Meet Our Team

Dr. Sara and our entire team are here to serve you and your special pet

Dr. Sara Hooge, DVM, CVA, CVH

Dr. Sara Hooge received her B.S. degree in 1999 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 2004. After graduation, she received a position as a mixed animal practitioner in Worthington, MN, where she practiced for over 15 years. During that time she developed into the lead small animal veterinarian, performing surgery, routine health exams, and being a patient advocate for her clients. Dr. Hooge also practiced veterinary medicine in dairy health and production, swine and beef management, large animal surgery, general equine medicine, poultry medicine and small ruminant medicine.

For many years, Dr. Hooge has practiced integrative and complementary medicine to improve veterinary care for her patients. Her passion is to integrate western and eastern medicine to provide optimal and individualized care to meet client and patient needs. She has been educated by the Chi institute in acupuncture and herbal treatments.

Jesse Hooge, Practice Manager

It is truly a blessing to work alongside this awesome team serving Pillager and the Brainerd Lakes community. It is exciting to work within our family business and put the last 25 years of business experience to the test. I have held various management positions in retail, agricultural sales, business development and manufacturing sales. I hold a bachelor's degree in Business Management from the University of Sioux Falls along with training in Lean Manufacturing and various other business disciplines.

My passion is to help others reach their potential in whatever they do and to find a greater meaning in life. I know God is preparing me daily for the next opportunity to introduce others to his love and amazing saving grace.

Leisure time activities I enjoy are watching sports, boating on our lake and most importantly spending time with my family. To walk alongside my four boys as they grow into men is such a blessing along with supporting my amazing wife.

Kim Knutson, Certified Veterinary Technician

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Claire Eppelsheimer, Certified Veterinary Technician

I graduated from Ridgewater in 2017 and passed my VTNE that winter. I did my internship and worked at Animal Care Center for 4 years as a Certified Veterinary Technician prior to joining Northern Hope Veterinary Care.

In her free time she enjoy's fishing, hunting, camping and horse back riding. Currently she takes part in a Axe throwing league at Roundhouse during the spring and fall. She loves spending time with her dog Apollo who she adopted in 2018.

I love seeing pets go from being sick back to being happy and healthy. I enjoy client education and helping them find the best way to care for their pet. I am blessed that I get to work with an amazing group of people who are so supportive and caring.

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Gloria Davison, Receptionist

Much of my career has been spent in the financial services including Citibank SD, US Bank, and Ascensus doing anything from Credit cards, banking transactions, answering questions about 401k plans, as well as closing and transferring 401k plans. Most of my jobs have involved phone contact, or direct interaction with people since I love to help people. After I retired, I came back to work as the receptionist here at Northern Hope, dealing with animals and their humans is a totally different field that I have ever worked in. This is my "Because I love what I am doing job".

I love the staff that Dr. Hooge has selected to work with her. I adore the people that I get to talk to each day, either in person or on the phone. I have learned so much since retiring to this job and have met so many interesting people. Best of all I love working for Dr. Hooge and her husband, they work well as a team and have created this clinic with Gods help for the animals. Dr. Sara says many times during the day "we will just love them a lot" and that is how she treats every animal and human she gets the opportunity to meet.

In me time not at the clinic I love spending time with Family, I have been married to my soul mate Dave for over a quarter of a century. I have a daughter and 2 sons that I love to spend time with, and I am also care giver to my 88-year old mother. I have 4 beautiful granddaughters that I have been blessed with getting to watch grow into wonderful strong willed God loving individuals. I also love to garden and play in the dirt along with a love for camping.