Hello! My name is Holly and I am the Office Manager at Companions Animal Hospital. I grew up on a dairy farm near Colby, Wisconsin and moved to St. Cloud to attend college at St. Cloud State University. After graduating college in 1994 and working for Circuit City for 10 years, I was looking for a change from retail electronics. I have always loved animals and have been a client here since 1999 and so when I saw the office manager position was available I decided to apply and have been here ever since.

My two-legged family consists of my husband, Jim and our son, Aidan. We also have two dogs, Gizmo and Minnie, and one cat, Mocha. My hobbies include playing with Aidan, Gizmo, Minnie and Mocha, listening to music and some craft projects. I really enjoy working here and getting to meet all of the wonderful clients and patients. 

Kay Kortlever, Certified Veterinary Technician
Technicians@companionsweb.com

Hi! My name is Kay Kortlever. I am one of the certified technicians at CAH. I grew up on a small hobby farm in a small town south of Duluth and attended college at North Dakota State University. My husband Randy and I moved to St. Cloud in 1987 after living a short time in Taylor’s Falls. We now have a house in the country, out towards Luxemburg, although we are now technically within City limits.

I started working as a technician for Dr. Kallestad (the previous owner) in 1988, and minus an extended maternity leave, have been here ever since. On the home front, I have two daughters that keep me running. We also have a dog and two cats. We have also raised rabbits, pheasants, and chickens in the past. Hobbies I enjoy include bird feeding, arts and crafts and photography, when time permits. 

 

 

 

Hi, my name is Heather Baumann. I was born in Grand Marais, MN, but I spent the majority of my life in St. Cloud. I received my bachelor's degree in pre-physical therapy through UND with a minor in psychology. I am currently finishing my Veterinary Technician courses through Penn Foster College. I have always loved animals and I have found my lifelong home at Companions. I believe this is the best veterinary clinic in the area and I strongly believe in our mission. I would never take my pets anywhere else.

I have been married since 2004 to my husband Robert and we have a lot of four legged children. We have 2 Newfoundlands, 4 rescued cats, 3 adopted Peruvian guinea pigs, 1 rabbit and a salt water fish tank. We have one son who was born in January of 2009. When I am not at work I enjoy working out, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, traveling, spending time with my husband and my animals, as well as going up north to visit my family at their resort on the Gunflint Trail Golden Eagle Lodge. One day my husband and I hope to lead a Newfoundland rescue group for Minnesota. I would also like to specialize in animal orthopedics/physical therapy. 

I am a certified Professional Pet Groomer since 1997 with a CPR certification. I started working at Companions in December 2000 and really enjoy the atmosphere here - you are treated like family. I was born and raised in the St. Cloud area. I have always had a compassionate heart towards animals. Growing up I lived in an apartment that only allowed caged animals, so we had birds and hamsters. I spent a lot of my time at our local Tri-County Humane Society walking and visiting all the great animals that came to the shelter. Grooming has been more like a hobby for me. I really enjoy pampering my grooms and sending them home smelling and looking great.

I still live in the St. Cloud area and have a beautiful Siberian Husky named Keyia, two cats named Cookie and Sugar and a wonderful bay paint horse named Tiki. I joined the Benton County Mounted Patrol Posse in January 2007 so I've been busy training my horse for the local parades and security jobs as needed. I'm also a Reserve Officer for the St. Cloud Police Department. I have an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Someday I hope to combine my love for animals with my loyalties to protect and serve the community as a full time career. I will always have a place in my heart for grooming and plan on staying a team member at Companions for many years to come. I look forward to meeting all the great pets and their owners. I'm a firm believer that a clean, attractive, healthy pet is a happy pet! Hope to see you soon. 

 

 

I am the part time facility manager at Companions since 1998. I was born in St. Cloud, MN. I'm the second oldest of six children, born to Paul and Kathy Botz. I went to elementary school at Jefferson. My junior high school years I went to North Junior High and graduated from Apollo High School. After graduation I joined the army for 3 years and then the reserves for another 10 years. My fulltime job is for Royal Tire as a technician; I have been there for 22 years. I got married in 1982 to Linda Karnik. We live in Sauk Rapids. My hobbies include fishing at our cabin, riding snowmobiles in the winter and working with wood. We have a Yorkshire terrier mix named Ziggy. 

My name is Rhonda Hennen, I have been a veterinary assistant at Companions Animal Hospital since 2000. When I am not working I enjoy playing tennis, spending time with friends and family and taking care of my own pets and livestock on the family farm. Living on a farm gave me the opportunity to learn proper care and treatment for animals. I have always had an interest in knowing more about animals. After high school I decided to look for an occupation where I would get the chance to work closely with people who share the same compassion for animals as I do. 

 

 

Hello! My name is Erin, and I am a Client Care Representative. I graduated from Tech High School in 2004 here in St. Cloud, but have spent much of my childhood growing up in Tampa, Florida. Before taking the position at Companions, I was employed at PetSmart for close to 4 years. Animals have always been a big part of my life. Ever since I was little, my family has always had 2 dogs and at least 2 cats. I feel very fortunate for this, because animals bring such joy and happiness to my life. In my free time, my favorite thing to do is shop and find great bargains. When the weather is nice, I like to spend as much time outside as possible. During my down time, I enjoy just hanging out at home with my family and pets. 

 

 

Carol Kohs, Animal Caretaker
team@companionsweb.com

Hi! I'm Carol and I work every other weekend as an Animal Caretaker at Companions. I am responsible for feeding, walking and taking care of the pets that board here. If your pet is going home on Sunday, I would be the person to bathe and get everything ready for them to re-join you.

I started at Companions in the summer of 2004 as a volunteer. When the opportunity came up to work part-time as the weekend caretaker, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to work with such great people and it fit in with my full-time job schedule during the week. Outside of work, I enjoy crocheting, reading, and walking my own dogs.

My sister and I take our own pets (dogs, cat and rabbit) to Companions and have always admired the care and concern of the staff for our pets' well-being!