BluePearl Pet Hospital Duluth, MN Our Vets

Dr. Jeffrey Banwart has a particular interest in emergency surgical procedures and treating complex medical cases that require frequent re-evaluation and assessment, such as diabetic ketoacidosis.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Wartburg College, Waverly IA

Dr. Banwart loves the outdoors and enjoys activities like downhill skiing, landscaping, fishing and hiking. He and his wife are empty nesters.

After growing up on a cattle and horse ranch, Dr. Louise Beyea decided to combine her love of science, animals and interacting with people into a career. As a veterinarian, she’s worked in many different roles: mixed animal practice, relief veterinarian, owner of a small animal/small ruminant practice, associate in a large multi-doctor small animal practice, and of course, in emergency medicine. She enjoys trauma and other challenging surgical cases, where she says she gets to fix broken things.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames

In her spare time, Dr. Beyea and her dog volunteer at an elementary school helping children learn to read. Some of her favorite pastimes include quilting, gardening, reading nonfiction and silent sports, like cross country skiing, paddle boarding, sea kayaking, hiking and inline skating. She has four pets: Shade, a standard poodle who loves to cuddle; Annie, a chocolate lab who loves to fetch; Slam, a Bengal cat who likes to play in water; and Spottie, a hedgehog who runs on her wheel and poops a lot.

Dr. Melissa Frank loves surgery and managing complex cases that require frequent monitoring and adjustment of therapy.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science & Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Married with three daughters, Dr. Frank enjoys spending time outside, hiking, camping and gardening. She also likes photography and reading. The family pets are on the smaller side – two parakeets, a betta fish and a snail.

Dr. Jonathan Hart finds trauma cases, endocrine emergencies and toxicity cases particularly rewarding.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Dr. Hart loves all things outdoor: back country hiking, winter camping in the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, paddling and four-wheeling with his family.

Dr. Laura Kiehnbaum has worked in both mixed and small animal practices and as a shelter veterinarian.

• Master of Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul

Dr. Kiehnbaum volunteers her veterinary services with Leech Lake Legacy, a nonprofit organization that provides veterinary care to pets on an Indian reservation.

Dr. Katherine Peterson is particularly interested in toxicology, emergency stabilization and post-operative care.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Internship, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Internship, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, Animal Emergency Center, Glendale, WI
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Dr. Peterson enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, along with their many pets, including a dog, cats and chickens.

A love of learning and the wide-ranging cases drives Anastasia, with a passion for trauma and shock cases and stabilizing critical patients. For many years she has been a DJ for a local folk music radio show, and enjoys bird-watching, photography and camping. Anastasia has a son and daughter and two grandsons, as well as her cat Katrina and Staffordshire terrier mix Amelia.

Helping families and the unpredictable nature of emergency medicine excites Elizabeth, who expresses a particular love for C-sections and helping to bring new life into the world. She volunteers in surgery with the Animal Allies Humane Society and enjoys painting and hiking. Elizabeth loves time with her significant other and son, and her mastiff/lab/Rottweiler mix, Gemma Bean.

Emily strives to give pets and their families the best care possible to ease a stressful, and usually unexpected, situation, and one of her favorite things to do is pull porcupine quills. She likes hiking, fishing and snowboarding. Her pets include two cats, Chewy and Markeeta, and dog Tree.