BluePearl Pet Hospital
Clearwater, FL
Our Vets

Dr. Cristina Aponte is an internal medicine resident. She finds gastrointestinal and renal conditions the most gratifying to treat.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan

Dr. Aponte enjoys yoga and wine tasting. She has two perfect Yorkies, Lana and Mateo.

Dr. Terri Baldwin finds restoring vision through cataract removal surgery particularly rewarding. She also enjoys repairing eye injuries to save an eye, and diagnosing systemic disease by evaluating the eyes and helping to save an animal’s life.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
• Master of Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Residency, Comparative Ophthalmology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Dr. Baldwin and her husband have two children, one of whom has autism, so she stays active as an autism advocate. She enjoys playing in the hand bell choir at her church, swimming, needlepoint and playing Sudoku. The family has four dogs and five cats.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Bachelor of Science, Entrepreneurship, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC

Dr. Helga Bleyaert has extensive experience and specialized training in minimally invasive surgical procedures such as arthroscopy and laparoscopy. She also has completed specialized training in total hip replacement, TPLO procedure for ACL tears, as well as numerous other orthopedic and soft tissue procedures.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Residency, Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Marion DuPont Equine Center, Leesburg, VA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Dr. Bleyaert enjoys horseback riding, boating and woodworking in her garage.

A dedicated emergency clinician, Dr. Casey Braginton’s interests include urethral obstruction, diabetic ketoacidosis and toxicities. He has also worked with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA SouthPaws, Fairfax, VA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

When not working, Dr. Braginton enjoys reading, visiting breweries and board games. He has two cats, Frodo and Dart, and a pit bull mix named Roo.

Dr. Kylee Bush is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She is most interested in soft tissue cases, specifically lacerations, foreign body, gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), orthopedics, specifically fracture stabilization, and cardiology. Dr. Bush is certified in basic and advanced life support through the Recover initiative.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Master of Science, Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville

Dr. Bush enjoys running to help de-stress after a long day or catching up on the latest documentary series on Netflix with her couch potato dog, Murphy.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville

Passionate about going to the gym, Dr. Cacciatore also enjoys outdoor activities with her dog, Jack, like hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.

Dr. Denaé Campanale’s clinical interests include orthopedic and musculoskeletal disease, congenital and developmental abnormalities, emergency and trauma imaging, and exotic/zoo species.

• Residency, Diagnostic Imaging, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Internship, Diagnostic Imaging, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Master of Public Health, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Arts, English Literature, German, University of Central Florida, Orlando

Dr. Campanale enjoys all outdoor activities (snowboarding, surfing, rollerblading), the beach, working out and watching movies with her husband. They have three dogs: Leia, Brody and Junebug, and two cats: Whiskey and Mimosa.

Dr. Melissa Chow is an intern in our ophthalmology service.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, East Bay Veterinary Specialists & Emergency, Walnut Creek, CA
• Clinical Rotation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Dr. Chow’s family includes one dog and two cats.

Dr. Ashley Cubb is a resident in our ophthalmology service. She is most interested in diagnosing and treating corneal disease through medical and surgical modalities.

• Internship, Ophthalmology, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station

Dr. Cubb enjoys spending time near the ocean, paddle boarding, baking and traveling. She has several pets, including a chihuahua name Louie, a dachshund named Olive, two guinea pigs and a hedgehog.

Dr. Trysta Dionne’s clinical interests include endocrine disorders, renal disease and gastrointestinal diseases.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station

Dr. Dionne enjoys working out and going to the beach. She has a dog named Benson.

Dr. Dugger enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Master of Science, University of New Hampshire, Durham
• Bachelor of Arts, Graceland University, Lamoni, IA

Dr. Dugger’s hobbies include spending time with her pugs, sailing and photography.

Dr. Emily Erdman is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include exotics, medical oncology and small animal medicine.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville

In her free time, Dr. Erdman enjoys playing video and tabletop games, reading, all things Star Wars, and spending time with her boyfriend, their two cats (Rit and Gandalf), and ball python (Nagini).

Publications and articles

Prior to veterinary school, Dr. Mia Felix developed a passion for emergency and specialty medicine while working as a veterinary technician. Dr. Felix finds acute trauma and stabilization, cardiopulmonary emergencies, and endocrine disorders particularly gratifying to treat. She also has strong clinical interests in soft tissue surgery, diagnostic imaging and exotic animal medicine.

