We now have 11 cows that we raise on our farm for beef outside of Stanchfield. Some day I would like to own my kennel or doggy daycare and be surrounded by dogs all day!
DEANNA B.
CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
Bio coming soon.
DANI P. “DP”
CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
I grew up in the Anoka area, with a brief stint in Germany as a child because my father was in the Army. I came back to the states in ’91 just in time for that famous MN blizzard! My first Halloween in MN was definitely a new experience to say the least! I was (and still do) always bringing strays home and terrorizing my parents with my antics and love for animals. Currently, I have a zoo at home- my children and I have a Wirehaired Pointer named Piston, a new Coonhound/Shorthaired Pointer mix named Maynard, a Maine Coone giant named Mikka Meyers (he’s got thumbs!) and a spicy Orange long-haired gal named Willow, who recently gave us three little ginger kittens I’ve lovingly named “The Weasleys” since Harry Potter is one of my favorite series ever! Aside from most creatures large and small- I love my kids, Post Malone, Red Bull, and tattoos!!
ARI
CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
I joined the ECV team in 2024. I absolutely love any animal that walks through our doors, I am a big animal person so my family is never surprised when I walk through the door with another animal. My favorite season is summer, because that is when me and my dogs take the most coffee runs to get pup cups and coffee. I have 4 pet (2 Dogs, 1 Cat, and 1 Hamster) My dogs names are Tank and Naz, my cat’s name is Lady, and my hamster’s name is Scooby. Tank is my big anxious dog, and Naz is my happy little dog, they are complete opposites and I think it is so funny. Lady is a stray that I actually got from ECV, She is one of the sweetest cats I have ever owned, and Scooby is my super cool hamster. I always look forward to meeting new people, and their pets, and I am so excited to start my career here at ECV! 🙂
SAMMY R.
CLEANER
Bio coming soon.
LAURA
CLEANER
Bio coming soon.
"East Central Veterinarian Clinic - Mora has been choice for many many years and has provided the best care for each of our pets. We would never go anywhere else. The staff is absolutely amazing. They care. They are attentive."
"I switched vet clinics after an issue with my last clinic. I am extremely happy that I made that decision. I have been listened to and backed 100% on what I wanted to do with my dog's issues and it turned out to be an extremely good choice."
"I cannot say enough good things!!! The persistence of the vets to figure out our dogs puzzle was stellar. They saved his life. He was so critical when we got there. Thank you thank you thank you!!"
"The veterinarians always take time to explain things thoroughly. Very kind and compassionate. The vet techs also deserve praise and thanks for their kindness as well."
"East Central Vet is amazing. They take the time to know your pet and diagnose. They genuinely care and love the pets they see. They also have affordable plans for care."
"Everyone was very accommodating & pleasant. They answered any questions I had. Dr. Pust was wonderful...very patient, helpful & informative!"
"We happened apon ECV when our older dog needed urgent care and we loved how we were treated that we have now started bringing our other dogs. Love the service and extra steps they take to take care of us and our pups!"
"The care and concern shown towards our dog Abby and to us by all the staff members will long be remembered at this time that we really needed you the most. Thank you to everyone."
"My pup was extremely well taken care of. Even a call to say he left his toy there. not many offices would take the time to find which dog the toy belongs with. Thanks so much."