OUR STAFF
DR. DANA KRUSE
Veterinarian
Dr. Kruse (formerly Esterle) grew up in the Big Rapids area and attended Ferris State University for her undergraduate studies where she received her Bachelors degree in Applied Biology with minors in Spanish and Psychology. Dr. Kruse graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University in 2007.
Dr. Kruse has worked in multiple veterinary practices over the years, allowing her to develop not only her medical and surgical skills, but also build strong relationships with clients and staff.
Special areas of interest include preventive medicine, dentistry, soft tissue surgery and ultrasound.
Dr. Kruse also has an interest in poultry and exotics medicine. When she is not taking care of your furry family members, she is at home with her husband Jason taking care of their two children as well as their dogs Gretta and Isabelle, 4 cats, and numerous chickens. She enjoys gardening, cooking, running/hiking, kayaking, and spending time with the family.
DR. LINDA KUDRYCKI
Veterinarian
Dr. Linda grew up in Southeast Michigan and knew at a very young age that caring for animals was her calling. She grew up riding horses, participating in 4-H, and spending summers working on dairy farms. Linda completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. She graduated in 2009 with a Biology Major and a Chemistry Minor.
Dr. Linda then went on to veterinary school at Michigan State University and graduated in 2013 with her DVM. Her first year out of school Dr. Linda worked in a mixed animal practice in Ohio. She then moved to Big Rapids and has been practicing veterinary medicine locally ever since.
When not at work Dr. Linda loves spending time with her husband, daughter and her orange tiger cat Milo. She is an avid runner and a budding photographer who also enjoys gardening, shopping, mountain biking, and scrapbooking.
Dr. Linda particularly values forming lasting and meaningful client relationships. Her current small animal professional interests include dermatology and preventive medicine. In addition, she has experience with, and a passion for, dairy and small ruminants.
Linda is excited about providing quality care to your four-legged family members and looks forward to carrying on the legacy of Dr. Don Hitzemann and serving the Big Rapids community at 19 Mile Veterinary Hospital.
DR. ANN SELLERS
Veterinarian
Dr. Ann Sellers was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Following high school graduation, she
attended Louisiana State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. She then
pursued her dream of becoming a veterinarian and attended Louisiana State University School of
Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2001.
After obtaining her DVM, she began a one-year internship in
equine medicine, surgery, theriogenology, and herd health management at LSU SVM. Following that
year, she was accepted into a 3-year residency program in Equine Medicine at Colorado State University
College of Veterinary Medicine in Fort Collins, Colorado. During her residency program she also
completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Sciences. She obtained her board certification in Large Animal
Internal Medicine by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2005.
After completion of her residency program in 2005 she returned to her home state and worked at a
busy exclusive equine private practice in Lafayette, Louisiana. She was offered a position as faculty at
Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007, so she returned to Fort Collins as part
of the Equine Field Service and Equine Medicine team at the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
In 2012, she and her family moved to central Michigan where her husband, Rick, was born and raised. In
her free time, Dr. Sellers can be found spending time with her husband, driving her two boys around to
their activities, and hanging out with their yellow lab Slider, and two English Springer Spaniels, Crash and
Hobbs.
She enjoys reading, working in the yard, traveling, and spending time with friends.
She has a special interest in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and preventative care. She looks
forward to meeting you and providing care for your animal friends.
ERIN
Office Manager
Erin has worked in the Veterinary field for around 20 years, and has had the opportunity to work in many different areas and positions within the field. She loves being able to help clients and their pets, and she is one of the familiar faces our clients look forward to seeing at the front desk. She holds a special place in her heart for squishy faced dogs!
In her free time, she enjoys fishing and kayaking with her husband Aron and son Evan. Her hobbies include horseback riding and helping Evan with his 4-H projects. They share their home with 3 dogs, 5 cats, 2 horses and several chickens.
DANYEL
Inventory Manager
Danyel grew up with the dream of working with animals. She has absolutely loved the past
5+ years of working at the front desk in veterinary medicine.
