Russell Welfare, DVM
Veterinarian, Owner
Dr. Welfare graduated from the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical School in 1995 and completed a surgical internship in 1996. He has practiced throughout the South, East and Central regions of the country, which has given him a unique perspective in caring for animals and their humans. He places a strong emphasis on education and prevention, and he believes that when animals come into the office they should be treated with respect and in a manner that decreases the stress they experience. In 2008 he came home to Colorado and started North Powers Animal Hospital. He loves what he does today as much as he did the first day he started practice. His spare time finds him spending quality time with his wife and children, preferably outside, even better if it is in the mountains.
Gwen Carlson, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Carlson graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. She moved to Colorado to complete a Large Animal Internship at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Following her internship, Dr. Carlson settled in Colorado Springs. For seven years she enjoyed the variety of a mixed animal practice, but since 2006 she has devoted her career to the care of small animals. In 2014 Dr. Carlson made the excellent decision to join the team at North Powers Animal Hospital. Relationship with the pets and their people is very important to Dr. Carlson. She knows that every family she works with has their own unique needs and concerns. She provides patient centered care and loves tending to the needs of her patients through all stages of life. Outside of work Dr. Carlson and her husband have two amazing children and three super cute dogs. She enjoys reading, hiking, cheering for her kids, and travelling.
Kat Peters, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Peters graduated from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 and relocated to Colorado Springs from Indiana shortly after. She is looking forward to establishing herself as a veterinarian and working with her clients to provide the best care to her patients. She enjoys the surgical aspect of this profession along with educating clients in preventative medicine and how to best keep their furry family members healthy. When she is not working, she enjoys hiking with her dog, riding horses, reading books, and spending quality time with her family.
Jenna Markel, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Markel graduated from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2017 and moved to Boston, Massachusetts to complete a Small Animal Rotating Internship with an emphasis in exotic and emergency medicine in 2018. She then returned to Colorado to pursue a career in general practice medicine. Dr. Markel is passionate about empowering owners of patients of all species to provide the best possible quality of life for their pets. Combining her background in education, love of teaching, and emphasis on evidence-based medicine, Dr. Markel strives to give her patients and their owners the ability to work together to help patients live their healthiest lives and to support the human-animal bond. When not caring for her patients, you can find Dr. Markel taking care of her garden, painting, and exploring the world through photography.
Amy
Practice Manager/RVT
A Washington State native, Amy moved to Colorado in 2016. She misses the rain of the Pacific Northwest, but loves the people of Colorado! She is a Certified Veterinary Assistant through the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association and started working for North Powers Animal Hospital in 2018. Amy enjoys learning under the doctors and, in her free time, she likes to learn as much as she can about different topics in the veterinary industry. In addition, she enjoys time with her husband and daughter, eating chocolate, playing piano and adores all things Disney.
Miranda
Office Manager/RVT
Since childhood, Miranda has usually been found where the animals are – be that playing in the yard with the family dog or exploring the shores of south Florida in search of horseshoe crabs and anoles. From elementary through high school, she volunteered with different local animal shelters and participated in equestrian care and training. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Mississippi State University in 2015 and is currently pursuing another degree that will bring her closer to her goal of RVT. In 2016 she moved to Colorado with her partner Aaron and ever-expanding family of critters. Miranda transitioned from social services to the veterinary field in 2018 and joined the esteemed North Powers Animal Hospital patient care team in 2020. In her personal time, she enjoys practicing foreign languages, yoga, and video games.
Devlin, RVT
Devlin is a Colorado native and proud of it! She graduated as a Registered Veterinary Technician from Bel-Rea Animal Institute in Denver in 2017. She joined North Powers Animal Hospital in July of 2020. One day she hopes to specialize in pain management as she has always had an interest in ensuring animals are in as little pain as possible. She enjoys working with our doctors in surgery, mentoring other patient care staff members and learning new things on a regular basis. In her free time she enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with her dogs and family.