Dr. Felix is RECOVER certified in Basic and Advanced Life Support and Fear-free certified for small animals.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Albright College, Reading, PA

Dr. Felix loves spending time with family and friends by the beach, running, salsa dancing, and trying new restaurants. She has a dog named Levi Mason, a Havanese mix, and a bearded dragon named Leonardo.

Throughout her academic career, Dr. Felix has contributed to many different research studies and plans to continue research efforts in the future.

Publications and articles

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island, West Islip, NY
• Clinical Rotation, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.

Dr. Merrick Fultz is particularly interested in treating active congestive heart failure. Prior to veterinary medicine, he worked in the comparative medicine department at Johns Hopkins University.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
• Residency, Cardiology, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Cardiology, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville
• Master of Arts, Literature, College of Charleston, SC
• Bachelor of Arts, English and Economics, Elon University, NC

Dr. Fultz enjoys golf, tennis, assorted outdoor activities and any kind of international sporting event. He has two dogs.

Dr. Dane Gallagher is particularly interested in wound management, toxin ingestion, cardiac and respiratory conditions and other emergencies.

• Clinical Rotation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Master of Science, Laboratory Animal Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
• Bachelor of Arts, English Literature, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Gallagher is originally from Pennsylvania (and is an Eagles fan!) and moved to Florida with his partner after finishing veterinary school. In his spare time, he likes getting outside for hikes, fishing, kayaking and spending time at the beach. He also enjoys exploring the Tampa area and eating at new restaurants.

Dr. Sarah Gronsky is most interested in raptor medicine and looking into the effects of Simbadol in rabbits.

• Residency, Avian & Exotics, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL
• Internship, Avian & Exotics, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Animal Behavior, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

Dr. Gronsky enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, Goose, and reading a good book on the beach.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Kristin Habegger has a background in working with wildlife and in zoological institutions and enjoys bringing her knowledge of exotic animal medicine into clinical practice. She finds triaging and managing trauma and metabolic derangement cases the most interesting to address.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN
• Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens

Dr. Kristin Habegger lives with her boyfriend and their two Australian shepherds, Khali and Arya. They all enjoy spending time outdoors together or staying in and watching movies.

Dr. Kelsey Human knew from the start of her veterinary career that she wanted to be a surgeon and finds it particularly gratifying. She has a strong interest in orthopedic and soft tissue procedures, postoperative pain management and physical rehabilitation.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, New York, NY
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, B BluePearl Pet Hospital, New York, NY
• Clinical Rotation, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. Matthews University, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Human enjoys activities with her husband, especially training at the gym, rollerblading, watching documentaries and movies. Her relaxation time includes gardening and sewing. The family has two Bengal cats, Bonsai and Koi, and a wonderful tripod cat named Bento.

Dr. Sierra Johnson is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include small animal medicine, exotics and radiology.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, AL

Dr. Johnson and her husband share two ferrets, Chives and Nutmeg, and a ball python named Cayenne. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, roller-skating and playing video games.

Dr. Curtis Kane enjoys all aspects of oncology.

• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, Boston, MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville

Dr. Kane enjoys spending time with his family, which includes four dogs. He is also a soccer fanatic.

Dr. Kelly Kezer’s clinical interests include lymphoma, osteosarcoma and histiocytic sarcoma, and she is excited about new treatment options, to include targeted and combination therapy and immunotherapy.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)
• Residency, Medical Oncology, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
• Bachelor of Arts, Economics, Haverford College, PA

Dr. Kezer enjoys traveling, cooking and hiking with her dogs – a golden retriever named Charlie and Eddie, a Labrador.

Dr. Kyle Kline is resident in our ophthalmology service. She is particularly interested in the diagnosis and treatment of corneal and retinal diseases.

• Internship, Ophthalmology, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Bachelor of Science, Molecular Environmental Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Kline is an avid runner and enjoys spending time near the ocean, kayaking, reading and live music. She has one cat named Summer.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Stephanie Lo is a resident in our ophthalmology service. She is most interested in corneal diseases, especially treating corneal ulcers with medical or surgical therapy.