In her free time, Danyel enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her boyfriend Ben.
She loves going on walks (especially with her dogs Mocha and Star), reading, and coloring.
SHELBY
Veterinary Assistant
Shelby is currently enrolled at Penn Foster College, and is working towards her associates degree in
Veterinary Technology. She loves to care for your fur babies and can’t wait to meet them!
Shelby and her family share their home with 3 Great Danes (Buck, Inky, Bruno), 1 English Labrador (Gus),
2 cats (Eugene, Tiana), 3 horses (Colby, Rose, Tessa) and a flock of chickens.
EMMA
Veterinary Assistant
Emma grew up with the dream of working with animals. She has loved the past two years working in the animal industry. In her free time, Emma enjoys hunting, fishing, spending time with her family and fur babies Duke, Rain, Brittney, Zhunya and Buster (pictured). Emma makes it her duty to treat your beloved pet as one of her own!!
MAIYA
Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
Maiya graduated from Baker College of Cadillac in 2023 with an Associates Degree in Applied Science, majoring in Veterinary Technology. She is a licensed veterinary technician that is passionate in the care of animals. She has been in the field of veterinary medicine since she was a teenager. Maiya has 2 dogs, Boon (pictured) and Ruby. As well as several cats. All whom she loves to spend time with. She also enjoys kayaking, fishing, and seeing family and friends. Maiya looks forward to caring for your pets!
IVY
Clerical Service Representative
Ivy has spent the last 10+ years in the pet industry. She started off graduating with an All Breed Grooming Certification from Paragon in 2015. A few years later she wanted to move further into the vet med industry and got a job as an assistant at an Emergency Hospital in North Dakota. 4 years later she returned to Michigan and after a short break from vet med, she joined our practice in June of 2024. In her spare time, Ivy enjoys a plethora of activities from hiking to saving kittens from trees. Ivy also enjoys writing children's books about her three dogs adventures. Ivy looks forward to being one of the first people you interact with at our office.
AMBER
Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
Amber is a 2019 graduate of the Veterinary Technician program at Baker College of Cadillac, earning an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science. In her free time, Amber enjoys spending time with her husband Brandon, her two sons McCoy and Myles. She enjoys reading, spending time with friends, caring for an assortment of critters at home and going to truck pulls in the summer. Amber looks forward to caring for your pets!
JASMINE
Clerical Service Representative
Jasmine grew up in northern Michigan and has rescued animals her whole life. She has wanted to work with animals ever since she was a little girl and made that dream come true when she was 17 and secured her first job as a grooming assistant at a local vets office, which quickly turned into a kennel attendant/vet assistant position. Jasmine has been working in the veterinary field for 10+ years and her favorite part is helping and building bonds with clients and patients to ensure they have a calm and happy experience when they visit. She prides herself on giving the same care to others pets as she does her own! She and her husband Sam relocated to Paris, MI in 2023. Jasmine has been with us since April 2025. In her spare time she loves spending time and going on walks/hikes with her husband and their 3 pups Brindlyn, Magnolia and Diggs, spending time with friends and family, or relaxing outside reading a good book. In addition to their 3 pups, Jasmine and her husband share their home with 8 crazy cats, their mini pig Pumba (he's actually mini, haha) and many Chickens and Ducks!
ABBIE
Veterinary Assistant
Abbie recently completed her Bachelors of Science with a concentration in Pre-Veterinary Medicine at Ferris State University. She soon hopes to attend Michigan State University’s veterinary school. At home, she spends her time helping to care for the animals around the farm. She has six horses (Bella, Dolly, Clover, JJ, Polo, Boom, and Splash), two goats (Daisy and May), four dogs (Mia, Willow, Skye, and Lola), two cats (Yuki and Pookie) and lots of chickens! In her free time, she enjoys to ride horses, read, go on adventures, and spend time with family and friends. Abbie is excited to meet and help care for your furry friends!