Meet Our Veterinarians in Thief River Falls, MN
Valley Animal Hospital is a small-animal veterinary hospital serving dogs and cats in Thief River Falls, MN. Our veterinarians and staff combine professional knowledge with a friendly, inviting approach while providing veterinary services for dogs and cats.
People Who Care About Every Visit
Caring for a pet requires communication, patience, and collaboration. Valley Animal Hospital’s veterinarians, Licensed Veterinary Technician, veterinary assistants, and administrative staff work together to help visits run smoothly and ensure clients understand the care being recommended. Every role contributes to the experience, from answering questions and coordinating appointments to assisting with diagnostics, treatments, and recovery.
Get to Know Us
Our Valley Animal Hospital Team
The Valley Animal Hospital staff brings together veterinary medicine, animal science, technical training, client service, and practice management. Some members have served the clinic and Thief River Falls community for decades, while others began their careers through internships, college programs, or technician roles. Together, they support dogs, cats, and the people who care for them throughout Northwest Minnesota.
Dr. Susan Burnett, DVM
Veterinarian and Practice Owner
Dr. Susan Burnett, aka “Dr. B,” holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Michigan. This background served as a springboard for her career in research, where she worked in Infectious Diseases and Human Genetics at the University of Michigan Medical Center. She further advanced her career by obtaining her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University in 1990.
She has been practicing general small animal medicine for over 30 years, except for a 6-year hiatus when she directed a very successful Twin Cities veterinary technician training program. Dr. Burnett and her husband purchased Valley Animal Hospital in Thief River Falls in 2015.
The aspect of practice that Dr. B values most is the relationships that are built with clients and their pets, and the opportunity to improve or sustain quality of life for the animals. She enjoys getting to know staff, clients, and their families.
When she is not working, she enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, and traveling. She lives with her husband, Paul, and two pets-a Golden retriever named Copper and a mischievous cat named Roomba. The Burnetts have 1 son, Alexander, who lives in the Twin Cities.
Dr. Amanda “Atsumy” Otsubo, DVM
Veterinarian
Amanda Otsubo has been working for Valley Animal Hospital since the summer of 2018 as a veterinary technician. Amanda was raised in Cuiaba, Brazil, and moved up to Minnesota during her study abroad program in 2015 at the University of Minnesota – Crookston. Amanda graduated from Federal University of Mato Grosso with a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Medicine. In 2025, she finished the ECFVG accreditation and is now a fully licensed veterinarian. As an animal healthcare provider, Amanda enjoys bonding with her patients as she helps them through their medical journey. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities, like kayaking with her friends and her husband, and loves gardening and planning trips. Amanda has 4 fur babies: Ned, a 2-year-old Mutt who loves spending time outdoors and going for long walks. Daniel is a cuddly orange cat who loves everyone and everything. Randy is a smart tuxedo cat who is the boss of the clan, and Ralphie is the troublemaker who keeps everyone on their toes.
Paul Burnett, MBA, ABD
Practice Manager and Owner
Paul and his wife, Susan, bought Valley Animal Hospital in 2015. Before purchasing the practice, Paul likes to say, they had never even heard of Thief River Falls. Now, after more than 10 years at VAH, they could not have imagined a better place to land.
Prior to his days at VAH, Paul had more than 18 years of progressive business and research experience. He worked as a consultant, served as principal of his firm, Professional Assessment & Research in Fort Wayne, and later worked with Group3 Marketing in the Twin Cities. In Minneapolis, Paul held several marketing roles at Honeywell and served as director of market research at RSM McGladrey, now RSM US, an accounting, audit, and business consulting firm.
Paul graduated from the University of Michigan—where he would subsequently meet Susan—with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He also earned an MBA from Indiana University at the Fort Wayne campus. Paul grew up in suburban Detroit, and his earliest ties to veterinary medicine came from reading about Dr. Dolittle and dreaming of being able to “talk to the animals.”
At Valley Animal Hospital, Paul keeps the business side of the practice running smoothly (concentrating on how the day-to-day details fit into the strategic plans) so the veterinary team can focus on caring for pets and their owners.
At home. Paul and Susan are currently on golden retriever number six, Copper, who is blind and completely irresistible. They also have an orange cat from the Humane Society named Ki-Ki, among many other names, who has been known to chew on electrical cords if not fed on time. The Burnetts’ son, Alex, graduated from UND in Air Traffic Control and currently works for the Minneapolis Airports Commission.
Shari Yonke
Office Manager
Shari has worked at Valley Animal Hospital since 2001. She is currently our office manager for the clinic. She was born and raised in Thief River Falls, graduated from Lincoln High School, and then went to Northland Community College for Sales and Marketing. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, making lefse, traveling with her husband on a motorcycle, going to car races, and she also supports and helps her husband with his race car at the tracks. She has 1 little fur baby that is so much fun and entertaining. His name is Willie; he’s a black Pomeranian who is so loving, cuddly, and full of spunk and loves to go with them any chance he gets.
Chloe Solheim, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Chloe has worked at Valley Animal Hospital since 2021 as a veterinary technician. During college, she worked for Valley Animal Hospital for 2 summers on her way to becoming a technician. As a veterinary technician, she enjoys caring for animals and helping them on their road to recovery. Chloe was raised in Fertile, MN. She graduated from North Dakota State University’s Veterinary Technology Bachelor’s program. In her spare time, she enjoys hunting, going for boat rides, and spending time with family and friends. Her fur babies are a 14-year-old Jack Russell mix named Rashaud and a 7-year-old Ragdoll named Oswald.
Rhonda Kroeplin
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Rhonda has worked at Valley Animal Hospital since March of 2024. She is currently one of our LVT’s. She was born and raised in Cavalier, ND, graduated from Cavalier High School, attended Dakota College in Bottineau, ND, where she earned an associate’s degree in pre-veterinary medicine, then attended Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, CO, where she earned an associate’s of applied science in Veterinary Technology. What she enjoys most about being a technician is caring for patients and the bonds that you create with them and the clients. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, spending time with her husband, 3 children, and 5 fur babies. Taco is a 7-year-old Retriever mix, Marshall an 11 yr old Siamese, Koko a 13 month old tabico, Holly is a 13-year-old medium-haired calico, and Chica is a 9-year-old gray torti. There is never a dull moment!
Hanna Risdal
Veterinary Assistant
Hanna has been a part of the team at Valley Animal Hospital since spring of 2021 as a veterinary assistant. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science with a pre-veterinary emphasis from the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Hanna’s favorite part of the job is seeing the recovery of sick or injured animals and their happy faces. On her time off, she enjoys reading, crafting, and spending time outside with her little lab mix named Nubs.
Madelyn Westlin
Veterinary Assistant
Madelyn has worked at Valley Animal Hospital as a veterinary assistant since 2018. She attended Lincoln High School and then graduated from Northland Community and Technical College for Animal Science. The part she enjoys most about her job is building connections with the patients and getting to see them again at their next visit. In her spare time, she hangs out with her own pets; she has a Quarter Horse mare named Foxy, a feisty cat named Murray, and a sweetheart dog named Dally.
Makenzi Hutton
Relief Vet Tech
Makenzi is new to Valley Animal Hospital. She and her husband, along with their 3 children, recently moved to Thief River. Makenzi graduated from Ridgewater Technical College in 2016 and then worked in various small animal practices. After taking some time off to be with her young kids, she is excited to be returning to veterinary medicine and getting to care for animals! Her fur babies are Lena- a 10-year-old Husky mix who is a very sweet little lady- and Eunice-a cat. In her free time, Makenzi enjoys spending time with her family and reading.