Elena, RVT
Elena is a Colorado native who has loved animals her entire life. As a very young girl she knew her heart belonged in the veterinary field. She overcame a number of obstacles at a young age to pursue her passion for this field and even considered a completely different career path in her teenage years. Ultimately her heart and passion led her to the program at PIMA medical institute to become a certified veterinary assistant in 2006. Elena has remained in the field since and has no regrets. Her love and passion continues to grow for clients, patients, co-workers, and providing quality medicine. Elena was blessed to join North Powers Animal Hospital in May of 2020 and shares the same vision and commitment to our clients and patients who enter our hospital. She is always happy to learn and grow both professionally as well as personally. In her free time she enjoys shopping, yard work, hiking and anything outdoors with her husband. She also enjoys family time with her 4 children, grandchildren, and four legged fur babies.
Alexis, RVT
Alexis pursued her passion for animals by earning her veterinary assistant degree in 2016. For two years, she worked as a vet assistant, kennel assistant, and groomer until she was hired and trained as a vet technician in a clinic in Georgia. In 2020, she started her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. Alexis’s inspiration for working in the veterinary field stems from her love for healing animals and her genuine passion for educating pet owners. She finds joy in performing lab work and making discoveries that can benefit her patients. Beyond her veterinary work, Alexis loves spending time with her boyfriend Sean and her 9-year-old son Robert. They love going to the movies, attending various events around town, and having fun at arcades (where their competitive spirits come to life). They all share a passion for good food. In her personal time, Alexis indulges in her artistic pursuits, bike riding, and playing tennis.
Courtney
Courtney started working for North Powers Animal Hospital at the beginning of 2020. She was born in Mesa, AZ, but came to Colorado Springs at the early age of 4. She has always loved animals and loves caring for them. She has a menagerie of animals which include dogs, cats and a llama! When Courtney isn’t at work, she enjoys dancing, singing, and spending time outdoors with her husband, pets and family.
Kiara
Kiara has been in Colorado Springs since 2002. Hoping to one day own a veterinary practice of her own, Kiara is currently a pre-veterinary student who joined the North Powers Animal Hospital team in May of 2020. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Biology at Colorado State University – Pueblo and is researching ectothermic immunology on the Mojave Desert Tortoises roaming the greenhouse on campus. In her free time she enjoys going to concerts, snowboarding, and meeting new people.
Brooklynn
Brooklynn grew up in Colorado and has loved all kinds of animals since she was little. When she graduated high school, she decided to pursue an education in veterinary technology. She is currently enrolled at Apex College of Veterinary Technology to become a Certified Veterinary Technician. Brooklynn has gained experience in the veterinary field through working in the specialty and emergency side of veterinary medicine and she is excited to bring what she has learned to North Powers Animal Hospital. Brooklynn tries to enjoy all the little things that life throws her way including sunsets, dogs, laughter, and even the good hair days. When she isn’t at work and the weather is warm, she can be found hiking, camping, or out painting the town with her friends.
Mekenze
Mekenze is a Colorado Native, born and raised in Colorado Springs. She came to North Powers Animal Hospital just after graduating from Pima Medical Institute with a Veterinary Assistant certification in June 2021. In addition to completing her Certified Veterinary Technician certification, her career goals are to become a DVM! She enjoys traveling with her dog, playing with her other pets, hiking, painting, listening to music with friends, and being creative with fun makeup.
Cheyene
Cheyene was born and raised in St. Augustine, Florida, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bellevue University in Omaha, NE. After graduating college in 2016, she enlisted in the Army and was stationed at Fort Carson, CO. Cheyene fell in love with the idea of becoming a veterinary technician while on deployment in Syria. There, she discovered a large population of stray dogs and cats and quickly learned she found comfort and purpose while taking care of them. Currently, Cheyene attends Apex College of Veterinary Technology where she will obtain her certificate as a Veterinary Technician. Her instructor told her about North Powers Animal Hospital and when she walked in to interview, she knew this is where she wanted to be and work. In Cheyene’s spare time she enjoys sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing along with some cooking and baking with her husband.
Quinzy
Quinzy was born and raised in Colorado. She knew from a young age that her dream was to work with animals. Currently, she is working on getting her certification as a Veterinary Technician at Apex College of Veterinary Technology. She joined the staff of North Powers Animal Hospital in October of 2021 and enjoys spending time with our amazing clients and their pets. Her passion is art and she loves creating paintings of people’s pets. She actually draws something daily as a way to manage stress and keep her passion alive. She also loves listening to music, watching movies, and playing video games.
