BluePearl Pet Hospital
Brooklyn, NY

Dr. Jill Abraham has served on the Credentials Committee for the American College of Veterinary Dermatology for a number of years. She has a special interest in feline dermatology and immune-mediated skin diseases.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology
• Residency, Veterinary Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Red Bank NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Wesleyan University, Middletown CT

Dr. Abraham enjoys spending time with her friends and family and exploring New York city with her dog Norman. She loves watching movies but really prefers to be outdoors.

Dr. Arias is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. He has a degree in veterinary technology and has a keen interest in surgery. He has also volunteered with wildlife rescues and conservatories outside the U.S.

• Clinical Rotation, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts
• Bachelor of Science, Veterinary Technology, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY

Dr. Arias loves spending time with his daughter, also training for a healthier lifestyle, and giving belly rubs to his pitbull, Prince.

Dr. Aparna Arun is a small animal surgery intern. She finds it gratifying to see quick recoveries from surgical intervention, so two of her favorite procedures include trauma reconstruction and foreign body removals.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital, Manhattan NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia
• Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Bangalore, India

Dr. Arun loves exploring restaurants and fitness classes with her husband. She often makes watercolor paintings of places to which she’s travelled.

Dr. Joseph Campbell's clinical interests include immune-mediated disorders, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, liver and gall bladder diseases, and endoscopy.

• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, Philadelphia
• Internship, Internal Medicine and Oncology, VCA Veterinary Care Animal Hospital & Referral Center, Albuquerque NM
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Animal Referral & Emergency Center of AZ, Mesa
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Dr. Campbell loves traveling, exploring new cultures, finding new restaurants, hiking and reading. His cat's name is Obsidian, or Sid.

Dr. Ally Yi Chen likes treating trauma and sepsis cases, along with electrolyte and endocrine disorders. Abdominal and thoracic trauma ultrasounds are also a particular interest.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, California Veterinary Specialist, Murrieta
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Some of Dr. Chen’s favorite pastimes include swimming, climbing, baking, reading and going to shows or museums. She has a dog named Schmitty.

Dr. Nicole Cilli is a resident in our critical care service. Her particular interests include toxicity cases, hematology and chest tube procedures.

• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Tinton Falls NJ
• Clinical Rotation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Oakland University, Rochester MI

Dr. Cilli’s hobbies include yoga, wine tasting and attending art and culture events. She has a Chihuahua named Nermal.

Dr. Katherine Crook enjoys the challenge and puzzle of localizing a lesion. During her residency, she received extensive training in spinal and brain surgeries, and these procedures remain her particular favorites.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology)
• Residency, Neurology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh Internship, Neurology, VCA Shoreline Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, Shelton CT
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Darien Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, Norwalk CT
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville Bachelor of Science, Biology and German, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee TN

With a Swedish husband, Dr. Crook enjoys traveling across the Atlantic and speaking fluent German. An avid runner, she has trained for and completed many half marathons. The couple has a cat named Jesper Fredrick.

Dr. Philip Fico’s particular clinical interests include electrolyte derangements and treating sepsis and polytrauma cases.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group, Brooklyn NY
• Clinical Rotation, University of Georgia, Athens
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Fordham University, Bronx NY

Dr. Fico is an amateur illustrator and Muay Thai fighter. He and his wife have a cat named Ruby.

Dr. Jeffrey Ganus is especially interested in cardiac and respiratory emergencies; metabolic and endocrine diseases; and immune-mediated diseases such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia.

• Internship, Cardiology, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Tinton Falls NJ Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Animal Medical Center, Springfield MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, London, England
• Bachelor of Science, State University of New York, Albany

Dr. Ganus enjoys snowboarding, skiing, biking, tennis, hiking and hanging out in Central Park. Passionate about food and music, Dr. Ganus named his English bulldog, Monk, after the jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.

Skilled in all aspects of small animal surgery, Dr. Brian Grossbard’s particular interests include orthopedic, intervertebral disc, laparoscopic and oncologic surgeries, as well as wound repairs. He is also certified as a stem cell therapy provider.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Long Island Veterinary Specialists, Plainview NY
• Internship, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Long Island Veterinary Specialists, Plainview NY
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Long Island Veterinary Specialists, Plainview NY
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, University of Florida, Gainesville

A trained classical cellist who played in the symphony during college, Dr. Grossbard enjoys traveling with his dogs, exploring restaurants, biking and hiking.

Dr. Araujo is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. She finds it gratifying to work on cases with open wounds and infectious disease cases like parvovirus where she can help the animals heal well.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City
• Bachelor of Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City

Dr. Araujo has played the violin since she was three. She has traveled with orchestras in the U.S., Mexico and Europe. Her other hobbies include reading, watching movies and exploring new places. She has a cat and a dog.

