Meet Our Staff

Dr. Martin graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced in Iowa for several years before relocating to Spearfish.
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Dr. Jackie enjoys general medicine, surgery, ultrasonography, acupuncture and working with hobby farm animals. 
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In her spare time you will find her exploring the hills with her boxers Elmer and Elna. 

Originally from St. Louis, Dr. Melanie Garbel moved to the Black Hills 8 years ago after graduating from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She met her husband in vet school; he is a large animal veterinarian in the area. Together they have a daughter who also loves animals! 

Dr. Garbel takes an interest in dermatology and preventative care, but her niche is in orthopedics; specifically fracture repairs and TPLOs.

Dr. Elsom graduated from Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine.  He owned a veterinary practice in Mobridge, SD for 12 years before buying Spearfish Animal Hospital in 1999. 

In August 2008 he opened Cremations at Lone Tree - an animal cremation facility. In April 2018 he opened Paws & Relax - a dog boarding and play-care facility.  

Dr. Elsom enjoys spending time in his garden and working on his daughter's farm.

Shanae is a Wyoming native who enrolled in the Veterinary Technology program in Torrington and worked at a local veterinary hospital. She made a move to the Black Hills and joined our team at Spearfish Veterinary Clinic in 2020.  

Shanae enjoys attempting to keep plants alive, visiting back home and spending time with her son Noah, her dog Winter and cat "Kitten".

Steph started her career in veterinary oncology and emergency medicine while going to school in Seattle, WA. After graduating as a Veterinary Technician in 2009 she moved back to the Black Hills in 2010 and joined Spearfish Veterinary Clinic. More recently, she took over the back office roll and enjoys all parts of it.

​Steph enjoys making memories with family, being in nature, flower gardening, the winter weather and the outdoor activities that come with it.  

Amanda graduated from National American University and joined Spearfish Veterinary Clinic in 2019.

On the side, Amanda also manages Dr. Elsom's pet cremation business, Cremations at Lone Tree.

​Amanda enjoys collecting plants, asking the staff to babysit them while she goes on vacation just to come back and learn that they're all dead. Sorry about that; we're better with animals. 

Lexi has always been passionate about animals and what better way to fulfill this passion than by working at SVC! She graduated from SDSU with degrees in animal science and wildlife and fisheries sciences. Lexi is the witty half of the comedic relief club in the clinic.

​In her free time she enjoys documenting her dogs' every waking moment, spending time outside and painting. 

Rachael is our relief technician; you may see her when one of our technicians is on vacation or we need extra help. She graduated in 2002 in Michigan and started working at Spearfish Veterinary Clinic in 2005.

​When she's not at the clinic she's tending to her children, chickens, cats, dogs, flowers and crafting. 

Coming soon!

Jodi was one of our long-time clients until we had an opening and gladly welcomed her to our team! Jodi has a heart of gold and a soft touch that makes clients feel welcome and cared about in our clinic. In her free time she loves spending it with her pups, Franklin and Bowie and her husband. 

Sheryl is a retired music teacher who started as a groomer's assistant in 2010 and has blossomed into a very talented groomer herself. Her always positive attitude, kind spirit and patience helps keep our visitors comfortable while they're in for their spa days. 

Sheryl enjoys the outdoors, traveling and time with her family.

Lucy is a retired teacher from Custer who relocated to the Spearfish area. She loves the outdoors, people and especially, animals.  Like Sheryl, her patience and calm demeanor are traits so beneficial for our visitors.

We also love how regularly spoiled we are with treats!

Preferably known only by his nickname "Scurvy," he has been with the vet clinic since 2013 and keeps a close watch on our kennel visitors during evenings. He's always willing to lend a helping hand where he needs to and always checks in with our technicians whenever he has a concern after hours.  And don't forget the comedic relief he provides! 

Destyn is a retired USPS worker who keeps our boarding dogs happy and our clinic sparkling clean. Attention to detail is one of her many wonderful qualities.  She loves spending her free time with her grandbabies. 

Sometimes he's sweet (Chach-i-kins) and sometimes he's sour (Chach-hole). Either way, he's the epitome of a cat and we love him.