About Us
About Onalaska Animal Hospital
Where Every Pet is Family
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Meet Dr. Nicole Azene
Dr. Nicole Azene brings extraordinary expertise to Onalaska Animal Hospital and the La Crosse community, having practiced veterinary medicine in the private sector, academia, and as a federal employee.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Nicole earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2005. She also completed post-doctoral training in laboratory animal medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In addition to time spent in small animal private practice, Dr. Nicole has cared for animals at various nonprofit rescue organizations. As a federal employee, she provided veterinary oversight and preventive medical care, managed chronic diseases, and led her division’s intensive care unit at the National Institutes of Health. She previously served as an attending veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and continues to consult when needed.
Dr. Nicole moved to the Coulee Region in 2013. Her passion for nurturing the human animal bond continues to grow along with her desire to provide pets with the best medical and surgical services in the region. This commitment led her to open Onalaska Animal Hospital in 2022. She takes special interest in managing chronic diseases and educating pet owners on the importance of good oral health for their pets.
Dr. Nicole’s beloved dachshund, Oliver, whom she rescued during her first year of experimental practice, crossed the rainbow bridge on April 21, 2023. He is honored as Patient #1 in the hospital’s database. She now shares her home with her husband, three children, and her mother, as well as Juniper and Lucy, littermate double doodlesborn in August 2022.
Meet Dr. Scott Macon
Dr. Macon has been a small animal veterinarian for over 20 years, bringing a wealth of experience in clinical practice and surgery. In addition to his general surgical expertise, he specializes in procedures such as adrenalectomies, spays and neuters, and perineal urethrostomies across various species.
Dr. Macon earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he served as president of the Omega Tau Sigma veterinary fraternity. He is an active member of both the Minnesota and American Veterinary Medical Associations. Before attending veterinary school, he pioneered and taught the first veterinary assistant program at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.
An animal lover from the start, Dr. Macon's early career included working as a marine mammal research assistant for the Walt Disney Company and training dolphins for the U.S. Navy.
Outside of work, Dr. Macon enjoys time with his wife and three daughters. Two of his daughters are pursuing their own careers, while the youngest is still at home.
Veterinary Referrals
Rita Miller
Referral Veterinarian
Rita Miller, DVM, MS, ACVIM Diplomate
Dr. Rita Miller is a board-certified veterinary specialist in small animal internal medicine.
At Onalaska Animal Hospital, Dr. Miller serves as a valued veterinary consultant providing abdominal ultrasounds and echocardiograms to patients.
She earned her DVM from the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Her training also includes completion of a small-animal medicine and surgery internship at the University of Guelph in Canada and a master’s degree from the Ohio State University.
Dr. Miller also serves as an assistant clinical specialist in small-animal medicine at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and provides telemedicine consults for Idexx Laboratories.
Steven Timm
Referral Veterinarian
Steven Timm, DVM
Dr. Steven Timm is a mobile veterinary surgeon who practices in southwestern Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota.
Onalaska Animal Hospital is fortunate to utilize Dr. Timm’s expertise in orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. Steven enjoys the challenges of helping to treat pets throughout the driftless area.
Dr. Timm is a DVM graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. His experience includes wildlife epidemiology and surgical sterilization, emergency and critical care as well as over twenty years as a mobile small animal veterinary surgeon.
In his spare time Dr. Timm has an old country farmhouse he cares for, and enjoys the fishing, hiking and wildlife of this region.
Joseph Adrian
Referral Veterinarian
Joseph Adrian, DVM
Dr. Joseph Adrian is a highly skilled mobile veterinary surgeon serving the Driftless Area. At Onalaska Animal Hospital, he provides expert care in advanced surgical procedures, including Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomies (TPLOs) and fracture repairs.
He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, where he developed a passion for orthopedic surgery. With over a decade of experience in mixed animal practice, he transitioned to focus exclusively on surgery in 2018. Since then, he has successfully performed thousands of orthopedic procedures, primarily TPLOs and fracture repairs.
Outside of his surgical practice, Dr. Adrian enjoys outdoor activities and resides in northeastern Iowa with his wife and their family of pets.
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Sally J Foote
Veterinary Behavior Consultant
Sally J Foote, DVM, CABC-IAABC, LSHC-S, FFE
Dr. Sally J Foote is an international veterinary behavior consultant, writer, and speaker. Certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Low-Stress Handling Certified Silver, and Fear Free Elite, she is an expert in creating a less stressful care experience for staff, patients, and clients.
Dr. Foote has presented at national conferences, including the AVMA, VMX, and Midwest Veterinary Conference, and is a guest lecturer at various Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and other universities.
With over 40 years of practice experience, Dr. Foote now focuses her time on speaking, creating online education, and continuing to innovate in veterinary behavior.
Leadership
Olivia Waltman
Olivia Waltman
Olivia helps lead the day-to-day operations of OAH and keeps plenty of moving pieces on track behind the scenes. She works closely with our team to support scheduling, staff needs, hospital operations, and the many details that help each day run smoothly. With a heart for patient care and client education, Olivia especially values creating a positive experience for our team and the families we serve. At home, she shares life with Hudson, her Coonhound mix, and her cats, Minnow and Dubby.
Michelle Hemp
Michelle Hemp
Michelle continues to share her more than 25 years of veterinary practice management experience with OAH as our Practice Consultant. She has been part of our story from the very beginning, serving as OAH’s first Practice Manager and helping establish the foundation for the hospital, including contributing to the design of the facility itself.
