Meet the Team - State Ave Veterinary Clinic

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Meet the TeamDigital Empathy2025-12-10T07:17:13+00:00

Meet Our Team

Providing expert veterinary care in Dickinson, ND.

We are fueled by the passion and love our community has for their animals. We believe they deserve a new standard of veterinary medicine. One that rivals any general practice in the Midwest. Where technology is unrivaled, talent is unmatched, and passion abounds. We are building something special. And our team is made up of the special people with shared values to help us reach our mission.

Veterinarians

Dr. Shelley Lenz

DVM, Ph.D.

Dr. Jessie Evoniuk

DVM, MS

Dr. Raul Casas-Dolz

VMD, CCRT

Veterinary Technician

Melissa, LVT, FFCP

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Support Staff

Kenzie

Veterinary Assistant

Ceci

Veterinary Assistant

Timothy

Veterinary Assistant

If interested in joining our team, please send resume and cover letter to office@stateavevet.com.

Dr. Shelley Lenz

DVM, Ph.D.

Dr. Shelley Lenz, DVM, PhD, has been a driving force behind veterinary care in western North Dakota for nearly two decades. After opening Killdeer Veterinary Clinic in 2007, she expanded her vision by founding State Ave Vet in 2011. By 2015, the practice had outgrown its rented space, and she built the current hospital designed to support a high quality, community centered, rapidly growing practice.

Dr. Shelley graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001, but her path to becoming a veterinarian is uniquely rooted in scientific research. She began her career as a neuroscientist, studying the cellular mechanisms of Huntington’s disease. A research trip to Venezuela, where she worked directly with families affected by the condition, changed her trajectory. Experiencing the human side of medicine inspired her to pursue a career that blended scientific depth with direct patient care, problem solving, and meaningful connection. Veterinary medicine offered exactly that.

She is especially passionate about rural veterinary medicine, where she can care for animals through every stage of life and build long term relationships with the families and communities she serves. As a general practitioner, Dr. Shelley thrives on the variety of medical, surgical, and behavioral care. One of her greatest joys is having built this practice from the ground up and watching it evolve into a place that attracts dedicated, talented professionals she is proud to mentor and support.

Originally from Mt. Vernon, Ohio, she moved to her great grandparent’s ranch in Killdeer, ND, in 2007, where she now enjoys life with her beloved crew of animals:

Puppito, her 5 year old mixed breed who came to the clinic as an injured puppy and never left
Blue, her 12 year old mixed breed with an incredible “lost and found a year later” adventure story
Quinton, her 24 year old Thoroughbred with a crooked nose whom she rescued for one dollar
Thor, a 15 year old Thoroughbred and son of the legendary stallion Storm Cat
John Elway, the retired clinic cat who now lives in well earned comfort at the farmhouse

Outside the clinic, Dr Shelley is a certified scuba diver and leads a large, multifaceted project in Ometepe, Nicaragua. This nonprofit initiative includes a veterinary clinic, regenerative farm, café, biodiversity grazing project, and carpentry and welding shop. Her work there focuses on building sustainable, locally driven programs that improve both animal welfare and community resilience.