Dr. Lisa Yackel has been a veterinarian at McFarland Animal Hospital since 2009. She is a Wisconsin native, raised in the east central part of the state. In 1989 she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a double major in Zoology and Business Management with a specialization in health care administration. After working on the UW campus for several years doing research at the UW Hospital department Oncology and later at the UW department of Wildlife Ecology, she returned to school and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1996.

While in veterinary school Dr. Yackel spent several summers studying aquatic veterinary medicine at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. She eventually decided to remain in Wisconsin and dedicate her career to small animals. After graduation she practiced small animal medicine in the Fox River Valley for 9 years before relocating back to Madison in 2006.

She lives in the city of Madison with her husband, Jonathan, a software developer for Epic Systems, and four children, Nathaniel (currently in college), Sophia, Oliver and Henry. They share their busy home with two dachshunds (Teddy and Stella), four cats (Howard, Edgar, George and Anya), a fat tailed gecko (Sheila), fire bellied toads and multiple fish tanks. In her infrequent free time she enjoys spending time gardening, traveling and watching great movies.

Dr. Raasch grew up in the Milwaukee area and having spent many summers on a relative’s farm developed an interest in animal agriculture. As a result, he studied and completed a degree in Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This background, lead to studying Veterinary Medicine and receiving a degree from the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Prior to coming to McFarland he had practiced in Cresco, Iowa; Joliet, Illinois and LaCrosse, Wisconsin. In 1988 he purchased McFarland Animal Hospital from a classmate who had started the practice eight years earlier. More recently, Dr. Raasch has developed an interest in the relationships between animal and human health. In pursuit of this interest he studied and received a Master in Public Health degree from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health. As part of the public health program he completed an internship at the Milwaukee Health Department and made a trip to Africa to study public health in Uganda.

Dr. Raasch is married to Debbie who works as a nurse practitioner for UW Health. They have three adult children and one grandchild. Their household includes four dogs; all rescued from various circumstances through his work at MAH. Dr. Raasch is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association.

Cheryl lives with her husband Nick, and their two children Avery and Hattie. Their household also consists of 3 dogs (George, Max, and Homer), 3 cats (Millie, Callie, and Willard), and 2 goldfish (Shipwreck and Cannonball).

Cheryl loves to witness the bond between owners and their pets. One of her favorite parts of the job is building relationships with them. “It’s so great to see a client that I’ve known for years, to not only get to be privileged enough to care for their pets, but to get to know their families”.

Cheryl has a special interest in internal medicine and emergency and critical care. When she is not at work you will probably find her outdoors near the water. She loves to spend time traveling and relaxing with her family.

Alisha currently resides in Stoughton with her husband Lee and two daughters Kaydence and Adaline. Alisha and her family currently have one dog, seven cats, and a beta fish. In her free time Alisha enjoys spending time with her family, camping, and traveling.

Bio Coming Soon!

Sarah joined the McFarland Animal Hospital team in June of 2020. Before working here, Sarah volunteered at a farm animal sanctuary, helping rescued farm animals. This sparked her love for animal medicine. Sarah started working here through an internship at her high school. Since then, Sarah has come a long way and is now a veterinary assistant working right alongside our CVTs and veterinarians. Sarah loves building client relationships and especially loves working with our rescued dogs and cats!

Sarah graduated from high school in 2021 and will be attending UW-Madison in the fall! She will be majoring in environmental studies. Sarah hopes to be an advocate for animals, the environment, and those in need. Sarah’s greatest passion is helping people in any way she can.

Sarah rescued a cat named Little Grey surrendered to the clinic in 2021 and is absolutely loving being a first-time cat owner. She also had a Dutch rabbit named Charlie who lived for 11 years! She loves hiking, kayaking, and driving around Madison.

Outside of work, Jasmine loves to spend time outdoors hiking, fishing, boating, and enjoying time with her husband and family. When Jasmine isn’t enjoying the outdoors, you can find her snuggling with her dog Scout, and her 2 cats, Banjo & Thumper, while watching a good movie or T.V show. She also loves finding Pinterest projects to do during the Holidays!

Favorite food: Anything you can dip in ranch dressing! 🙂

She has two cats, Biff and Cola (Cola came with the name!) Both hate coming to the hospital so she understands where your feline friends are coming from.

Lynn has been a part of MAH team for many years. Although now retired, she continues to be the person behind the delicious (and beautiful) fresh baked dog treats that your pets enjoy during the visits. She bakes and decorates them here at the clinic.