Dr. Tessa Shea, Owner

Dr. Tessa Shea grew up right here in Plymouth. From an early age whenever she was asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Her response was always the same, "An animal doctor."
 
After attending the College of Saint Benedict, Dr. Shea realized her dream and attended the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine from where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Since then, she has worked in small animal private practice in the Twin Cities.
Dr. Shea's professional interests include soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, and ultrasonography. She holds a very special place in her heart for elderly kitties, and has focused on becoming an expert in feline geriatric health.
 
Dr. Shea currently lives in Golden Valley with her husband, Phil, and their two teenage cats: Sherlock and Elementary. In her free time, she enjoys camping, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her nieces, nephews, and god-children.  Dr. Shea and her husband have an ambitious goal to travel to every state in our beautiful country in an RV when they retire!

Dr. Joey Goldthorpe

Dr. Joey Goldthorpe grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. She obtained a psychology degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following graduation, she visited the lower 48 states camping in her Geo Metro. Through her travels, she found Oregon to be her favorite state, so she moved there to attend veterinary school at Oregon State and graduated in 2002.

During the next 17 years in Oregon she worked in a cat exclusive practice in Eugene, was involved in a spay/neuter program at her local shelter, volunteered with the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, and adopted over 50 special needs cats into her family.  
Recently, she moved back to the Midwest to be closer to her family and loved ones. When she is not taking care of cats, she enjoys spending time gardening, paddle boarding, traveling, cooking and camping. 

Dr. Joey’s professional interests are geriatric medicine, shelter medicine, and behavioral medicine. She is very excited to be a part of the TLC Cat Clinic team!

Joanna, Certified Veterinary Technician

Joanna is a Certified Veterinary Technician and has been with TLC Cat Clinic for eight years. She earned her degree from Globe University/Minnesota School of Business and graduated in 2010.

A lifetime animal lover, she has always been obsessed with cats and is a huge fan of tortoiseshells. She has fostered quite a few cats for a local rescue group and has also worked at the Animal Humane Society as a veterinary technician. Her special interests include feline nutrition, dental hygiene, diagnostic imaging, and keeping up on continuing education.

C.J., Certified Veterinary Technician

C.J. is a Certified Veterinary Technician who graduated with her A.A.S. degree in veterinary technology from Globe University/Minnesota School of Business in 2009.

After a decade of experience with various small animals, she decided to focus her career on feline medicine and join the TLC team. Although she loves cats of all ages and breeds, senior cats have a very special place in her heart. Her favorite interests are preventative care, internal medicine, and anesthesia.

C.J. currently resides in Brooklyn Park with her fiancé and her handsomest boy cats.

Stephanie, Veterinary Technician

Stephanie attended the Veterinary Technician program at Argosy until 2008. Since then, she has worked in small animal practice with both dogs and cats. Stephanie is very excited to join the TLC team as she has always had a special love for kitties, especially the spicy ones. She has particular interests in dentistry, diagnostic imaging, and client education.
 
Stephanie and Dr. Shea have known each other since 2006 and have worked together for four years.  
 
Stephanie currently lives in Golden Valley with her husband, Dave. They have two cats, Glen and Evee, and a dog, Rebel.