Our Team
Our team of animal lovers are dedicated to the well-being of your Best Friends. When you visit us, you’re part of our family.
Doctors
Dr. Tim
Hutson
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Dr. Timothy Hutson, Director of Medicine
Dr. Tim is a St. Louis native who graduated with a BA in Biological Sciences from SLU in 2008. After 18 months of lab work in medical research at Washington University, he decided to forgo a career in human medicine and instead chose to go into veterinary medicine. He went on to graduate from the University of Missouri vet school in May 2013. After graduation, Dr. Tim joined My Best Friend under Dr. Bill’s ownership. He brings with him special interest in dermatology, dentistry, and nutrition, and loves talking with clients about these topics. Dr. Tim took over the clinic in 2018 from Dr. Bill, who is now enjoying his well-deserved retirement in sunny Florida!
Dr. Tim enjoys woodworking and bonsai in his free time. He is also an avid fan of the Cardinals and Blues. Most of all, he loves spending time with his family; his wife, Irina, and two children, Anna and Cameron. They also have two furry children, a French bulldog named “Corndog” (named by their daughter), and a sassy cat named “Rosie.”
Dr. Chelsie
Bivens-Meinders
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Dr. Chelsie Bivens-Meinders, Assistant Medical Director
Dr. Chelsie came to My Best Friend Veterinary Center in 2020. Originally from Springfield, IL she began her pre-veterinary studies in Kentucky at Murray State University. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she had many opportunities for exotic experience, including volunteering at Riddle’s Elephant Sanctuary in Quitman, AR and briefly studying marine biology abroad in Belize. She went on to graduate from the University of Missouri Vet School in 2019.
Dr. Chelsie’s wonderful family consists of her husband, two daughters, and three dogs; Millie, Murray and Max. Her three dogs are spoiled rotten and she would love to show you a picture of them. Chelsie is always up for an adventure. She has been skydiving four times and hopes to get her skydiving license someday.
She loves a good “dad” joke.
“I have an appointment with the doggy doctor. How that dog became a doctor, I don’t know.”
Dr. Erin
Reiter
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Dr. Erin Reiter, Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Erin was born and raised in St. Louis and attended Indiana University for her undergraduate studies. She graduated from the Mizzou vet school in 2013 (with Dr. Tim!) and moved to Denver to work as an associate veterinarian in private practice for 5 years. In 2020 she returned home to Missouri and joined the My Best Friend team.
Dr. Erin is thrilled to be a part of a profession where she has the opportunity to help people and animals on a daily basis. While she loves every aspect of general practice, her particular interests include internal medicine and feline medicine. In her free time, Erin enjoys traveling, running/cycling, yoga, and spending time with her family. Erin and her husband, Mike, have 2 young daughters, Caitlin and Olivia.
They also have four furry children including dog, “Greta,” and their 4 cats, “Riley”, “Rufus”, “Tiki” and “Russell”.
Dr. Heather
Yarnall
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Dr. Heather Yarnall, Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Heather grew up in a military family that settled in the metro St. Louis area. She attended the University of Missouri for both undergraduate studies and veterinary school. She has moved a few times since graduation, practicing in both St. Louis and Madison, WI. She has worked in a wide variety of practices, from a spay/neuter clinic, a canine reproduction clinic, shelter medicine, and general practice.
Dr. Heather’s favorite parts of being a veterinarian are getting to know the pets and their owners, and the satisfaction that comes with helping pets live their best, happy, healthy lives. She joined the MBF team in 2021.
She grew up with pet rabbits and dogs, and watching veterinarians work on her pets (especially a C-section on the family labrador) inspired her to pursue it as a career herself.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Heather spends most of her time with her husband, Ben, and their kids, Max and Sophie. They attend as many Cardinals and Blues games as they can! She also shares her home with 3 border collies, Mia, Crash, and Enzo. Her favorite hobby is competing in dog agility with Crash.
