Meet Our Team!

Andrea Birkeland, DVM

Andrea Birkeland, DVM

Principal Doctor

Dr. Andrea is a small animal veterinarian who started with us in June 2019. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota in 2017 and earned a degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University in 2013. Her main areas of interest include dentistry, internal medicine, surgery, nutrition, and preventative care. She has been in the veterinary field for over 10 years and has a rescue Springer Spaniel mix (Leo) and a husband (David). She enjoys audio books, reading, gardening, and dog training.

Mary Philippson, DVM

Mary Philippson, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Mary has been a doctor at Ark Pet Hospital since 2008. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota in 2001. Her main focus is to ensure her clients feel like family. Dr. Mary’s special interests include internal medicine and surgery. She enjoys volunteering at the Minnesota State Fair spay and neuter booth each year. She is happily married with two kids and 2 dogs, Ramen and Cara.

Dr. Annika Gibbs

Dr. Annika Gibbs

Veterinarian

Dr. Annika Gibbs, better known as Anja, is a 2021 graduate of the University of Minnesota. She hails from Massachusetts where she spent her childhood and young adult life riding horses. Her first horse, Winston, inspired her to pursue veterinary medicine as a career. Now she cares for a snake named Crowley and two cats: Arthur and Chester. Her professional interests include surgery, dentistry, dermatology, and client education. Dr. Gibbs has a particular interest in exotic companion animals including reptiles, birds, and pocket pets.

Martha Taylor, DVM

Martha Taylor, DVM

Associate Doctor

Dr. Martha has been a part-time doctor at Ark Pet Hospital since 2014.  She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 2003 and has a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Michigan State University.  Dr. Martha enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 children and 2 cats Budnuh and Kevin. She loves to travel, dancing and reading.

Stacy Thury, CVT

Stacy Thury, CVT

Practice Manager

Stacy is our practice manager and joined the Ark team in 2016. She is a certified veterinary technician that graduated from the Minnesota School of Business in 2012. Outside the clinic, she stays busy with her 3 human kids, 3 cats, and her dog Duke.

Melissa Sergenian

Melissa Sergenian

Lead Technician

Melissa is a veterinary technician that has been in the field since 2003. She has 2 dogs (Malcolm and Anakin), 2 cats (Mira and Tater), and a turtle named Rex. In her free time she enjoys spending time going camping and to soccer games with her husband Aaron and son Ara.

Matt Pickhartz

Matt Pickhartz

Veterinary Assistant

Matt has been a veterinary assistant at Ark since 2018 and has been in the veterinary field since 2017. He’s a 2016 graduate of the University of Minnesota
with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife. He currently lives in Minneapolis with his cat “Mickey”. In his free time he enjoys camping, photography, exploring hidden gems around the Twin Cities, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Kimberly Miller

Kimberly Miller

Certified Veterinary Technician

Kimberly has been a CVT since 2017. She has 3 dogs (Hulk, Blue, and Stevie Nyx), 2 guinea pigs (Gertrude and Blanche), 1 kitty (Ariel), 1 chinchilla (Luna), and a husband (Ben). When not at work she enjoys crafting, riding her motorcycle, and watching crime documentaries.

Jane McKenna

Jane McKenna

Veterinary Assistant

Jane has been a Veterinary Assistant at Ark Pet Hospital since 2020. She has a bossy greyhound named Gracie and a TV-watching leopard gecko named Prince. Jane is currently in school to become a Certified Veterinary Technician. She loves getting to know all of our patients and clients at Ark!

Sarah Alm

Sarah Alm

Veterinary Assistant

Sarah has been a vet assistant at Ark since 2021. She is currently in school to become a certified veterinary technician. Sarah love animals so much that she has her own little zoo of pets at home that includes 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a bunny. They keep her pretty busy!

Tori Wilford

Tori Wilford

Certified Veterinary Technician

Tori graduated from the Penn Foster program in October 2022 and became a certified veterinary technician in November 2022. She has been in the veterinary field since 2016. In her free time, Tori enjoys cooking and baking, playing video games, and spending time with her dogs, cats, snakes, tarantulas, chickens, and quail.

Olya Deineha

Olya Deineha

Veterinary Assistant

Olya is a veterinary assistant that started with us in 2023. Olya was born in Ukraine, graduated from a technical school of veterinary medicine there and received a diploma as a veterinary medicine technician. Olya loves cats and dogs and wants to further develop in the field of veterinary medicine and eventually become licensed in the USA as well. In her free time, she likes to walk with her family in the park or make jewelry from polymer clay.

We treat your pets like the valued family members they are.

Location

151 Silver Lake Rd. NW, Suite 109
New Brighton, MN 55112
Click here for directions.

Hours

Mon – Fri: 8:30am - 6:00pm
Saturday: 8:30am - 1:00pm
Sunday: Closed

Contact

Phone: (651) 633-0567
Fax: (651) 633-0966

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