Meet Our Veterinary Team
Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Clarks Grove Veterinary Clinic! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Get To Know Our Veterinary Team
We just focus on taking care of your pet! We hope you’ll take the time to scroll down and get to know us because we’re looking forward to getting to know you.
Our Veterinary Team
Dr. Jesse Jacobson
Dr. Jacobson grew up out in the country near Austin, MN. She has always been passionate about animals and her community. She attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for a BS in equine science and then attended the University of Minnesota to obtain her DVM degree. Since graduating from UMN in 2019 she has been a general practitioner in a mixed animal practice here in Minnesota. Dr. Jacobson has experience with both large and small animals and likes a day that involves seeing them all. In her free time she enjoys all things outside and spends a lot of time hiking and camping with her dogs and spending time with friends and family.
Dr. Mike Bjorklund
Veterinarian
Dr. Bjorklund graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He began working at the Clarks Grove Veterinary Clinic in 1989.
He still enjoys working with the great technicians and veterinarians at this clinic. Our clients and their important companions (big or small) have always, and will always, be his highest priority.
Dr. Sejla Pujagic
Dr. Sejla Pujagic (pronounced shayla puyagich) graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2026. She loves working with all animals large and small, especially cats and horses, and her other main veterinary interests include clinical pathology and parasitology. She has worked with a variety of species, from the zoo to the calf barn to horseback trail guiding in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, knitting and crochet, and of course, watching movies with her beloved brown tabby cat, Skit.
Dr. Dennis Nelson
Dr. Nelson graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1968. He practiced in Tracy, Sandstone, and Buffalo before he began working at the Clarks Grove Veterinary Clinic in 1979. His main interests in veterinary medicine have been dogs, horses, and cattle, especially in the reproductive aspects. Privately, he has raised and competed in field trials with Labrador retrievers and has owned horses for 60 years. Now that Dr. Nelson is semi-retired, he and his wife spend lots of time trail riding and driving their three home-raised Morgan horses. They also spend a month each year in a cabin built with friends on the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains in Montana, south of Glacier National Park.
Dr. Yury Espinosa
Dr. Yury Espinosa graduated from the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia in 2012. She spent five years working in mixed animal practice before moving to the United States in 2017. In Bagley, IA, she focused on pig production and later relocated to Audubon, IA, in 2021 to continue her work in the swine industry. Dr. Espinosa enjoys working with a variety of pets and production animals, delivering high-quality veterinary care with an emphasis on preventive medicine as the cornerstone of well-being.
In her free time, Dr. Espinosa manages a hobby cattle farm and takes on creative projects for her layer hens. Her family includes her husband, Shane, their daughter, Sara, and their pets: Brwesky, a 3-year-old red heeler; Fluffy, a 1-year-old Great Dane/Aussie mix; and their cat, Sasha.
Dr. Shannon Kvaale
Dr. Shannon Kvaale was born and raised in the Rochester, Minnesota area. She attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, for her undergraduate studies before earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Kvaale brings 20 years of veterinary experience to Clarks Grove Veterinary Clinic. She spent seven years practicing in Minnesota before moving to North Dakota, where she practiced for the past 13 years.
Dr. Kvaale is passionate about helping people and their pets and enjoys the problem-solving side of veterinary medicine. She loves working through the puzzle of each case to find ways to help her patients feel their best. She also appreciates that veterinary medicine offers endless opportunities to learn something new.
Dr. Kvaale is excited to be back in Minnesota and looks forward to getting to know the clients and patients of Clarks Grove Veterinary Clinic.
Jessica N.
Technician
I grew up outside of Hollandale and then moved to Geneva. I graduated high school from NRHEG in 2008. I then went to South Dakota State University for a couple of years but then transferred to Rochester Community and Technical College, where I graduated with an associate degree as a Veterinary Technician. I have been a veterinary technician since 2014 and started at Clarks Grove Veterinary Clinic on May 17th, 2021. Farming and agriculture have always been a way of living for me, my husband, and our daughter. My husband raises crops and commercial hogs, and as a family, along with a few partners, we also breed and raise show pigs that we show or sell to various families within Minnesota and surrounding states. Riding horses and competing in ranch rodeos and pen-to-pen sorting is another passion of mine that I like to do outside of work. Our summers typically are pretty busy between going to pig shows, cattle shows, and horse events, as our daughter is very much into animals as well. We have three horses, a pony, a Labrador named Delta, and a cat named Walter.
Sarah J.
Technician
I have been a veterinary technician since April of 2023 at the Clarks Grove Veterinary Clinic.
Outside of work, I enjoy hanging out with family, friends, and my three dogs. I also love going to cattle shows and working on our family farm.
Emily R.
Technician
I graduated in March 2010 and began working as a veterinary technician in April 2010.
Outside of work, I enjoy hanging out with friends, camping, hiking, and playing darts. I have two dogs (Lando & Rigby) that do almost everything with me.
Karla L.
Technician
I have been here since March of 1983! I am married and have one adult daughter who is also married. I have two cats (Patches & Wiglet) and two horses (Junior & Red). My husband, Larry, and I enjoy trail riding and camping. I enjoy cooking and baking.
Jenica O.
I began at the clinic through an internship in the Spring of 2025. After graduating from RCTC’s Veterinary Technician program. I accepted a full time offer! I have loved getting to meet all of the amazing clients and look forward to meeting more of the animals. Outside of work I enjoy living on the farm and caring for the cattle and donkeys. I also have a German Shepherd named Harley. I have three mini cows named Goldie, Stella and Dolly.
Barb K.
I have been working in veterinary medicine since February 2025. I grew up in Farmington, Minnesota, and have lived in Austin since 2022. I enjoy helping people on the phone or in the office. When I am not at work, I spend my time with my significant other, Mike, and our six dogs! I love being creative with items that I find at flea markets and thrift stores, and I enjoy antiquing, thrifting, and visiting flea markets. My goal is to explore all 50 states and go to Germany again.