Our History

Last September, we celebrated 50 years of serving St. Paul's veterinary needs!

In Memory of Milton Crenshaw, DVM

Growing up, Milton Crenshaw moved from air base to air base as his father trained cadets to become pilots. His father was a squadron commander with the original Tuskegee Airmen and is known as the "father of black aviation in Arkansas." After graduating from the Tuskegee Institute School of Veterinary Medicine in 1966, Dr. Crenshaw moved to Minnesota to work at an animal hospital in Brooklyn Park and develop his skills. 

In 1973, Dr. Crenshaw established three veterinary practices in the Twin Cities with Dr. Joel Locketz. Dr. Crenshaw chose to stay at the clinic in St Paul when they dissolved their partnership. 

Dr. Crenshaw never stopped traveling to new places and pursuing diverse hobbies, but he put down roots in St. Paul. His love for animals and his curiosity about all things made him an empathetic listener and a creative storyteller. He was a mentor to many, including Dr. Jan Whitman, Dr. Jennifer Olson, our practice manager Charles Bell, and our office manager Nichole Walsh.

Dr. Crenshaw believed that veterinarians in independent practices should support each other in providing the best possible care for animals. He joined with other St Paul veterinarians to open the first Animal Emergency & Referral Center (AERC). Originally located at University and Rice, the AERC now has two branches—one on West Seventh and one in Oakdale. Also with other veterinarians, he established a cooperative veterinary buying group in 1983. The not-for-profit Veterinary Hospital Association has grown into a national organization. Dr. Crenshaw served on the Minnesota Veterinary Examining and Licensing Board from 1983 through 1989.

Dr. Crenshaw owned cats, dogs, and horses. When stray cats showed up, he gave them a home at the clinic or found homes for them. The cats Morris and Milt became long-term residents at the clinic. Morris once disappeared, only to return a year later. The antics of Dr. Crenshaw’s horses Cyna and Tanya who occasionally wandered onto the road in front of his house (now known, unbelievably, as Highway 62) entertained the clinic’s earliest technicians.

Dr. Crenshaw loved cars and wrote articles for automotive magazines. From a kit, he built a two-seater red sports car of his own. An athlete, he enjoyed swimming, basketball, skiing, fly fishing, and golf. He often said, “Step up to the tee like you mean business.” Dr. Crenshaw encouraged others to stand up for their values, to seek higher education, to see the world, to learn the discipline of a sport, to test a theory, to step outside a box—all of which he himself had done.

Dr. Milton Crenshaw died on Valentine’s Day in 2015.  His colleagues miss his knowledge and leadership in veterinary medicine.  His clients miss the time he spent with them and the care he showed their pets