Drs. Cathy and Jim Sinning are the owners of Lake Harriet Veterinary.
Dr. Cathy grew up in Fargo and graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead. Dr. Jim is from Davenport, Iowa, and went to Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. We graduated from the Iowa State Veterinary College in 1998 and spent 2 years in Portland before moving to Minneapolis. They live in SW Minneapolis with their 2 kids, 2 cats, and 1 dog.
In 2007, we opened Lake Harriet Veterinary after extensively remodeling a former daycare center slated for tear down. The original staff of 5 employees has grown to a healthy group of 30, and a second story was put on the clinic in 2014. Dr. Cathy retired from seeing patients in 2021, but continues to play the role of “clinic mom.” We love serving the wonderful pet owners of the Twin Cities—the privilege of experiencing the bonds between you and your pets nourishes our soul!
Dr. Jim Sinning
Dr. Jim enjoys helping his clients understand complicated conditions so that they feel well-equipped to make educated decisions about their pets’ care. The (famous!) LHV Essential Puppy Pack and Kitty Pack are products of his dedication to getting all puppies and kittens to a good start. An infinitely curious veterinarian who appreciates a wide range of perspectives, Dr. Jim loves the variety of medical cases that each days brings.
As Lake Harriet Veterinary continues to grow and evolve, Dr. Jim is always exploring ways to create an ideal work environment to bring out the best in his team. He is proud to be a small business owner and an active participant in this great community. To unwind from his busy days, Dr. Jim enjoys frequenting music venues, biking, travel, cooking, the outdoors, and all things soccer.
Dr. Jessy Stenross
Born and raised in Kalamazoo, MI, Dr. Jessy Stenross is a 2011 graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine where she was honored as the recipient of the Dr. Robert B. Ziegler Caring Award. Following graduation, she completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at Nashville Veterinary Specialists in Nashville, TN. Dr. Jessy enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine—especially caring for geriatric patients, and is passionate about the human-animal bond. She resides in Minneapolis with her husband, two sons, a sheltie mix May, and Charles the cat.
Outside of veterinary medicine, her interests include camping, kayaking, gardening, musical theatre, yoga, and catching live music whenever possible.
Dr. Jen Gallus
Dr. Jen Gallus is a 2012 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to entering the field of veterinary medicine, she worked as an occupational therapist in metro area hospitals. Dr. Jen enjoys veterinary medicine, and especially appreciates the bond she develops with her clients and their special pets.
Dr. Jen loves living in Minneapolis and currently resides in the Diamond Lake area. She shares her home with an entertaining basset hound, Millie, and her equally wonderful husband. In her spare time, you’ll find her biking, running, paddle boarding on the local lakes, spending time at the cabin in Wisconsin, traveling, reading, and doing pretty much anything outside. And, yes, she really does love mowing the lawn.
Dr. Sarah Wineke
Dr. Sarah Wineke is the Medical Director at Lake Harriet Veterinary. She is a south Minneapolis native and a 2007 graduate of the University of Minnesota Veterinary College. Her professional interests include dentistry, complex internal medicine management, feline medicine, and animal behavior.
Outside of practice, Dr. Sarah loves spending time with her family at the cabin, road biking, camping, cooking, and eating spicy food. She and her husband, Jeff, constantly chase around their two young daughters, Evelyn and Annika, along with Cinder the Silken Windhound. After that, they’re ready for an evening of collapsing on the sofa with a glass of home brew!
Dr. Michelle Masselink
Dr. Michelle Masselink grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Minnesota Veterinary School in 2012. After a year-long internship at Blue Pearl Animal Hospital in the metro, Michelle spent the last 7 years at a large practice in St. Paul. Her professional interests include internal medicine and dentistry.
Dr. Masselink lives in Saint Paul with her wife, who is a local Lutheran pastor, their two Shih Tzu mix dogs, Gertrude and Hildegard. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys walking and biking around the many local lakes, visiting family, playing board games, acting as a yoga instructor, and watching documentaries about unusual science and culturally interesting topics.
Dr. Laura Flancher
Dr. Laura Flancher is a Nebraska native who graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. She completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and spent the following four years as a general practitioner in Denver. Her professional interests include soft tissue surgery, dentistry, internal medicine, and feline medicine.
Dr. Laura lives with her husband and their two small dogs, Daisy and Mr. Tumnus. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, and playing music (she plays the piano and trombone). She is very excited to be back in Minnesota and is eager to enjoy area hiking and cycling trails as well as the food and craft beer scene.