• Internship, Ophthalmology, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. Lo enjoys visiting the beach, going to concerts, traveling, rock climbing, playing tennis, taking her dog to the park and cuddling her cat.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Alexandria LoPrinzi is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She finds trauma cases and autoimmune diseases, such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and diabetes presenting as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), the most gratifying to treat.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Asbury University, Wilmore, KY

Dr. LoPrinzi enjoys hiking, kayaking, playing sports, especially tennis, board games and watching movies. She is quite fond of her three family dogs, all of which are English setters.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Rachel Lucas is most interested in exotic and wildlife emergencies and gastrointestinal diseases.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, Marine Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville

Dr. Lucas enjoys spending time with her husband and their foster-failure feline, Aslan, and serving their church and the Tampa Bay community.

Dr. Kevin Lura finds blocked felines, toxin ingestion and all emergencies particularly gratifying to treat.

• Clinical Rotation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa

Dr. Lura is an avid scuba diver and visits the pistol or rifle range about once a month. In addition to his cat, he has several reef tanks and beehives.

Dr. Cassandra Mancari is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She finds helping animals in respiratory distress, treating feline urinary obstructions and repairing lacerations particularly gratifying.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC

Dr. Mancari and her fiancé have two cats who they enjoy spoiling to no end. She enjoys being outside (hiking, walking and beach trips), working out (Pilates and Yoga) and lazy mornings playing video games with her cats.

Dr. Krista May finds wound repair and management, cytology and treatment of cardiac diseases the most gratifying to perform. She prides herself on her compassion for her patients and empathy for their owners.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Sandy Springs, GA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA

Dr. May enjoys reading, scuba diving, playing video games and spending time with her Labradors, Marley and Gracie.

Dr. Morgan Murray is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include oncology, surgery and emergency medicine.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington

Originally from Hillsborough, N.C., Dr. Murray has two cats, Alfie and Banks, and loves to spend her free time traveling, kayaking and reading.

Dr. Amr Nada is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. His clinical interests include ultrasound, radiology interpretation and surgery.

Since earning his veterinary degree in Egypt, Dr. Nada relocated to the United States and earned his DVM through the AVMA.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates, American Veterinary Medical Association
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alexandria University, Egypt

Dr. Nada enjoys table tennis, swimming and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Elena Pfisterer is a resident in our surgery service. Dr. Pfisterer’s professional interests include complex fracture repair, angular limb deformities, total hip replacements, and thoracic surgery.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Carolina Veterinary Specialists, Charlotte, NC
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Nashville Veterinary Specialists, TN
• Clinical Rotation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies

Dr. Pfisterer has a fiancé who is also a veterinarian, and two cats at the head of the household: Fetty and Savannah.

Dr. Alejandra Príncipe Martínez particularly enjoys treating gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders.

• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Internal Medicine, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Clinical Rotation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Dr. Príncipe Martínez considers the water her happy place and enjoys the beach, scuba diving and snorkeling. She also likes to hike and play video games.

Dr. Kelsey Schaul is a resident in our surgery service. She finds fracture repairs and treating cranial cruciate ligament disease particularly gratifying.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Kirkland, WA
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Veterinary Specialty Center, Buffalo Grove, IL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Schaul enjoys hiking and camping (when it’s not too hot!) and getting out on the water for boating and swimming. She lives with her husky, Kira, and cat, Tippy.

Publications & Articles

• Clinical Rotation
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Exercise Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Florida International University, Miami

Dr. Mikaila Smith is a small animal medicine & surgery intern with a particular interest in soft tissue surgery, especially abdominal surgeries.

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

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Florida State University, Tallahassee

Dr. Spiker enjoys outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, biking, kayaking and paddleboarding. He also enjoys cultural arts and reading. 

Dr. Nicole Tomasso’s special interests include foreign body removal as well as treating diabetic ketoacidosis (especially in cats), soft tissue injuries and fractures.

• Clinical Rotation, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Dr. Tomasso enjoys walking outside on trails, playing tennis, eating sushi and visiting her family for Sunday dinners. She has two cats: one named Manny, who was adopted in St. Kitts during her time at veterinary school, and one named Dominik, who was adopted in Indiana during her clinical rotation.

Dr. Lilliana Walmsley is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in cardiology and ophthalmology.

• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Dr. Walmsley enjoys being outside in any capacity, especially hiking, swimming and paddle boarding. Once she settles in her new home, she is hoping to get a feline companion.