Meet Our Team

David M. Elsom

Veterinarian / Business Owner
​Dr. Elsom graduated from Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1979.  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. His care and patience with creatures is apparent in all he does.

Heather Mahlen

Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Mahlen graduated from Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 and joined Spearfish Animal Hospital as an associate veterinarian in 2017. Prior to that she played a significant role as our relief veterinarian for several years. Thorough, thoughtful, and caring are a few of many wonderful traits Dr. Mahlen brings to the team.

Julie

Office Manager
Julie is the senior administrator at Spearfish Animal Hospital. She began working alongside Dr. Elsom shortly after he opened the clinic in 1999. 

Rachael

Relief Veterinary Technician
Rachael is our relief technician; you may see her when one of our techs is on vacation or we need extra help. She graduated in 2002 back east in Michigan, and started working at SAH in 2005. Her full-time job is taking care of her family and a bunch of farm pets in Newell.

Jerica

Veterinary Technician
Jerica graduated from National American University as a Veterinary Technician in 2005 and immediately began working for Spearfish Animal Hospital. In addition to her technician duties, she is manager of Cremations at Lone Tree.

Steph

Veterinary Technician
Stephanie graduated as a Veterinary Technician out of Seattle, WA in 2009. She started her career focusing on oncology and emergency medicine. She joined Spearfish Animal Hospital in 2010 and also currently helps oversee our sister boarding facility, Paws & Relax.

Sheryl

Receptionist
Coming in with significant experience in customer service, Sheryl joined the team in 2017 and keeps the front desk running smoothly.

Sheryl

Groomer
Sheryl started as a groomer's assistant and has blossomed into a very talented groomer herself. Her calm demeanor and patience helps keep our clients comfortable while they're in for their spa days.

Charolyn

Grooming assistant & Kennel Manager
Charolyn manages our boarding facility and staff as well as assisting with grooming. Her flexibility within the hospital benefits in many areas.

Susan

Kennel Attendant
Susan cares for our kennel visitors by day and keeps the hospital stocked with supplies. She's also a great vet assistant on the fly! Susan pays very close attention to our visitors around the hospital.

Scurvy

Kennel Attendant
Preferably known only by his nickname "Scurvy," he has been with SAH since 2013 and keeps a close watch on our kennel visitors during evenings and on weekends. 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.
President and Vice President of
​Spearfish Animal Hospital

Cheech

Chachi