Our Team

Name: Lester Prairie Veterinary Clinic
Address: 18743 Babcock Ave, Lester Prairie, MN, 55354, United States
Telephone: 320-395-2421
Price range: $

Meet our talented doctors and staff!

Call Us

Dr. Tanya Merritt

Large Animal Veterinarian

Dr. Merritt grew up in Howard Lake, MN and attended The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Tanya joined the team at Lester Prairie right out of school. Working primarily with bovine patients, her passion lies with reproduction and calf health. Dr. Merritt also takes care of the wonderful flower beds at the clinic. In her free time she enjoys running and spending time with her husband and daughters at their dairy farm in Hamburg, MN.

Dr. Jon Hucker

Large Animal Veterinarian

Dr. Hucker grew up in rural southern Iowa on a farm. He attended Iowa State School of Veterinary Medicine. He started with Lester Prairie Vet clinic in 2008 after moving to Minnesota. He enjoys seeing all types of production animals. Dr. Hucker’s passion is beef herd production management and routine equine health. Dr. Hucker plays a key role in the local scouting community and spends his free time camping and home cooking. He enjoys spending time with his wife and his son on a hobby farm in Lester Prairie, MN.

Dr. Danielle Hively

Small Animal Veterinarian

Dr. Danielle Hively is a small animal veterinarian at Lester Prairie Vet Clinic. Dr. Hively joined Lester Prairie Vet in 2015. She attended vet school at the University of Minnesota. While she loves all things related to veterinary medicine, she most enjoys the time she gets to spend with clients discussing the care of their pets. Dr. Hively lives in Cologne with her husband, two daughters, and her son. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her kids and is on a fishing league with her husband.

Dr. Erin Burke

Large Animal Veterinarian

Dr. Erin Burke is a large animal veterinarian at Lester Prairie Vet Clinic. Dr. Burke joined Lester Prairie Vet in 2024. She attended vet school at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Burke’s favorite thing about her job is getting to meet and make relationships with all of the farmers. Dr. Burke lives in Waconia with her boyfriend, her dog Stitch and her cat Pepper. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new restaurants, cross country skiing and spending time with her friends and family.

Dr. Alex Gander

Large Animal Veterinarian

Dr. Gander is a large animal veterinarian with the clinic. Originally from southern Wisconsin, he spent some time in Minnesota for undergraduate studies at the U of M and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2018. After vet school he spent a few years practicing dairy medicine in southern Wisconsin. After that he found his way back up to Minnesota to be closer to family, joining LPVC in 2021.Here at LPVC, he primarily focuses on bovine production medicine with a passion for reproduction and lameness prevention. Dr. Gander currently lives in Delano with his three daughters and wife, who is a small animal vet in the area.

Dr. Gina Maurer

Large Animal Veterinarian

Bio coming soon!

Kelly

Practice Manager

Kelly is an integral part of the team at Lester Prairie Veterinary Clinic. Originally from southeastern Wisconsin, Kelly and her husband eventually made their way to Minnesota, where they settled in Waconia with their two daughters. Kelly’s favorite part of her role is building lasting relationships with our staff and clients. She takes pride in being a helping hand to those around her while keeping the many important details of everyday clinic operations running smoothly. Her dedication, organization, and genuine care for our team and clients make her an invaluable part of LPVC.