Alexis
Alexis started working at the hospital in February of 2023. Alexis was born in Camden, NJ, but as a military child, she moved around a lot before settling in TN where she graduated high school in 2012. She then moved back to GA in 2013 and had her son, Robert, soon after. Alexis went to school for her Early Childcare B.S. degree but realized it wasn’t what she wanted to do, so she got her vet assistance certification in 2017 and started working as a kennel tech at a clinic in Augusta, GA.
Alexis’s passion for working with animals is what led her to the veterinary industry. She loves watching animals recover and nurse them back to health. Her favorite memory was nursing an owner’s dog back to health after it had lost two toes due to neglect. Alexis cried with the owner, laughed with him, and became a part of his and his dog’s life. She felt rewarded to have been a vet tech and to have been there for the owner during his difficult time.
Outside of work, Alexis is a mom to a 9-year-old son, Robert, who has Autism, ADHD, and ODD. She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Sean, who is in the military and loves thrill-seeking adventures. They all enjoy cooking together, going out to eat, and doing new things over the weekends. Alexis enjoys biking, hot yoga, painting, reading, and skating. She also loves Disney and is a big fan.
Talia
For her whole life Tali could be found wherever animals were, whether that was in stables, creek beds, or the backyard. After graduating with degrees in both biology and business from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, Tali decided it was time to leave the midwest. She packed up and moved to Colorado to continue pursuing her passion of working with animals. Tali came to North Powers Animal Hospital in 2021 and is a wonderful addition to our team. During her free time if she isn’t curled up reading with her cat, she is out riding her horse enjoying the beautiful Colorado mountains.
Constance
Constance and her husband moved to Colorado Springs from Houston Texas in October 2021. Because of her passion for animals, she started working for a canine boarding facility right after high school. Eventually, she realized she wanted to know more about veterinary medicine She has worked in this industry as a receptionist since 2011. She loves animals and currently owns dogs and cats. In her spare time, she, her husband and her dogs enjoy exploring different hiking trails in Colorado, along with finding the best places to eat in Colorado Springs. She feels honored and very appreciative to be a part of the North Powers Animal Hospital family and we enjoy having her! She has been a wonderful addition to our hospital.
Kari
Originally from northern Illinois, Kari relocated to CO in summer 2022. Fitting in like a natural pack member, North Powers Animal Hospital is her first experience in animal medicine. Kari came to us with a lot of experience in customer service managing life guards and event planning at an aquatic center . She enjoys spending time with her blended family, boating and playing volleyball.
Alexis
Alexis moved to Colorado Springs from El Paso, Texas with her military husband. From the early age of five, Alexis knew she wanted to work with animals. She did a lot of other things between then and now and found her way to North Powers Animal Hospital in 2022. She has amazing organizational skills but loves doing hands-on work with the patients in the hospital. One day she hopes to enroll in a local veterinary technician program in order to continue with her passion for working with animals. Her joyful personality helps everyone here have a positive attitude! In her spare time, she loves the outdoors and exploring all of what Colorado has to offer along side her husband and dogs.
Kinley
Originally from a military family, Kinley has lived in several places before settling in Colorado Springs.
Her passion for animals and a desire to help them led Kinley to pursue a career in the veterinary industry. Since the age of 10, she aspired to become a veterinarian. One particular memory that stands out is rescuing a baby bunny from a freezing window well in the middle of the night. This experience solidified her dedication to animal welfare and inspired her to make a difference in their lives. Kinley finds fulfillment in working with animals and cherishes the opportunity to contribute positively, whether it’s through simple acts like providing comfort or offering assistance in more complex situations.
Kinley believes she is in the right profession each day she witnesses the care and compassion displayed by her colleagues towards the animals they serve. Although she currently works as a kennel assistant, Kinley harbors aspirations of becoming a doctor of veterinary medicine in the future.
Outside of work, Kinley enjoys traveling and reading. She had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Spain last year, broadening her horizons. With a passion for continuous learning and growth, Kinley plans to pursue her goal of becoming a veterinarian and making a lasting impact in the field of animal care.
