Meet Our Vet Team in Waunakee, WI
We created Aurora Veterinary Care to deliver the very best personalized care to pets and their families in a more homey, intimate environment. Our vet team couldn’t be more excited to meet you and provide your pet with the lifetime of care they deserve!
Meet our team below.
Dr. Alissa Leistico, Owner
Dr. Leistico initially started her career path in education and coaching, but quickly changed directions to her true calling in life. It was her passion for healing animals and building relationships with the people that love them that propelled her into veterinary medicine. She attended UW-Platteville and graduated from University of Wisconsin - School of Veterinary Medicine 2007. She then spent over 15 years working in a high paced wellness and emergency care hospital and it is there that she fell in love with the more challenging medical cases. She learned advanced diagnostic medicine and is highly skilled in diagnostic ultrasound. This skill allows her to provide clarity for pet parents without long waits for referral facilities, leading to more efficient treatment plans and options. Dr. Leistico also has a passion for soft tissue surgery and dentistry.
Over the years, Dr. Leistico has been able to use her love of education to teach pet families how to care for their pets' chronic disease. She values the relationships she makes with her pet parents and considers many friends. One of her fondest memories thus far was her adventure to Alaska for a behind the scenes experience of the Iditarod with a cherished client.
Outside of work, she wears many hats. She and her husband, Ben, have two very active boys, Logan and Garret. She is a pet parent to a handsome Golden Retriever, an incredibly cute, yet mischievous Brittany Spaniel, and a farm rescue kitten. She is an active member of the community, serving on the youth basketball board and helping her husband with his numerous roles as a youth and high school coach."
Dr. Beth Poulsen, Owner
Dr. Poulsen’s passion for veterinary medicine started when she dressed up as a veterinarian for her 2nd grade Career Day. She spent her summers shadowing and working at a veterinary hospital in Stevens Point, WI during high school which further solidified her dream. She obtained her undergraduate degree from UW-Eau Claire and graduated from University of Wisconsin - School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. She practiced as a wellness and emergency medicine veterinarian for over 15 years before opening Aurora Veterinary Care in 2023 with Dr. Leistico.
Dr. Poulsen’s special interests include soft tissue surgery, laparoscopic surgery, dentistry, and urgent care medicine. She is one of the few general practitioners in the state that is skilled in elective laparoscopic surgery, including laparoscopic spay and laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy. She also loves to see the difference that quality dental care can make in a pets’ life. Although these are her passions, her true fondness of the profession comes from the lasting connections she can make with her patients and their families.
Outside of the practice, Dr. Poulsen can be found doing her best to keep up with her family. Her husband, Keith, grew up in Waunakee and is a veterinarian at Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. They have three children that keep them on their toes, as well as two Golden Retrievers, one lovable rescue kitty, and one Greek tortoise.
Dr. Sarah Laubmeier
Dr. Laubmeier knew from an early age that her calling was to become a veterinarian. Her love of animals began during visits to her great aunt and uncle's farm where she enjoyed feeding calves and playing with barn cats. She grew up in Wausau, WI and in high school she worked towards her dream of becoming a veterinarian by working at a boarding facility and job shadowing veterinarians in her hometown.