Dr. Helga Midelfort-Vognar
Dr. Helga Midelfort-Vognar is a St. Paul native. She attended Carleton College and graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. After a year-long internship at an equine clinic in the metro area, she spent 9 years working at a busy small animal clinic in Saint Paul. Helga enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, but especially enjoys connecting with her clients and making relationships with her patients to help them live their best lives.
Dr. Helga lives in Inver Grove Heights with her husband and two young daughters who enjoy chasing their golden retriever cross (Treff) and black cat (Banana) around the house. In her spare time, Helga enjoys playing soccer on various teams, watching soccer, riding her horse Ruffian who lives in Cottage Grove, reading fantasy and mysteries and trying new foods, beverages and adventuring with her family and friends.
Dr. Katie LaMotte
Dr. Katie LaMotte grew up in Eagan. She is a third-generation St Catherine University alum and graduated from Iowa State University Veterinary School in 2017. Following graduation, she joined a bustling practice in South St. Paul where she spent 6 years. She is especially drawn to cases that involve dermatology, cardiology, surgery, and hospice care. She enjoys working with dogs, cats, and pocket pets.
Dr. Katie and her husband live in St. Paul with their two cats, Felix and Susan. Dr. Katie also has a half-Arabian horse named Savannah stabled near her family home in Eagan. Outside of work Dr. Katie enjoys working with her horse, watching Disney movies, fostering orphaned kittens, volunteering with local rescues, reading, and visiting local museums.
The Team
Lake Harriet Veterinary is powered by a fantastic leadership team. This dedicated and talented group help create a fulfilling work environment for us and deliver exceptional care to you and your pet.
Heather Allebach
A native of Cedar Rapids, IA, Heather moved to the Twin Cities in 2014 shortly after graduating from The University of Iowa. Heather joined our clinic in 2016, and became our Reception Manager in 2021. She enjoys the work culture at Lake Harriet Veterinary, including all the interactions with pets.
Outside of work, Heather enjoys having brunch and cocktails with friends, cooking new recipes and finding new places to cheer for Hawkeye football. She likes to travel, loves to organize, and can often be found watching true crime documentaries. While she does not currently have any pets, she is looking forward to the possibility of having a whippet of her own sometime in the near future.
Hannah Smith
Hannah was born and raised in south Minneapolis, and became a Certified Veterinary Technician in 2010. In 2011 she joined the team at Lake Harriet Veterinary and became the Practice Manager in 2021. She considers Lake Harriet Veterinary a home away from home and its employees an extension of her family. She enjoys work for many reasons, but especially because she loves knowing that by improving the lives of her patients, she is making their owners’ lives better, too.
Hannah lives minutes away from the clinic with her husband, Nate, and their three sons, Sebastian, Theodore, and Remington. Hannah loves gardening, spending time with her family, and the occasional challenge of a marathon. She finds enjoyment in the simple things like a good magazine, a drive around the lakes, and watching her kids dance in the living room. Hannah and her family share their home with two rescue mutts, Penelope and Mr. Magnus, and two senior cats, Filibuster and Charlotte de Berry.
Wendy Resch Novak
Wendy Resch Novak received her bachelor‘s degree in theatre from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 1987, and was a freelance and theatrical artistic director from 1988–2001. She completed her associate’s degree and became a Certified Veterinary Technician in 2001, and began to work with Dr. Cathy Sinning shortly thereafter.
Wendy has been with Lake Harriet Veterinary since the doors opened in 2007, serving as Practice Manager until the summer of 2021, when she became the Hospital Administrator. Wendy enjoys living in the country with her husband, two sons, and her dogs. She devotes her free time to friends, camping, fishing, hiking, board games, Pokemon, and directing the occasional play.
Ariel Reader
Originally from Wisconsin, Ariel has been in Minnesota for 11 years. She attended the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and obtained her associates degree in Veterinary Technology at Madison Area Technical College. She’s been working as a Certified Veterinary Technician since 2007 and joined Lake Harriet Veterinary in 2013. Ariel became our Operations Manager in 2021. She loves working at the clinic because she finds science and medicine to be truly fascinating and, of course, she loves animals. She has a special interest in dentistry and anesthesia, and really enjoys working with the LHV team.
Ariel lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Alex, and their pug, Kenny. In her free time she likes to hike, cross country ski, and explore the outdoors with her family. She enjoys the eclectic food scene in Minneapolis, and loves to try new restaurants and breweries.
