Conditions treated
Learn which conditions our emergency team can help diagnose and treat, so your pet gets the right care for their needs.
Success stories
Discover how other pets have overcome their diagnoses with specialized care, giving you hope for your pet’s recovery.
Call the hospital
Take the next step toward answers and getting the care your pet needs by connecting with our hospital team.
Pet emergencies can be scary – we’re here to help you handle them.
We understand that seeing your pet sick, hurt or in distress can be stressful – especially if you don’t know what’s wrong. Fortunately, our experienced ER clinicians are prepared to take action and help.
Acting quickly in an emergency may save your pet’s life.
If your pet is experiencing an emergency, you’ll have an entire veterinary team helping them so you can get back to what matters most – spending precious moments together.
Experience makes all the difference.
Our emergency team is made up of veterinarians, vet technicians and assistants, and support staff with rigorous training and experience in specialty medicine. The team works hand in hand to provide the comprehensive, compassionate care your pet needs and deserves. Because we’re a multidisciplinary hospital, the team can consult the expertise of other specialty departments, too.
Throughout his career, Dr. Josh Berenson has completed specialized training that fostered a strong passion for emergency medicine. His professional interests include emergency procedures, surgery, lameness and orthopedic examinations.
A Buffalo-area native, Dr. Berenson enjoys spending time with his dog, canine agility, snowboarding and hiking.
Practicing since 2018, Dr. Danelle Capobianco enjoys the fast pace of emergency medicine and has a strong interest in the management of critical cases, emergency and soft tissue surgery and teaching in the clinical setting.
Outside of the hospital, Dr. Capobianco enjoys traveling both for fun and volunteer work, having provided volunteer veterinary care mentored veterinary students in Nicaragua, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia and India. She has visited many other countries for adventure and even completed the trek to Everest Base Camp in 2023. At home you can find her hiking locally with her dog, hanging out with her cockatoo and always enjoying everything Buffalo has to offer.
Dr. Kaitlyn Nikirk’s clinical interests include emergency medicine and exotic animal care. She is Fear Free certified in avian, dog and cat medicine. Passionate about animal welfare and client education, Dr. Nikirk serves on the Legislative and Animal Welfare Committee for the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) and the Animal Welfare Committee for the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV). She currently chairs ARAV’s PR & Membership Committee.
In her free time, Dr. Nikirk enjoys playing board games, making pottery, gardening and walking to Bidwell Farmers Market with her dogs, Winne the Pooch and Lola.
Dr. Sarah Poltis’ professional interests include emergency medicine, exotics and business management.
During her time off, Dr. Poltis enjoys spending time camping, playing board games and photography. She has a dog named Dottie and two more that are shared with her family (Pickles and Jackson).
Dr. Carl Spielvogel has training in small animal, exotic and zoological medicine. His experience in emergency medicine, general practice and aquarium and zoo veterinary care has led to an enjoyment of managing complex medical cases with a thoughtful and practical approach.
Outside of the hospital, Dr. Spielvogel enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the outdoors through camping, fly fishing and hiking.
Dr. Ann-Marie Tierney finds great satisfaction in working in an emergency setting. Her professional interests include ophthalmology, anesthesia and pain management. She enjoys teaching and sharing medical knowledge with colleagues and clients alike.
Dr. Tierney enjoys hiking with her wife and dogs – Grayson and Enzo. She is passionate about traveling to new places, seeing new animals, gardening all kinds (flowering plants, vegetables and herbs) and anything outdoors like snow shoeing, skiing, canoeing and white-water rafting.
We know an unexpected trip to the emergency pet hospital can be stressful, and we want you to be prepared so you have one less thing to worry about. Our entire BluePearl team will be with you every step of the way.
During an emergency, every second counts. If your pet is experiencing an emergency, call us so we can talk you through their situation and be with you.
Our goal is always for your pet to have the best chance at a complete recovery so they can return home with you, happy and healthy.