Veterinary Technicians

Marie Adamcyzk

Marie joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in 2003. She had attended classes at Normandale Community and Technical College, and joined the team after a stint in odd jobs, never finding the right fit until she found St Francis. She has a background in customer service, and while she loves all of her patients, she thoroughly enjoys their humans as well. Her professional interests include geriatrics, hospice and palliative care, and pain management. She has been involved with the development of our hospice and palliative care and at-home euthanasia services within our practice.

Marie serves as one of our Senior Veterinary Technicians. In addition to her technician duties, she serves as our practice’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Officer and is the Veterinary Assistant Supervisor involved in the management and training of the veterinary assistant team.

While she no longer spends her days with her crazy Doberman, Koa, she relishes every moment the past 10 years together have brought. She now enjoys spending her time tending to multiple cats in their new home in Monticello. She is hoping to add some new critters such as chickens or bees to the clan in the future.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
Above all things, my job is never boring. Each day brings new patients and their human families to which I can hopefully make a positive impact. Continual challenges and friendly faces make my days truly enjoyable.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
St. Francis Animal Hospital has not been just a job but a second home and family to me for over 15 years. One of the things I love most about this clinic is no matter what, we all care deeply for all of our patients.

 Liz Gunter, CVT

Liz joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in 2007 after graduating with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Veterinary Technology from Globe College. She is a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT). In addition to her technician duties at St. Francis, she has served as our Client Service Representative since 2010 and our Director of Hospice & Palliative Care Services since 2017.

Her professional interests include hospice and palliative care, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, and pain management. She is actively involved with our Integrative Services department and is at the forefront of developing our Hospice & Palliative Care services at St Francis. She is currently working on her American Animal Hospital Association’s Animal Hospice & Palliative Care Certificate.

Outside of St. Francis, she has her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Medical Laboratory Technology and is certified through the American Society for Clinical Pathology. She has been a regular volunteer at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for the past 1½ years. She lives with her son, Derek; one cat, Cookie Monster; and two dogs, Floki and Jeloni. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
I love being a veterinary technician because I love caring for animals and assisting clients in helping them care for their pets.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
I truly believe that we are the best and we are always striving to improve our practice. All of the doctors and staff are here for the right reasons — they truly care about their patients and clients.

Sabrina Reed, CVT

Sabrina joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in March 2013 after earning her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technology from Globe University. She is a Certified Veterinary Technician. In addition to her technician duties, she has been a Fear Free Certified Professional since December 2017 and currently serves as our Director of Behavioral Services.

Sabrina’s main professional interests are in animal behavior and training. She works closely with our doctors to improve the veterinary experience for our patients as well as to help to improve the relationships between our pets and their families.

She currently shares her home with her husband; Brian; her two sons; and her two dogs, Gabriel and Tucker. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her oversized extended family, crafting, and training her bully breed dog, Gabriel, who struggles with generalized anxiety.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
I have been around animals for as long as I can remember but my true passion for them came with my exposure to the gruesome world of dog fighting at a young age. Because of this experience, I have dedicated my life to being an advocate for bully breeds and against breed specific legislation. This has also sprouted my passion for animal behavior by trying to understand commonly misunderstood breeds.

As a veterinary technician I feel that I have the ability to make a difference improving the lives of our patients by educating about animal behavior and by helping to understand what our pets are feeling and trying to tell us. Furthermore, I enjoy teaching their human counterparts how to more effectively communicate with their animals.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
St. Francis Animal Hospital has given me the opportunity to develop and implement a behavioral program into our daily practice. Our goal is to always improve our patients’ visits at the hospital by practicing fear free techniques. We are consistently striving to make the experience better for our patients which then extends to improving the experience for our clients by taking as much stress as possible out of their visits.

Christine Capistrant, CVT, CMT, Director of Integrative Services

ChrisChris joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in April of 2014 after graduating from Globe University in March of 2014 with her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Veterinary Technology. She is a Certified Veterinary Technician.

Chris earned her Certification in Canine Massage Therapy (CMT) at Brandenburg Massage Therapy in Ohio in 2015. She currently serves as the Director of Integrative Services, and performs massage therapy and laser therapy at St Francis Integrative Services. She has a passion for animal rehabilitation and maintaining a pet’s quality of life as he or she ages. In addition to her roles as veterinary technician and Director of Integrative Services, she has been involved with the development of the hospice/palliative care and at-home euthanasia services. She is certified as a Pet Loss Counselor through the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB).

She shares her home with her black lab mix, Shadow. In her free time, she loves kayaking, wildlife photography, and watching a good movie.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
I love seeing the human animal bond. I have always loved animals and being able to help these special family members.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
I love working at St. Francis because the team is great and the focus is always on the pet’s care and well-being. I love working at St Francis because the standards and ethics are high and everyone has a passion for what they do.

Samantha Folger, CVT, Director of Nutritional Services

Samantha graduated from the Minnesota School of Business in March of 2014 with a degree in Veterinary Technology and passed her National Veterinary Technician Exam in June 2014 to earn her title of a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT). Samantha worked at a couple small animal clinics and in emergency veterinary medicine before coming to St. Francis Animal Hospital in November 2014.

