Your pet is in good hands!
Christie Daluge
Clinic Director
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Christie brings a wealth of administrative expertise and a deep commitment to animal welfare to the team. After completing the Veterinary Assistant program at the Minnesota School of Business, she gained valuable experience in private veterinary practice before transitioning to a full-time role at Carlson Companies, where she served as an Administrative Coordinator for Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Following 9/11, Christie returned to her true passion, starting at the Animal Humane Society, where she worked in surgery and collaborated closely with Dr. Culbertson until the formation of MN SNAP.
When I’m not working, you can find me hiking (Sedona was the best yet!), traveling around the US to visit friends, practicing yoga, or relaxing at home with my new cat, Mayer. I’m also a runner, having completed seven marathons (with the next one planned for June 2026).
Emily Aslesen, DVM
Veterinary Surgeon
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Dr. Emily Aslesen has worked in the field of high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) since 2015, and began work with MN SNAP in 2021. From the time she started veterinary school, Dr. Emily had a goal of building a career centered around affordable and accessible veterinary care along with spay/neuter work to reduce pet overpopulation. She deeply appreciates the opportunity to work with families, shelters and rescues, and Tribal partners from across the state through her work at MN SNAP. Dr. Emily is a Madison, WI, transplant but most recently came from a nonprofit clinic in Toledo, Ohio. She has her DVM and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed her undergraduate work in Santa Cruz, CA. She and her family love living in the Twin Cities now with their house full of critters (pit bulls, cats, hamsters, and a bearded dragon named Steve who is in charge of it all).
When not at work, Dr. Emily enjoys regular trips to the North Shore and other opportunities to travel both near and far with her family.
Erin Richards
Veterinary Services Manager
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Erin Richards has dedicated a lifetime to caring for animals, beginning a professional journey in 2001 that grew from early roles in animal care and veterinary services to anesthesia work in 2008, and ultimately to leadership within MN SNAP. As one of the organization’s founding anesthesia technicians in 2010, Erin has been integral to its mission from the start, gaining extensive expertise and mentoring colleagues along the way. Promoted to Lead Veterinary Technician in 2023 and advancing to Veterinary Services Manager in 2025, Erin now leads with compassion, technical excellence, and a commitment to expanding access to high‑quality veterinary care for people and communities in need.
At home, Erin shares her life with two silly cats who don’t always get along, spends summer weekends at the family cabin, and looks forward to future vacations by clear waters and warm sandy beaches.
Heather Nardi
Volunteer Coordinator
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Heather has lived in Minnesota her whole life. She resides in Apple Valley with her husband, two children, a dog, and a cat. She worked for the YMCA in Woodbury for over eight years as a Marketing Assistant and enjoyed being part of a non-profit organization and supporting the community. And at MacPhail Center for Music for over one year.
She also fostered at Underdog Rescue and saw the need for a dedicated space for animals to be safe until they are adopted. Heather has always loved animals and wanted to be able to do something more than donate money to help shelter animals. After hearing about MN SNAP, she knew this was the perfect opportunity for her as it allowed her to support an organization that makes a difference every day.
Length of time with MN SNAP: Since January 2023
We have a dog named Maverick and a cat named Olive
Jodi Lytle Buckman, CAWA
Executive Director
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Jodi Buckman has worked in animal welfare, animal sheltering, and the provision of veterinary care to underserved communities for over 30 years. She’s served organizations across the country at the local, regional, and national level, always with a focus on improving the lives of pets and their people. Jodi achieved the Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, or CAWA, designation in 2006 and a Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School in 2020. She is a Minnesota native, and a Macalester College grad, who shares her home with Ollie, a Samoyed, whom she adopted from an ASPCA puppy mill cruelty case in 2018. Ollie is ALL floof, literally and figuratively. What he lacks in brain power he makes up for with an always joyful disposition.
Photo (Ollie, Jodi, and Jodi’s grand-dog, Owen)
When not at work, Jodi enjoys catching up with her grown kids, escaping to a lakeshore in northern Minnesota, and solo road-tripping to wild places.
Kelly Pawlenty, DVM
Veterinary Surgeon
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Dr. Kelly Pawlenty grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota and wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she can remember. After receiving her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Minnesota, she went on to receive her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota in 2004. Prior to working at MN SNAP, Dr. Kelly worked in small animal private practice for 15 years. Performing surgery has always been her favorite aspect of being a veterinarian. Working at MN SNAP has renewed her sense of purpose and passion for being a veterinarian. Dr. Kelly’s current pets include three cats, a leopard gecko, and a corn snake. In her free time, she enjoys reading, relaxing, and going on family vacations with her husband and two teenage sons.
Length of time with MN SNAP: Since May 2019
Types of pets in your family and their names: Two cats named Lila and Uno; her son’s leopard gecko named Hershey; and her other son’s corn snake named Marshy.
The most pets you ever had at one time: Six
Favorite color: Blues, purples and greens
Favorite pet name: Uno, the name of her cat with one eye (pictured)
Interesting personal trivia: Dr. Kelly has traveled to many places throughout her life, including Europe, Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, Hawaii and all over the continental United States. She has experienced many adventures while traveling, including skydiving, parasailing, thrill rides, snorkeling in coral reefs, horseback riding on beaches and in oceans, and swimming with dolphins, stingrays and manatees.
Lauren Dinsmore, DVM
Medical Director
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Lauren Dinsmore, DVM joins the MN SNAP team as our medical director. Lauren has practiced for 20 years, most recently owning a small animal clinic in southeastern Minnesota. Lauren is a graduate of Vassar College and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University. Her passion for spay neuter initiatives began in her first year of vet school when she traveled as part of a mobile spay neuter program setting up regional clinics and providing care to patients and clients who did not have access to routine veterinary care. She is excited to work alongside the talented and dedicated MN SNAP doctors and staff to promote affordable and accessible care for veterinary patients across the state.
In her free time, Lauren can be found in a cold ice arena with her husband, Jason, watching their two boys play hockey, hiking on trails with her spirited dog, Rockie, or reading a book with her two cats curled on her lap.
Madeleine Little, DVM
Veterinary Surgeon
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Dr. Maddie Little has a background in shelter and community veterinary medicine. Throughout her career, she has found that nonprofit and animal welfare organizations offer the perfect blend of serving both pet parents and animals in need. Dr. Maddie graduated from Kansas State’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. Upon graduation, she returned to Kansas City as a veterinarian at Great Plains SPCA, working in both shelter medicine and a full-service, low-cost veterinary clinic. In 2018, Dr. Maddie joined the Kansas City animal shelter, Wayside Waifs, where she performed and taught veterinary students spay and neuter surgical techniques. In 2021, Dr. Maddie and her family moved to Minneapolis. They were drawn to the Twin Cities’ proximity to nature and outdoor activities. She was excited to find MN SNAP and knew quickly after meeting the enthusiastic and passionate staff that she’d be proud to join the organization’s mission- driven work. She shares her home with three cuddly and playful mid-sized rescue mutts and three high-maintenance cats.
Dr. Maddie enjoys yoga, biking, and kayaking. Her free time is often spent listening to live music, exploring the Twin Cities food scene, or visiting KC to spoil her niece and nephew.