• Internship, Diagnostic Imaging, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN
• Bachelor of Science, Commerce in Marketing and Biology, Santa Clara University, CA

Dr. Hvidtfeldt is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. Her clinical interest is with small animal surgery. She enjoys surgery because she likes working with her hands and this area of veterinary medicine allows her to directly visualize pathology. She finds the delicate surgical procedures intriguing and the immediate results of the work extremely satisfying.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Master of Science, Veterinary Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr. Hvidtfeldt is originally from Denmark. She now lives in New York with her husband and a senior rescue dog. Her hobbies include traveling, cultural experiences and foreign cuisine. (She has visited more than 40 countries!)

Dr. Valentin Janvier particularly enjoys advanced cross-sectional imaging, especially neuro-imaging.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Radiology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Internship, Equine Medicine & Surgery, University of Montréal, Canada
• Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium
• Bachelor of Veterinary Science, University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Dr. Janvier loves sports, traveling and good food. He has a talkative Siamese mixed breed cat who has lived with him in four different countries.

Dr. Patricia Joyce enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Internship, The Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Bachelor of Arts, Washington University, St. Louis MO

Dr. Joyce volunteers for animal rescue organizations and veterinary relief organizations during natural and man-made disasters. She lived in Tokyo, Japan, for several years and speaks fluent Japanese.

Dr. Jennie Kim is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. Her particular interests include neurologic and endocrine diseases.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego

Dr. Kim’s favorite pastimes include running, working out and cooking Korean food. She has a yorkie who loves going to the park and beach.

Dr. Melissa King-Smith enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens

Dr. King-Smith enjoys exploring New York City with her husband and dog Quilla, a Newfoundland. The family also includes two brother cats, Merry and Pippin.

Dr. Amanda LaPorte enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Oradell Animal Hospital, Paramus NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus

Dr. LaPorte spends time with friends, traveling, trying new restaurants, and relaxing with Joe, her coonhound.

Skilled in soft tissue, orthopedic and neurosurgery, Dr. Marcos Llavona is excited about the advancements and continued use of minimally invasive surgery techniques.

• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, MedVet Medical & Cancer Center for Pets, Cincinnati/Worthington OH
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Veterinary Specialty Center of Buffalo Grove, IL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson, AZ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Bachelor of Science, General Science, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

A fitness enthusiast, Dr. Llavona enjoys running, hiking, and playing tennis, basketball and golf.

Dr. Michaël Lora-Michiels previously worked as a family veterinarian in Bogota, Colombia. He enjoys all aspects of diagnostic imaging.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Radiology, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Master of Science, Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham NC
• Research Associate, Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Hyperthermia Clinical Trial, Duke University, Durham NC
• Fellowship, Radiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad of La Salle, Bogota, Colombia

Dr. Rebecca Meltzer is a doctor in our emergency service. She particularly enjoys treating feline obstructions.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN
• Bachelor of Arts, Medicine, Health and Society, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Dr. Meltzer loves eating out and trying new or exotic dishes. She also likes hiking and spending time outdoors, but her favorite pastime is snuggling on the couch with her cat Charlie. She also has a Russian tortoise, Sputnik.

Dr. Ozog has a broad range of experiences and veterinary interests. Throughout veterinary school, she pursued additional training in surgery, dentistry, and shelter medicine. Her clinical interests include internal medicine, general surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry, and pain management.

Dr. Ozog enjoys exploring New York City and its diverse cuisine. She shares her home with a rambunctious adult female Jack Russell terrier and senior female domestic shorthair cat.

Dr. Pettinari is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. He is interested in abdominal ultrasonography and all types of MRIs. He also enjoys teaching.

• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, University of Glasgow, Scotland
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA

Dr. Pettinari has a 12-year-old chinchilla named Marshmallow and a 5-year-old Staffie mix named Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law. He enjoys playing and watching football, martial arts, baking fudge, knitting and gardening.

Dr. Pooja Rathore enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, DePauw University, Greencastle IN

Dr. Pooja Rathore has volunteered on Native American reservations in Arizona and New Mexico; worked with thoroughbred racehorses in India; and worked in Sri Lanka with the Millennium Elephant Foundation. She is passionate about dancing and enjoys horseback riding.

Dr. Meghan Respess is skilled in all aspects of critical care medicine to include mechanical ventilation, echocardiography, critical patient anesthesia, emergency soft tissue surgery, endoscopic foreign body removal and continuous renal replacement therapy. Her particular clinical interests are polytrauma, critical anesthesia, neuro-critical care and shock patients.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Greensboro College, NC

Dr. Respess likes to be outdoors, especially rock climbing, fishing and camping. She and her wife have a house full of pets: Asha, a spaniel mix; Safi, a rat terrier; Dexter, a dachshund mix; and two Siamese cat mixes, Koa and Osiris.