She loves every role that is included as a technician, but has a passion for veterinary nutrition. Samantha has served as our Director of Nutritional Services since November 2017 and is excited to expand the position and continue her education in this field.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys her time outdoors doing projects and hiking with her husband, Mitch; and spending time with their two cats, Larry and Diesel.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
Anyone who has pets knows that the best part about coming home at the end of the day is seeing your pet. I love being a veterinary technician because I get to spend my whole day working with pet owners and their furry family members. It is such an honor to help educate pet owners on their pets’ needs and strengthen their human animal bond. Pets are so special in so many ways. I love being able to work with them every day to ensure that they are as happy and healthy as they can be.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
When I first started at St. Francis Animal Hospital, I knew this was the clinic I wanted to be a part of. The team of doctors, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants all go above and beyond for every patient that walks through the door. There are a lot of practices out there that claim to treat pets like family, but at St. Francis, we most certainly do. Every team member is caring, knowledgeable, and holds patient care as the number one priority 100% of the time. There is not one employee here that doesn’t go home and worry about a sick pet they have been working with like it was their own.

Abigail Torok, CVT

Abby joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in 2014 as a Veterinary Assistant. She graduated from Globe University with her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Veterinary Technology in December 2015 and became a Certified Veterinary Technician in April 2016.

Abby’s main professional interest is in veterinary dermatology. In addition to her work at St Francis, she works as a veterinary technician at McKeever Dermatology.

She currently lives in St. Paul with her husband, Nick; daughter, Elena; and five dogs: Toto, Bella, Tweenie, Chloe, and Molly. Outside of work, she enjoys walking or biking around Como Lake, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
I have always loved animals from a young age and knew that I wanted to be in this field. I have grown up with dogs and cats, and to me, they were as much a part of the family as the humans.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
I truly love my job and feel so fortunate to work alongside our compassionate doctors and staff. We love and care for all of your pets. They deserve the best quality care and that’s something that they will receive here at St. Francis.

Angie Richie, CVT

Angie joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in September of 2015. She has been a Certified Veterinary Technician since 2003 after graduating with her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technology from Argosy University.

Angie’s professional interests include working in the laboratory and providing care for our hospitalized patients.

Angie lives in St. Paul with her husband Joe; their 2 dogs, Kahnik and Chunk; and their 3 cats, Indy, Lola and Munchkin. In her free time, she loves reading, spending time at Como Lake, and hanging out with her friends and family.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
I love being a veterinary technician because I love helping people to keep their furry family members healthy or care for them when they are sick. Knowing that I am there to help that special pet get better or continue to maintain health warms my heart. I love being there for families when they need us the most.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
I love working at St. Francis because of the exceptional care that all of the veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants show the pet owners and all of the pets. Their passion shows through their care; this in turn really helps to comfort the families. I also love that we all work together as a team and are supportive of each other.

Amelia Jordan, CVT

Amelia earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Bryn Mawr College in 2008, then decided to pursue a career as a veterinary technician. She graduated from Argosy University in the spring of 2013, and earned her certification title in the summer of 2013. Amelia joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in February of 2018. She has also worked as a CVT in critical care and shelter settings prior to joining the St Francis team.

Amelia lives in Saint Paul with her three cats: Carbonel, Louie and Vera. In her free time, she enjoys running around one of the Twin Cities’ many lakes, traveling and spending time with friends, family and her felines.

Why do you love being a veterinary technician?
I love being a veterinary technician because I have a passion for animal welfare and animal behavior and this career allows me to be an animal advocate. Being a veterinary technician also provides me with the opportunity to help strengthen the human-animal bond through client education. Educating clients raises awareness and helps individuals to be better pet owners.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
I enjoy working at St. Francis because each team member is very hard working and truly compassionate about animals. Each of the doctors works tirelessly to provide their patients with the best possible medical care. St. Francis also offers a variety of care options, such as acupuncture, laser and massage therapy.

 

Rebecca Harnack

Becca joined St. Francis Animal Hospital in 2016 as a Veterinary Assistant. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Animal Science with an Equine Management emphasis. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she managed the University climbing wall, was president of the rock climbing club, and spent time as a wrangler in Glacier and Rocky Mountain National Parks. In the future, she plans to pursue a degree in Ultrasound Technology.

She currently lives in Lakeville with her boyfriend, Travis; his red lab, Drake; her blue heeler Kai; and her three legged cat, Grim. When she is not at work, she spends the majority of her time outside with Kai, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and running. When she is not outside, she is usually reading a book, practicing yoga, listening to music, or planning her next trip.

Why do you love being a veterinary assistant?
I grew up around animals of all kinds. Over the years, I have had anything from frogs and salamanders all the way to pigs, chickens, and horses. My favorite things about work are getting to know our clients and learning about veterinary medicine. Every day I learn something new, and I am always impressed with everything we have to offer at St Francis.

Why do you love working at St. Francis Animal Hospital?
I am so lucky to have found such a talented and amazing group of people to work with, and I feel like I have a second family here.