The Doctors
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Dr. Brenna Gray, DVM
Dr. Brenna earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine degree at Iowa State University of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Post-doctoral, she completed a one-year intensive internship at Wisconsin Equine Clinic & Hospital in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She also has a specialized skill in Veterinary Acupuncture attending Chi University in 2022.
Dr. Brenna started her journey at Dr. Doug Peterschmidt's facility in 2005 as kennel staff, then Veterinary Assistant until she went off to college. Returning to Family Animal Care in 2018 as a DVM until their closure in 2023. Her passion to provide pets the best medical and surgical services prompted her to open Premier Animal Wellness & Surgery in 2023.
Dr. Brenna is an active member of the community as a Rotary Club member and the superintendent for Buchanan County 4H Horse. Some of Dr. Brenna's hobbies include camping, kayaking, and horseback riding. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, that always keep her on her toes. Her fur family consists of two horses, two dogs, and five cats.
Dr. Kris Schlesser, DVM
Dr. Kris earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University in 2009. She started her career working for Kimberly Pines Veterinary Clinic in the Quad Cities until her family moved closer to home in 2015. Since then, she has been doing part time work at a few clinics in the Cedar Valley, including Family Animal Care in Independence until their closure in 2023.
Dr. Kris enjoys helping families keep pets well through preventative medicine and surgeries. She has recently taken numerous classes to be able to add abdominal ultrasound as a service to our clinic.
Dr. Kris lives on a farm outside of Independence with her husband Ben and children Owen, Lauren, and Eli. They have two cats, Simon and Popeye and a dog, Claire. Other animals on the farm include 100 head of red angus cows and their calves, a handful of Brown Swiss, 4 Shire draft horses, a quarter horse, a chicken of almost every breed, and 1 duck.
In her spare time, she enjoys driving her draft horses, working with beef cattle genetics, baking, and gardening. You can often find her helping to lead Girl Scout troops, or helping and watching her kids in their archery, 4H, FFA, Band, Choir, Scout, and Iowa Junior Brown Swiss activities.
The Staff
Krista Drees, RVT
Graduating from Kirkwood Community College in 2008 with an AAS in Veterinary Technology, Krista started her career with Family Animal Care as a Veterinary Technician. Over her 13 years she played many rolls for Pipestone / Family Animal Care including: kennel assistant then manager, customer service, health technician, registered veterinary technician, inventory manager and in Summer 2022 was promoted to companion animal lead. Krista will be joining PAWS as our office manager and technician. Krista has a passion that runs deep in this industry but also loves and enjoys time with her husband, 4 kids, 2 dogs and her kitty. She brings years of experience to our clinic and caring heart for all our patients.
Nicole Shepherd, RVT
A graduate in Veterinary Technology from Rochester Community and Technical College in 2012. Nicole spent the first 9 years of her career at a small animal practice in Minnesota as a Veterinary Technician. The last 2 years she spent her time with the Family Animal Care team and P.A.W.S. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, crafting, and camping. Her fur family includes one dog and two cats.
Breanna Johnson, CVA
Breanna (Bre) embarked on her veterinary medicine journey in 2019 at Family Animal Care as an intern during college. Following the internship, she took on various roles at the clinic including veterinary assistant, kennel assistant, kennel staff lead, and customer service representative. In 2020, she earned her certified veterinary assistant certificate from Hawkeye Community College. Since then, she has been an integral part of our team, welcoming you with a smile as you walk through the clinic doors and/or talking over the phone. In her free time, she enjoys doing anything outside, spending quality time with her friends and family or being with her two dogs walking nature trails.
Paige Justason
Paige joined PAWS in 2026, bringing six years of veterinary medicine experience and a strong passion for compassionate animal care. Prior to joining our team, she worked as a Veterinary Assistant at Den Herder Animal Hospital, where she developed a deep commitment to supporting both pets and their families.
Known for her warm, caring approach, Paige strives to make every visit as comfortable and stress-free as possible. She takes pride in building trusting relationships with clients and ensuring that each pet receives the attention, support, and quality care they deserve.
Outside of the clinic, Paige enjoys spending time with her family and her dogs, camping, exploring the outdoors, and singing along to her favorite music. Her love for animals and dedication to their well-being shine through in everything she does.
Sonia Carmona
Sonia began her career in veterinary medicine after graduating from Hawkeye Community College in 2019 as a Certified Veterinary Assistant. Shortly after graduation, she joined the team at Family Animal Care, where she gained valuable hands-on experience caring for pets and supporting their families.
Driven by her passion for animal health and lifelong learning, Sonia chose to further her education and is currently enrolled in the Veterinary Technician program at Kirkwood Community College. She is dedicated to expanding her knowledge and skills to provide the highest level of care to her patients.
Outside of work and school, Sonia enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family, making the most of every season. At home, she is kept busy by her two cats, Luna and JC, whose playful personalities always keep her on her toes.