Friday: 7:30am-5pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
Friday: 7:30am-5pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
Our Doctors
Heritage Pet Hospital Experienced Doctors
Dr. Laura Toddie
DVM
Dr. Laura Toddie knew that she wanted to become a veterinarian since the second grade. She was an expert at helping snakes, turtles, mice, ducks and other birds, often splinting wings with popsicle sticks and hand feeding orphaned rabbits and squirrels. A 1991 University of Minnesota graduate, she has been a veterinarian at Heritage Pet Hospital since 1991, and a co-owner since 2002. Her passion for a large variety of animals is evident in the home she shares with her husband, Rod, and her daughter Jane. They currently have 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 2 turtles, a cockatiel and a rabbit. When she is not cleaning cages and litterboxes, Laura enjoys reading, tennis and travel.
Dr. Jennifer Watson
DVM
Dr. Jennifer Watson is a 2007 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She grew up locally in Rochester, attending Lourdes High School and then pursuing an undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Dr. Watson has a special interest in internal medicine, critical care, and sees many of our behavior cases in clinic. Labradors have a special place in Dr. Watson’s heart, and she has recently adopted Toby, a former service dog trainee who just loves people too much to be a working dog! Dr. Watson enjoys traveling, hiking, pilates, and yoga in her spare time.
Dr. Benjamin Finkel
DVM
Dr. Benjamin Finkel earned his Bachelor of Sciences degree in Animal Sciences at Washington State University. Upon completion of his undergraduate program, Dr. Finkel traveled to Europe to ride for a Holsteiner equestrian sales facility in Verden, Germany. He returned to Washington State University for veterinary school, graduating in 2019. Throughout vet school, he worked as a teaching assistant in the university’s clinical skills laboratory, where he helped students learn surgical skills and procedures. Most recently, Dr. Finkel was awarded the “American Animal Hospital Association Award for Proficiency in Primary Care” scholarship. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his French bulldog, Paloma, and competing in dressage and 3-day eventing with his horse, Grigio.
Dr. Michelle Swenningson
DVM
Dr. Michelle Swenningson is a 2001 graduate of the University of Minnesota. She comes to us with over 20 years of experience focusing on internal and preventive medicine, dentistry, and surgery for dogs and cats. Dr. Michelle enjoys all these areas as variety is what keeps things interesting. Dr. Michelle grew up on a farm near Spring Valley where she gained a love of animals both large and small. As a child, she showed goats in 4-H and helped her father raise Paints and Quarter horses. In her spare time, Dr. Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. The family also has two cats, Maddie and Tony. Her favorite part of being a veterinarian is helping her clients throughout all the stages of their pets’ lives through education and preventative care.
Dr. Taylor McInnis-Smith
DVM
Dr. Taylor McInnis-Smith grew up in Washington State before attending Carroll College, in Montana, and earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Sciences. He received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Midwestern University in 2023 while his wife, Kerri, received her Doctorate in Medicine from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine at the same time. During graduate school, they had three children: Graham (age 2) and twins (Riley and Rhett) who were born in March of 2023. Dr. McInnis -Smith special interests include but are not limited to internal medicine and soft tissue surgery. In his free time, he loves playing sports or cheering on his favorite sports teams, go Mariners and Seahawks! Dr. McInnis-Smith’s other interests include running, skiing, golfing, and brewery hopping with his wife…that is when the three kiddos allow them to do so.
Dr. Kiersten Brown
DVM
Dr. Kiersten Brown grew up outside of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse in 2015. She went on to receive her DVM from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021. During her time in veterinary school she took special interest in integrative medicine to take a multimodal approach to chronic disease processes and pursue various techniques to help with pain control. She earned a Certificate in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture from CuraCore Academy in 2021. She is also passionate about dentistry, internal medicine and palliative care.
Dr. Christa Worrell
DVM
Christa Gordon-Worrell hails from the cotton fields of Timmonsville, SC where she spent her childhood operating a stuffed-animal hospital in her grandmother’s guest bedroom. She graduated from Tulane University as a chemical engineer (her Momma made her do it) but eventually left technical sales to pursue veterinary medicine at Texas A&M University. There, she developed a fascination with ultrasound imaging as a diagnostic modality. After receiving her DVM degree in 1995, she practiced small animal medicine and continued to hone her ultrasound skills through additional training. She believes that no matter whether your pets are covered in fur, scales, or feathers, they bring joy and enrich the human experience. She’s proud to support the human-animal bond by lending ultrasound support to the HPH team.
Beyond medicine, Christa touts creative outlets as the key to sanity in a busy world. She writes stories, teaches yoga, and hunts morel mushrooms in the spring. She and her husband are servants to a grumpy, old, barn cat, and have recently adopted a severely-adorable, chocolate standard poodle.
Dr. Kathryn A. Konieska
DVM
Dr. Kathryn A. Konieska graduated from Iowa State University in 2010 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science. With dreams of a career helping animals, she continued her education and graduated from the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. Dr. Konieska’s professional interests in emergency and critical care, internal medicine, and hospice and palliative care have taken her across the country where she completed additional training with specialists in various areas of veterinary medicine. Dr. Konieska is exited to be returning to her home state of Minnesota and is accompanied by her partner Tim, small mixed breed dog Percy, and two cats, Mara and Tiny Cat (a.k.a. Beans).
Dr. Becca Black
DVM
Dr. Black was born and raised in Rochester and is excited to return home to care for the animals of her community. She attended Mayo High School, got her bachelor’s degree in biology from Creighton University, and got her doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Black has a special interest in caring for exotic animals and has owned reptiles for nearly two decades. She is also a member of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians and Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. She strives to make owners of exotic pets feel seen and valued because to her, your pet is not “just a snake” or “just a rabbit.” Your pet is a beloved family member, companion, and source of comfort through life’s highs and lows.
At home, Dr. Black has a dog named Pudding, a bearded dragon named Enzo, and a yellow Saharan uromastyx named Turk. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her pets, going hiking, drawing and painting, and trying out new restaurants.
Dr. Black looks forward to meeting you and your pets!
Dr. Kara O'Rielly
DVM
Dr. O’Reilly is originally from Cannon Falls, MN, and is proud and excited to continue caring for pets and their families throughout southern Minnesota. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin River Falls before completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. O’Reilly enjoys all things dog and cats, with particular interests in preventative care and internal medicine. She enjoys building lasting relationships with clients while helping pets live long healthy lives.
Outside of work, Dr. O’Reilly enjoys baking, going for runs, and starting crochet projects that may or may not ever get finished. She also loves spending time with her husband, Kaleb, and their tuxedo cat, Hubert.