Dr. Craig Piepkorn got his love for animals as a child, where he grew up on a farm outside of Stanley, North Dakota. He attended undergraduate college at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. From there, he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in May 1986 from Iowa State University. He spent a year working at a small animal and avian practice in Pompano Beach, Florida. In February 1992, he and his wife, Dr. Jackie Wachtler Piepkorn, purchased Westonka Animal Hospital from Dr. Joe Glenn. The original hospital was in the building at 4861 Shoreline Drive in Mound. In March of 2013, they moved the hospital to its current location in the Mound Marketplace. In February 2018, Drs. Craig and Jackie purchased Lake Minnetonka Animal Hospital, remodeled, and rebranded it to be more of an outpatient clinic. It is now called Lake Minnetonka Pet Wellness Center.
Dr. Craig has a love for science and specifically zoology. He loves animals of all kinds and enjoys learning about them. If he is asked what his favorite breed of dog is, he would tell you ‘a cat’. He is known in the community as being a cat whisperer. But we all know that deep in his heart, is his love for pugs. He loves working with all breeds, but especially the short-nosed breeds, which includes pugs.
At home, he has owned pugs, golden retrievers, and huskies. The truth is, the huskies were more of Dr. Jackie’s idea. Dr. Craig is enslaved by two cats currently, ‘Pippin’ and a big Maine Coon cat named ‘Rocky’. Rocky is one big, adorable, loving cat, a gentle giant with a big heart, just like Dr. Craig.
Dr. Craig enjoys traveling (especially to Las Vegas), walking, woodworking, learning more science, and attending movies. It is through Dr. Craig’s vision and encouragement that we are now a Feline Friendly Practice, a Fear Free Practice, and an AAHA certified hospital [citation].