As an emergency clinician, Dr. Sarah Schiff’s particular interests include unblocking cats with urethral obstructions and performing laceration repairs. She also enjoys soft tissue surgery and oncology cases.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Norwalk and Shoreline, CT
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Bachelor of Arts, Biochemistry, Smith College, Northampton MA

Some of Dr. Schiff’s favorite pastimes include travel, playing volleyball and cake decorating. She has a yellow lab named Evvie.

Dr. Schreffler is a small animal and surgery intern. She is interested in internal medicine, emergency medicine, and critical care. She is passionate about addressing the specific needs of senior pets and their families. She is also Fear-Free Certified so that she can provide care in a compassionate and low-stress manner.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Dr. Schreffler enjoys live music, exploring the city, and learning new songs on the guitar, ukulele, and banjo. She has a rescue guinea pig named John.

Dr. Stephanie Silberstang's special interests include wound management, respiratory diseases and critical care.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Carolina Veterinary Specialists, Charlotte NC
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Dr. Silberstang enjoys rock climbing/bouldering, walking her dogs, traveling abroad, listening to live music and Asian food. A pitbull lover, Dr. Silberstang has two pit bull-Catahoula mixes named Tembo and Laika and a cockatiel named Doobie.

Dr. Gretchen Singletary is particularly interested in novel treatments for heart failure.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
• Residency, Cardiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Internship, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens
• Bachelor of Arts, Emory University, Atlanta GA

Dr. Singletary enjoys traveling, photography and music.

Dr. Smith is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. Her clinical interests include endocrine disease, kidney disease, ophthalmology, and all things exotic/zoo/aquatic animal medicine. She also started an Asian elephant microbiome research project between UC Davis SVM and the University of Peradeniya Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
• Master of Science, Biology, Stanford University, CA
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Stanford University, CA

Dr. Smith’s hobbies include playing volleyball, photography, dancing, and traveling to new countries.

Dr. Laura Stock's particular clinical interests include intoxications and endocrine diseases.

• Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Canine & Feline Practice)
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Bioresource Research & Animal Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis

Dr. Stock enjoys time with her husband running, biking, hiking and eating her way through NYC. They share their home with a ridgeless Rhodesian ridgeback and two cats.

Dr. Miranda Urielle is a doctor on our emergency medicine team. Her particular interests include endocrine diseases, auto-immune diseases and trauma.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Bachelor of Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Rochester, NY
• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Rochester, NY

Dr. Urielle’s favorite pastimes include travel, reading and playing piano. She has a shih tzu named Lily and a cat named Lionel.

Dr. Weissman is a small animal and surgery intern. He is especially interested in the integration of medical, radiation, and surgical oncology to achieve the best clinical outcome for his patients. He also co-authored the first report of the successful treatment of squamous cell neoplasia in a pot-bellied pig.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

When Dr. Weissman is not at the hospital, he enjoys hiking, cooking, finding new restaurants, and traveling. He has a cat named Rosita, who’s moving with him from Missouri to New York.

In addition to being an emergency clinician, Dr. David Wohlstadter is a certified canine rehabilitation therapist. This therapy has been shown to improve dogs’ mobility and strength, particularly for geriatric dogs suffering from arthritic conditions and other musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions. Rehab is also particularly helpful after surgery for all ages to help dogs regain muscle mass and coordination.

• Certification in Canine Rehabilitation, Canine Rehabilitation Institute , Wellington FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia Bachelor of Science, St Louis University, MO
• Bachelor of Arts, St Louis University, MO

Dr. Wohlstadter is married to a veterinarian and enjoys spending time with his large family, which includes many people, many dogs and many cats.

Dr. Adam Yoskowitz sees diagnostic imaging as puzzle solving, communication, case discussion, collaboration and complex imaging technology. He particularly enjoys diagnostic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Delaware, Newark

Dr. Yoskowitz shares his time away from work with Tooey, his calico domestic medium-haired cat.

Dr. Sarah Zelinski volunteered with Veterinarians Without Borders on their Goat Pass-On project in Uganda where she taught single mothers and widows how to raise goats to help them support their families.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

Dr. Zelinski enjoys camping, hiking and yoga, and on free evenings, she can be found at a local concert or sampling craft beer at a neighborhood pub. Monty is her French bulldog.

Melissa is a certified RECOVER CPR instructor in both basic and advanced life support. She also finds transfusion medicine gratifying because the treatment often results in patients feeling better quickly. She and her husband have a son and three cats. They enjoy watching British television, wandering the city and going to the theater.

Melanie finds satisfaction in caring for pets and their families, and the connections that make animals more family members than pets. She loves teaching and has an enthusiasm for trauma cases and advanced catheter placement. Melanie loves time with her wife, three dogs and two Siamese cats, and enjoys the great outdoors.