Shannon Lamb, CVT
Shannon Lamb
Shannon brings years of experience, a love of surgery, and a passion for client education to her role as OAH’s Lead Veterinary Technician. A Certified Veterinary Technician since 2014 and graduate of Rochester Community and Technical College, she especially enjoys helping pet owners understand their pets’ care and has been known to provide a little narration for our patients along the way. At home, she has Sheldon, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Navi, a domestic shorthair cat, and enjoys hiking, kayaking, and camping.
Sara Sherrard
Sara Sherrard
Sara keeps the numbers organized behind the scenes and brings plenty of care and attention to everything she does for OAH. She holds an associate degree from Western Technical College and is an important part of keeping the hospital running smoothly. At home, Sara shares life with her husband and two daughters, along with Mylee, a Labrador Retriever; Nala, a tabby cat; and Oliver, a domestic shorthair cat.
Customer Service Representatives
Maya Appel
Maya Appel
Maya loves meeting our patients and discovering the personality behind every new face. She came to OAH with experience helping people coordinate medical care and now brings that same patience and helpful spirit to pets and their people. At home, her cats, Millie, Kona, and Symphony, keep her entertained. She also enjoys being outdoors and getting creative with crafts.
Ashley Kickery
Ashley Kickery
Ashley brings warmth, experience, and a welcoming smile to the front desk at OAH. The matriarch of a military family, she relocated here from upstate New York, where she previously worked as a veterinary CSR. At home, Ashley enjoys life with her husband and three daughters, along with their three black cats, Bandit, Fred, and Smokey. Their family loves camping, fishing, snowmobiling, and spending time together outdoors.
Veterinary Technicians
Devin Carlson, CVT
Devin Carlson, CVT
With a heart for hospice care and a deep love of animals, Devin brings empathy and compassion to every patient and family she meets. A Certified Veterinary Technician since 2012, she especially values honest, thoughtful communication with pet owners. At home, Devin shares life with her son, Rowan; her dogs, Matilda and Auto; and Tatu, her sweet tripod cat.
Makayla “Mak” Cox, CVT
Makayla “Mak” Cox, CVT
Mak brings experience, curiosity, and a whole lot of care to every patient she meets. She has worked with animals since 2012, became a Registered Veterinary Technician in Indiana in 2019, and is now a Certified Veterinary Technician in Wisconsin. She especially enjoys laboratory diagnostics, client education, and veterinary nutrition. At home, Mak shares life with her husband and daughter, along with Boo, Maya, and Wesson, all domestic shorthair cats; Dakota, a Husky; and Oakley, a Labrador Retriever mix.
Kayla Beron
Kayla Beron
Kayla has been part of the OAH team since we opened our doors in 2022. She brings a fun, caring personality to patient care and enjoys helping with surgery, dentistry, appointments, diagnostics, and more. Outside of work, Kayla loves spending time with her husband, son, and daughter, especially camping, being on the river, and getting together with family and friends. Saber, their Catahoula-Coonhound mix, is part of the fun too.
Trinity Drugg
Trinity Drugg
With more than 15 years of experience working with animals, Trinity brings a wealth of knowledge and a caring touch to OAH. She especially enjoys surgery and client education and appreciates our Fear Free approach to patient care. At home, her animal crew includes Bruce, a Great Pyrenees mix; Joey, a domestic shorthair cat; Phoebe, a Catahoula mix; along with a few more furry friends and a bearded dragon. She also enjoys kayaking, hiking, live music, and gardening.
Veterinary Assistants
Willow Haase
Willow Haase
Willow brings a decade of animal experience, plus a whole lot of heart, to OAH. A biology graduate of UW–La Crosse, she’s currently applying to veterinary schools. At home, she’s surrounded by Phantom, Oscar, Jem, and Cody, and enjoys reading, baking, and hiking. We’ll hate to see her leave when veterinary school comes calling, but we know she’ll make a wonderful veterinarian.
Luke Sauer
Luke Sauer
Luke is a biology graduate of UW–La Crosse who’s currently applying to veterinary schools and is always eager to learn more. Before OAH, he worked in dog daycare, boarding, and training. He shares his home (and his snacks) with Juno, Rogue, and Queenie, and enjoys bird watching, gardening, video games, and frisbee golf. We’ll hate to see him go, but we’ll be awfully proud, too.
Jillian Yanke
Jillian Yanke
Jillian loves getting to know both our patients and the people who love them. She brings two years of animal-care experience to OAH and is currently enrolled in Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician program, working toward becoming a credentialed veterinary technician. At home, Jillian has quite the crew: her cat, Clove; her dog, Zion; plus a leopard gecko, fish, and snails. She loves being part of a team where caring for pets and caring for their people go hand in hand.
Erin Paddy
Erin Paddy
Erin found her way back to veterinary medicine after previously working as a veterinary assistant, and we’re glad she did. At OAH, she gets the best of both worlds, helping care for patients while getting to know the people who love them. She’s working toward her Associate of Science degree and hopes to pursue veterinary radiology. At home, she shares life with her boyfriend, three cats, and one very energetic Beagle.
Pet Groomer
Emily
Emily
Emily prefers to be known as a professional puppy pamperer. She has worked with animals since 2017 and began grooming pets in 2019. Her end goal when she began grooming was to work for a veterinary clinic, and she said when she saw Onalaska Animal Hospital for the first time, she knew it was the place for her. Emily joined our team in 2024, bringing patience, a creative heart, and experience from animal shelters, pet stores, daycare, and boarding facilities. Outside the animal hospital, she enjoys gardening, fishing, camping, audiobooks, and coloring, and stays busy with her husband, toddler son, two dogs (Jade, a 12-year-old coonhound, and Penny, a 15-year-old chihuahua) and cat (Luciano, age 8).
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