Hospital Staff
Megan
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Megan, Lead Veterinary Technician. Megan graduated from the Vet Tech Institute at Hickey College in 2015 and passed her certification exam becoming a CVT in 2016. She joined MBF in 2021. She is a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady and owns 5 cats herself, along with a spoiled guinea pig named Watson who is treated by the others as an honorary cat. In her free time, Megan enjoys reading, cooking, and playing video games.
Emily
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Emily, Lead Veterinary Technician. Emily earned her associates degree in Veterinary Technology at Hickey College in 2013. She joined MBF in 2019 and we have been stuck with her ever since. She has 3 dogs, 1 cat, 1 ferret and a lot of jumping spiders. When she’s not at work being your best friend, she is laughing at her own jokes with her spouse Matt and son Elliot, or she is probably staring at her spiders.
Brandy
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Brandy, Office Manager. Brandy joined us with a variety of experience in retail, photography, and teaching. She has brought her positive attitude and organizational skills to our reception area. All her professions have prepared her to expect the unexpected and be ready for anything (her husband and child have added to that experience as well) which comes in handy everyday here at My Best Friend. She is happy to help your pet live their best life!
She lives in Maryland Heights with her husband, Chris, son, Lincoln, and their cat, Ma$e . . . yes, there should be a dollar sign. He was named by her husband back in the early 2000’s when the rapper was popular. Brandy and her boys love to play board games, snuggle up for movie nights, and all things Harry Potter and Disney!
Laura
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Laura, Receptionist. Laura came to My Best Friend Veterinary Center in January of 2008, having had a passion for animals her entire life. She seems to always be watching Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel to satisfy her desire to continue learning. After purchasing her pug she began to discover the desperate need for adoption of homeless mixed breeds in the animal shelters. Over the years she has added six such dogs and a cat to her home. Her current five pets enjoy their home in Ferguson with Laura and her longtime partner Denise (our pet stylist).
Julie
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Julie, Veterinary Technician. Julie may be a familiar face, having worked at My Best Friend from 2001 to 2008 as a veterinary assistant. She left for California in 2008, had a daughter, and had a lot of great experiences both in life and in the veterinary field, but ultimately came back to the Midwest and rejoined us in January of 2017. “Home is where the heart is” she says.
If you are at the clinic and hear a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice emanating from the treatment area, you’ll know Julie is around… She is quite active in the local theater scene and loves her showtunes! Her other passions are animal rescue and rehabilitation, and hiking or anything outdoors. Her daughter Phoebe and their Lhasa/schnauzer mix Jack along with cats Huckleberry and Sawyer keep Julie on her toes…
Irina
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Irina, Practice Manager. Irina joined the MBF team in 2019 as the Practice Manager. She is married to Dr. Tim and is the co-owner of My Best Friend.
Irina’s first career was in scientific research. After obtaining a master’s degree in microbiology from Purdue University, she spent the next 10 years working in human research at Washington University and University of Missouri.
In 2019 she decided to transition into veterinary medicine. While her main responsibility is to take care of the administrative side of things, you’ll often find her assisting the vet techs and receptionists. She also takes care of the fish tank you see in the MBF lobby. At home, Irina has 2 children, a sassy cat named Rosie, a stubborn French Bulldog named Corndog (named by their daughter when she was 5), and a bunch of fish that don’t have names.
Andrea
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Andrea, Receptionist. Andrea graduated from Hickey College as a Veterinary Technician in 2011. She then worked as a Vet Tech at Banfield Pet Hospital in Boulder, CO before returning to St. Louis and beginning her grooming career at Silver Maple Farm. She joined My Best Friend in 2021.
She shares a home with her wonderful partner, Eddie, and their three dogs: Charlotte, Sassy, and Taj.
While she’s not busy trying to pet every dog in St. Louis, you can find her hiking, kayaking, camping, spending time with family, and lint rolling dog hair off her clothes.
