CLEARY LAKE VETERINARY HOSPITAL - Key Persons
Dr. Hermann was raised on a small hobby farm in Prior Lake, MN. He was active in 4-H with his brothers for many years. He began working for Dr. Bill Sweeney at Equine Medical Center as a high school student in 1977. After graduating from high school, he went on to Iowa State University and graduated from veterinary school in 1986. He returned to Equine Medical Center as a veterinarian. Dr. Kathy Ott and Dr. Hermann were married in 1995. In 1998, they purchased the clinic from Dr. Sweeney. In 2004, they moved the facility to its current location, changing the name to Cleary Lake Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Hermann's medical interests include surgery, dentistry, and practice management. In his free time, he enjoys reading and book collecting, hiking, cross country skiing, and working around the farm (he can often be found on his John Deere tractor). Dr. Hermann and Nemo the cat have a mutual understanding.
Deb Chellsen is a veterinary technician who does overnight patient care and hospital maintenance at Cleary Lake. Deb is a lover of all animals but especially dogs, cats and horses. She grew up in Lakeville and has lived in the Elko area on a small hobby farm with her husband, Keith, for the past 28 years. They share their home with a whole pack of pets and a small herd of horses. Deb has been employed in the animal care business for the past 24 years, with 22 of those in the veterinary field. In Deb's free time she likes to be with family, friends and pets; especially her dogs. Deb's hobbies include reading about animals, flower gardening, animal art and photography and anything outdoors.
Dr. Carrie Rodman received her B.S. in Kinesiology and Minor in Coaching from the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development. She later returned to her alma mater and graduated with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. Dr. Rodman has worked as a relief veterinarian throughout the Twin Cities since 2015 (including with us numerous times over the years).
Dr. Rodman enjoys the variety each and every day in veterinary medicine brings along with the ability the field provides for continued growth and learning.
Dr. Patty Keyes is a 1990 graduate of the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine, and has practiced small animal medicine and management in the Twin Cities since. As a general practitioner, Dr. Keyes has a special interest in feline care, small mammal care, and most importantly meeting her client and pet patient needs in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner. She lives in Excelsior with her special Shih Tzu/Poodle (Frank), and her two cats (Kitten and Nuggett). Her current needs focus on helping other veterinarians as needed and finding more time to visit her two daughters and her special places (Arizona and MN lake cabin) in her semi-retirement. Dr. Keyes is originally from Nebraska and is a huge Cornhuskers fan.
Dr. Terwey joined Cleary Lake in 2006. She graduated from the College of St. Benedict in 1999 and from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. She works exclusively with horses and has a strong interest in providing comprehensive veterinary care. She enjoys building relationships with clients and their horses to provide the best continued health care possible. Her professional interests are dentistry and emergency medicine.
Izzy joined the Cleary Lake team in March 2021 as a seasonal equine assistant. She finally joined the team full-time in May of 2023. She currently works as a barn assistant in the breeding barn, as an equine receptionist, and occasionally as a vet assistant. Izzy graduated in Spring 2023 from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities with a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science and a minor in Communications. Originally from Louisville, KY, Izzy grew up riding and showing American Saddlebreds. She has one horse, Sadie, who moved with her to Minnesota, and a French Bulldog back home named Ollie. When she isn't at work, she can be found at the barn with her horse, hanging with family and friends, or traveling.
Dr. Selvig grew up in Webster, Minnesota, and after learning to ride on her mom's Arabian and her own rescued pinto pony, began competing in eventing, dressage and polocrosse. She was active in Pony Club, earning her HA rating, and spent several years in high school working at Equine Medical Center at its old location before starting college. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior in 2003, and with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2007. She joined Cleary Lake as a veterinarian in 2007 and worked several summers at Canterbury Park as a racetrack practitioner. In January 2023 she became an owner in the practice. Dr. Jen's professional interests include equine sports medicine and rehabilitation, chiropractic, acupuncture, and working with off-the-track thoroughbreds. She is a freelance writer for The Horse magazine and is on the national board of CANTER USA, a nonprofit dedicated to finding second careers for ex-racehorses. She is also the current president of the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners.
Outside of work, Dr. Jen owns and operates Stargazer Farm, a horse boarding and training facility, with her husband Ben, a human physician. They have two fabulous kids, Riley and Zoey. The farm is home to Dr. Jen's menagerie: (probably too many) horses, a donkey, two alpacas, three dwarf goats, a pot-bellied pig, three dogs, five-ish cats, a flock of chickens, and a pair of opinionated peafowl. In whatever time she has left, she still competes her horses in three-day eventing, loves to travel, and enjoys running, lifting weights, and yoga. She's a self-proclaimed nerd and knows way too much useless Star Wars and Lord of the Rings trivia.
Dr. Ott has been a veterinarian at Cleary Lake since 1987. She and Dr. Hermann purchased the practice in 1998 and she has been the "Boss Mare" ever since! Her professional interests include equine sports medicine, equine reproduction, behavior and acupuncture. In her spare time, Dr. Ott shows hunters and jumpers and raises one or two foals each year at her farm, Wild Horse Hill. She also enjoys cross-country skiing and hiking. She has an enthusiastic German Shepherd, Myrtle, as well as two cats, Yertle and Abra-cat-dabra. She also serves as the Zone Chairman of the United States Equestrian Federation Jumper Committee.
Dr. Stavros earned a degree in business from the University of Minnesota before changing gears to become a veterinarian. That change stemmed from his first dog, Pasha. He graduated with a veterinary degree from the University of Minnesota in 1996. After 22 years of running a successful veterinary hospital, he decided to focus on the medical side. He sold his business in 2021 and feels that Cleary Lake Veterinary Hospital is the best fit to continue exercising good medicine, integrity, and an understanding of the extent of the human/animal bond. People and their animals are all unique. Over the years, he and his wife have had many breeds of dogs and cats. He currently has a Labrador/Doberman mix, a Doberman, and a cat. He loves them all, and they are all unique! Dr. Stavros loves family travel, good eating, and a love for sports!
Dr. Jaklitsch joined Cleary Lake Veterinary Hospital in 2017. Dr. Jaklitsch is a board-certified Theriogenologist, which means she specializes in animal reproduction. Her veterinary interests include breeding problem mares, frozen semen, embryo transfer, neonatal care and more. Dr. Jaklitsch did her pre-veterinary studies at Colorado State University and worked at the CSU Equine Reproduction Lab, which is where she was inspired to pursue advanced training in reproduction. Following vet school at Oklahoma State University, she did an internship at a private practice in New Zealand before her theriogenology residency at Mississippi State University, which she completed in 2013. She spent the summers of her youth riding as much as she could, attending and later working at a summer camp in Northern California and riding hunters at a few local barns. In her free time she enjoys exploring the Great Outdoors, usually with a camera in tow. Hiking, skiing (mostly downhill) and snowshoeing are all on the list. She loves visiting the U.S. and Canadian National Parks. She is originally from California and grew up with Yosemite just hours away.