Originally an Iowa farm girl, Lisa comes to us with a wealth of knowledge about ALL Furry Purry, Creepy Crawly, Feathered Fuzzy Wuzzy, Wet and Wild Things! Lisa has learned all she knows about animals working at veterinary clinics and pet stores since 1995. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Minnesota State (Mankato), and is PIJAC Certified in Avian, Reptile Care, and Small Animal Care.

Having owned a wide variety of animals since childhood, Lisa has had much hands on experience. Her favorites in the years have included: Chinese Water Dragons, Salt Water Fish, and, of course, her Pug Kassie. Lisa enjoys sports, horses, and sharing her love of animals with her children. We are fortunate to have Lisa as our store manager! She enjoys her staff, understands the value of pets in people's lives, and takes an active role in helping ANIMART's customers.

You can contact Lisa at lisal@animart.com. or call her at 608.242.2140 x4221, or 920.210.3117.

Amanda has been with ANIMART for 9 ½ years and when asked what she enjoys most about it she said “I really enjoy the educational part of my job. I find it very rewarding to teach a customer something new about their animal or how to properly care for their pet.”

Amanda is a certified “Pet Nutrition Expert” through Hills Science Diet, and is also a Certified Pet Groomer. She really enjoys the challenge of rescuing and rehabilitating dogs to get them their “Canine Good Citizen Certificate.” Aside from formal training and experience, Amanda has also learned much about fish, reptiles, birds, and small animals through “LOTS” of reading.

She currently owns 4 cats, 3 dogs, a frog, and freshwater fish. In the past, Amanda has had rabbits, guinea pigs, chameleons, and saltwater fish.

Mary is a puppy/kitty specialist, her current Kitty, Peanut, was brought in to the ANIMART rescue at only 2-3 weeks old after her mother was hit by a car. Originally Mary was planning on fostering her until she was old enough to come back for surgery, but fell in love with her and now, seven years later, you can still find the brown tabby at home. She has also had 3 dogs, hamsters, gerbils, and a parakeet in her lifetime.

Mary's training started in high school when she took a few Companion Animal classes, since then she has worked with the vets and staff at ANIMART and has gained a lot of valuable experience in her time here. "Every employee at Animart has knowledge about a different animal. Listening to them and absorbing their knowledge is very valuable."

Mary enjoys the changes each new day brings to her job. While she may be doing the same tasks, she likes working with different customers since they all have a different problem or experience to share.

You can contact Mary at maryk@animart.com or call our Madison store at 608-242-2140 x4254.

Christa is a certified Equine Management Specialist. She graduated from Waukesha County Technical College in 2005, and is also a Certified Farrier/Black Smith, specializing in natural corrective shoeing/trimming. She is currently going to school for pet grooming and is expecting to graduate in the next couple months.

Christa has significant experience with all types of pets both at work and at home as she currently owns: Mowgli, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Smee, a DLH Siamese mix, Cody, an Old Fashion Bulldog Quarter Horse, Hampton, a Black Overo Paint/Pinto Horse, Ender, a Foundation Quarter Horse, and in her 56 gallon salt water habitat she has a pair of bonded oscelarious clown fish, a pair of Chromis, 4 large PJ Cardinals, 2 Peppermint Shrimp, mushrooms, and a large purple candy anemone. She also has experience with hamsters, turtles, and snakes, and loves to share her knowledge and experience with her customers.

Dena grew up on a farm, and has had horses, goats, sheep, pot bellied pigs, raccoons, birds, cats, and dogs. Her current pets are: Oliver the cat, Scrappy a scottish terrier, Thor a terrier mix, Wesley a savanna monitor, Daytona an amazon tree boa, and Tissy a mossy tree frog.

Dena has been with ANIMART since 1997, and her areas of expertise are with small animal pets and reptiles, although she is knowledgeable about all species of pets. She says "I fell in love with the exotic pets during my first year working at ANIMART. I learned a lot from my co-workers, hands on interaction, books, and internet research. I enjoy working with exotic pets because there is always more to learn. Each animal species is so unique and beautiful in it's own way."

What Dena likes best about working at ANIMART is the unique blend of people and pets. "The owners, management team and staff all have such a passion for pets and teaching others about them. We're like a big family here at ANIMART!"

You can contact Dena at denak@animart.com or call our Madison store at 608-242-2140 x4253.

Frank has been with ANIMART for 4 years now, and really appreciates the customers and staff. Frank has several years of experience in wildlife rehabilitation and has been involved in the scientific study of animals, with special interest in rodents. As a former pet storeowner, he has extensive experience with care of all types of pets and products, and has taken several animal care courses, and likes to read a lot on his own. What pets has Frank owned? “I wonder if there is anything in the animal kingdom that I haven't owned!”

Nick has been at ANIMART for 4 years, and is a bird and fish expert. He has operated 3 salt water habitats, and has owned several cats, rats, frogs, hamsters, and over 10 birds. He currently houses a bird, a fish tank, 2 dogs, and a cat. “I really like the people I work with and meet while at animart. . . and the new experiences that happen everyday.”

Sam was a certified diet clerk for people, and has turned that interest towards animal nutrition and health, since a lot of elements carry over to animals, such as amino acids, probiotics, special diets for certain medical conditions, and more. She is a certified Pet Nutrition Expert through Science Hills Diet, and also Pet First Aide Certified by the American Red Cross. She knows the products and manufacturers that ANIMART carries very well, so that she can help find what a customer needs or does not need.

Sam also spends a lot of time reading about pet care, most recently on corn snakes, coral fragging, and animal massages. Her favorite part of working at the Beaver Dam store is “…the chance to get to know our customers and their pets. Most customers don't need to tell me what help they need because I already know what kind of food their dog eats or how many crickets they need for the week (I even sometimes know their kids' names and ages). That to me is the best kind of customer service.”

Sam currently owns a cat, a leopard gecko, fresh and saltwater fish, and in the past has owned hermit crabs, a ferret, and has a soft spot for Pekingese dogs.

When Sam is not busy helping her customers at the store she is also active in charitable organizations such as Relay for Life and Adopt a Highway, and is currently the co-chair of the ANIMART Community Service Committee.