Carrington
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Carrington, Veterinary Technician. Carrington has worked in the veterinary field on and off since 2016. After getting her degree in Anthropology and minoring in Biology and Forensic Science, she realized her dream career path involved cuddling cats all day. Carrington’s interests include trivia, film, video games, and catastrophizing. She loves spending time with her boyfriend and their fur children: Milo, Archie, Spruce, and Miso Soup.
Raina
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Raina, Veterinary Technician. Raina graduated from Murray State University in 2021 with a bachelors in veterinary medicine. From a young age she has had a fascination for exotic wildlife that led her down the path of veterinary medicine. Raina hopes to continue her education someday & become a veterinarian herself. Raina joined My Best Friend in 2022 after moving to Missouri from Kentucky, where she was born & raised. Raina moved to Saint Louis with her best friend from college & two cats, Kitty & Luna. Raina enjoys spending her free time playing her Nintendo Switch & crafting with her sewing machine. When she isn’t lounging at home, Raina loves traveling & going to the zoo.
Sydney
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Sydney, Receptionist. Sydney has always had a passion for animals. She began volunteering in animal shelters before she could legally work. Her journey in the veterinary field started in Ozark, MO, and she later relocated to St. Louis in 2023 to get a taste of city life. Outside of work, Sydney still fills her time with all things animals- from foster and rescue work to cuddling on her old man of a dog, Louie, and cat, Stevie Nicks.
Andrea
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Andrea, Veterinary Technician. Andrea has been in veterinary medicine for 6 years and joined MBF in 2024. She has two big mutts, Buddy and Moose, who she loves and she cannot lie. In her spare time she likes going to concerts and sporting events with her husband. Her most unusual pet was a hedgehog name Haley, her favorite movie AND holiday is Halloween, and in her free time she enjoys paralegaling.
Shelby
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Shelby, Veterinary Technician. Shelby graduated from The Vet Tech Institute at Hickey College in 2018. After living in Alabama for a year she moved back to the Midwest to work at a mixed animal practice. During her time there, she worked with many farm animals but especially enjoyed the horses and cows. She took some time off in 2023 to be a stay-at-home mamma to her daughter, and then happily decided to join MBF in 2024. In her free time, she enjoys being crafty, reading, and riding her horse, Doc. Her other pets include a dog named Stella, and a cat named Evangeline.
Abby
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Abby, Veterinary Technician. Abby entered veterinary medicine in 2020, when she began working at the Animal Emergency Clinic. Around that same time, she lost her best friend, a lab mix named BigMac. Through those experiences, she realized her passion for emergency veterinary medicine and proper afterlife care for our pets.
Abby joined My Best Friend in 2024 after having her beautiful baby boy, Easton. Also in the family is her fiancé, Logan, a black lab mix named Hazel, a yellow pit bull mix named Zoey, a chocolate lab named Ryder, and last but not least a grey domestic short hair cat named Meeko.
In Abby’s free time she enjoys spending time outside hiking, hunting for mushrooms, and bon fires. Abby loves to try new things as well! You may see Abby talking and giggling around the clinic but nevertheless she is working hard to make sure your pets needs are met! Also never be afraid to say hi, she loves to spark up a conversation!
Grooming Staff
Tiffany
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Tiffany, Pet Stylist. Tiffany joined My Best Friend in April of 2018. Her extensive work background includes 13 years at Petsmart in Bridgeton, MO making her very experienced in all breeds. She loves what she does and is excited to be here. She personally owns four standard poodles so she is especially good at grooming poodles and doodles. This native St. Louisan loves to travel and take long walks with her dogs Fancy, Penelope, Ringo and Miley.
Denise
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Denise, Pet Stylist. Denise was introduced to dogs by her partner Laura and decided to attend the grooming school at Petropolis in November 1999. The bulk of her initial grooming experience came from her work at Bal-Coeur Animal Hospital. She joined My Best Friend Veterinary Center as our grooming expert in 2006. Although purebreds are emphasized in grooming books, she enjoys the mixed breeds that visit her because they bring out her creative side. After years of grooming she feels the key to success is a lot of coffee and Red Bull.
