Meet the staff

Owner/Veterinarian

  • Dr. Terry Rapacz

    Dr. Terry Rapacz grew up in Northeast Minneapolis, about 8 blocks from Apache Animal Hospital. He attended St. Charles grade school and De La Salle high school. Dr.Rapacz graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1965 with a degree in microbiology and in 1969 with his degree in veterinary medicine.

    Dr. Rapacz married his wife, Carol, between his junior and senior years of veterinary school. After graduation, he practiced in Madison, WI for a year then moved to California and practiced there for 4 years. After returning to Minneapolis, he worked as a Relief Veterinarian for 12 years, during which time he started the first emergency veterinary service which grew into the Affiliated Emergency Veterinary Service.

    Dr. Rapacz became a partner at Apache in 1989 and after Dr. Hilgren retired in 1994, he became the sole owner.  In 2002, he expanded the hospital and also added boarding and grooming services. He currently works part-time as he looks toward retirement.

Veterinarians

  • Dr. Kathy Cleary

    Dr. Cleary graduated from the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. She is married and has 2 daughters plus a menagerie of pets including: Pickle, a Quaker parakeet; Abbikadabbi, a guinea pig; Gesundheit (Guzy) an orange tabby cat; and Cupcake a yellow lab.

  • Dr. Sean Ross

    Dr. Sean Ross has been a member of the Apache Animal Hospital team  since March 2019. He is originally from New York, where he graduated from The State University of New York College at Geneseo with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. Knowing that helping animals was his true passion, he moved to St. Paul in 2012 to continue his education at the University of Minnesota, where he received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2016.

    Dr. Ross’s clinical interests include preventative care, radiology, and internal medicine. While he loves working with all of his furry patients, he also enjoys being part of the community and getting to know each and every one of his clients on a personal level as well.

    When not practicing medicine, Dr. Ross can be found in his yard playing with his one and a half cats, Richard Parker and Achmed, trying all of the awesome restaurants and breweries the Twin Cities has to offer, and participating in any sport or physical activity—he was the captain of the varsity wrestling team in high school, and played rugby in college. He also enjoys working on his car and keeping in touch with his friends and family back east– including his identical twin brother, who is also a veterinarian!

    Dr. Ross truly enjoys being a part of the team at Apache Animal Hospital and looks forward to working with all of our clients with the ultimate goal of making animals healthy again and strengthening the human-animal bond.

Practice Manager

  • Brenda Butler

    Brenda has worked at Apache Animal Hospital off and on since 1989 when she was hired by Dr. Jerry Hilgren, the original owner of Apache, as a Veterinary Assistant.  In 1995, Brenda became the Practice Manager and she worked closely with Dr. Rapacz during the design and building of the new Apache Animal Hospital that opened in 2002.  In 2006, she got married and moved to Wisconsin. Brenda returned as the Practice Manager of Apache in March 2013, however, finding that the commute isn't too long when you work at such a great facility with such wonderful people! In 2017, Brenda moved to White Bear Lake and shares her home with  Cashew, a Golden Retriever. Brenda is a Level 3 Certified Fear Free staff member.

Certified Veterinary Technicians

  • Paige -- Lead Certified Veterinary Technician

    Paige joined the Apache team in March of 2023 after moving to MN from TX with her wife of four years Casey. While the weather has proven to be an adjustment, she has loved every moment spent thus far in our lovely state and with our team. Paige became a veterinary technician in 2013 after graduating from the AVMA accredited program at Murray State College in Tishamingo, OK with her Associates of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. Born and raised in Texas, she honed her technician skills at several excellent quality practices in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and has experience not only with canine and feline patients but equine and exotics as well. 

    If asked to describe herself, Paige would say she is reliable, hardworking, and a bit goofy with a fun, sunny, chatty attitude and when asked what her favorite part of her job is it's getting to know and love her patients and clients. Her special interests are dentistry, surgical assisting, and she looks forward to delving into ultrasonography. When not at work Paige enjoys several hobbies including adventuring into the outdoors with camping, kayaking, and horseback riding as well as several 'Nerdy' hobbies such as playing Dungeons and Dragons or Magic the Gathering with her friends. However, most days she can be found at home relaxing and sharing a chair with one of her many pets. 

    Paige currently has three dogs (Chance, Owen, and Athena), a rabbit named Ron, two horses (Kai and Gypsy), a ball python named Lucy, Sir Chiro Basil a blue tongue skink lizard, as well as several aquariums. She loves to joke about her miniature zoo and had an interesting time moving and acclimating everyone to MN. Paige's pets are just an example of the love she brings to the table for animals of all kinds, and she can't help but extend that love to her client's pets as well. 

     

  • Annmarie --Veterinary Technician

    Annmarie graduated from Minnesota School of Business and Globe College in 2009 and she has been with Apache Animal Hospital since February 2022.

    She enjoys spending time with her family and her husband Lance and 2 Labrador retrievers Matsi and Merlin.

    In her free time she loves watching baseball and gardening. 

    Her favorite thing about working at Apache is all the slobbery doggy kisses she gets and working with a great team!

Veterinary Assistants

  • Evey -- Veterinary Assistant

    Evey joined the Apache Animal Hospital family in 2023. She lives in Plymouth with her fiancé and their cat, Benny. When she’s not at work, Evey loves going to concerts and music festivals, going on hikes to find cool rocks to add to my collection and painting.
    Although she only has one pet, Evey likes to think of all the animals we see every day as her own.

Customer Care Specialists

  • Dawn -- Customer Care Specialist

    Dawn joined the Apache family in December 2021 after working many years at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Hospital. For Dawn, family is EVERYTHING -- including her work family and the fur family members of our clients. 

    She enjoys playing games and spending time talking with people. She is a self-professed book-a-holic -- noting that ANY day can be made amazing with a good book!

    Dawn enjoys being out in nature and frequently takes time to enjoy it!

  • Kayli -- Customer Care Specialist


    Kayli was born and raised in Texas. She recently moved to Minnesota with her husband, three kids, 5 cats and 1 dog. They moved here for the cooler weather and beautiful sights, and they absolutely love living in Minnesota!  


    As a certified dog trainer, Kayli has witnessed the incredible bond that can be formed between humans and their furry companions. Through patience, understanding, and positive reinforcement, she has helped numerous dog owners establish a harmonious relationship with their pets.
    Kayli is currently studying to become a zoologist, which has opened up a whole new realm of knowledge for her. When she’s not immersed in the world of animals, she enjoys spending quality time with her family. Gaming has become a shared passion for her family.  Whether it's exploring virtual worlds or engaging in friendly competition, it's always a delight to see the smiles on her children's faces as lasting memories are created.

    Joining the Apache team is an exciting opportunity for Kayli to connect with fellow animal enthusiasts and share her knowledge and experiences. Together, we can all champion the well-being of animals, raise awareness about conservation efforts, and inspire others to develop a deep appreciation for the natural world.
    Keep spreading love and compassion for our furry, scaly, and feathery friends! 

     

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Location & Hours

Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS AT THIS TIME

Apache Animal Hospital!

Monday:

8:00 am-4:30 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-4:30 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-4:30 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-4:30 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-4:30 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed


WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS AT THIS TIME

In case of an after hours emergency, please call the Emergency Veterinarians listed below:

Oakdale: 651-501-3766 | St. Paul: 651-293-1800


Blaine: 763-754-5000 | Golden Valley: 763-529-6560
Suspect your pet may have ingested poison? Please click on the logo below for more information.