BluePearl Pet Hospital
Kirkland, WA
Our Vets

Dr. Holly Ahlgrim’s clinical interests include case triage, interventional radiology, stabilization and management, and diagnostic imaging in the emergency setting. She also enjoys interacting with and educating clients and interns.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Willamette Valley Equine, Aurora, OR
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Washington State University, Pullman
• Associate of Arts, Clark Community College, Vancouver, WA

Dr. Jamie K. Barnhill is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include emergency surgeries, mass removals and biopsies, wound management and chronic illness management.

• Clinical Rotation, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis

In her free time, Dr. Barnhill enjoys group fitness classes, spending time with friends at breweries, walking river trails with her dog and binge-watching a good show.

Dr. Katherine Bibi enjoys all aspects of neurology and neurosurgery. From a clinical perspective, she is passionate about spinal surgery because of the difference it can make in the daily lives of her patients and their families. From an academic perspective, she values the process of neurolocalization and predicting how clinical observations correlate to imaging and surgical findings.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology)
• Residency, Neurology & Neurosurgery, University of Georgia, Athens
• Fellowship, Comparative Neurology, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Trinity College, Hartford, CT

Dr. Bibi is a trained dancer, and she continues to take classes and develop choreography. She also enjoys barre, yoga, traveling and staying active outdoors.

Dr. Kelly Blackstock’s special interests are ventilation and coagulation medicine, specifically fibrinolysis associated with trauma.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency and Critical Care, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Intern, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Master of Science, Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Bachelor of Science, Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson

Dr. Blackstock’s favorite pastimes include triathlons, rock climbing, learning the cello, and being lazy on the beach. She has two dogs: Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix Gideon, and Shiba Inu Bruce.

Dr. Maria Brandifino is especially interested in transfusion medicine, treating trauma, resuscitation and coagulation.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston, MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston, MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Villanova University, Pennsylvania

Dr. Brandifino enjoys cooking, watching all kinds of sports, spending time outdoors, hiking and traveling with her boyfriend and their boxer mix, Atticus.

Publications & Articles

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Kirkland, WA
• Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Glasgow, Scotland
• Bachelor of Arts, English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

Dr. Bryan enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. She has a black cat named Ninja and a white cat named Scout.

Dr. Jenna Cao is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in medical oncology and clinical research.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Doctor of Philosophy, Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Bachelor of Science, Physiology, University of Washington, Seattle

Dr. Cao enjoys cuddling up with her husky mix and black cat while playing cozy video games and watching anime.

Publications and articles

Dr. Alaina Carr’s particular clinical interests include diagnosing patients with hepatobiliary and urinary tract disorders, such as portosystemic shunts and feline ureterolithiasis. She also enjoys collaborating with her colleagues on complex critical and emergency cases.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Diagnostic Imaging, University of California, Davis
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona, Mesa
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Dr. Carr is married and has two dogs. She enjoys landscape photography and riding competitive upper level dressage.

Dr. Aidan Chambers is particularly interested in laparoscopy, surgical oncology, fractures and angular limb deformities.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons (Small Animal)
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Internship, Surgical Oncology, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Carolina Veterinary Specialists, Charlotte, NC
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Wellesley College, MA

Dr. Chambers enjoys spending time with her husband and their pets: A cat named Captain Meatball and a golden retriever named Lord Oliebollen. Her hobbies include baking, hiking, skiing and letting the dog dictate weekend activities.

Publications and articles

Dr. Choy’s professional interests include lymphoma, transitional cell carcinoma, localized tumor treatment with electrochemotherapy and translational cancer research through cooperative clinical trials and research projects with both local and national institutions including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to improve patient care in both animals and their owners. He has co-authored studies and book chapters in feline lymphoma and mammary tumors.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)
• Master of Science, Veterinary Science, Washington State University, Pullman
• Residency, Small Animal Medical Oncology, Washington State University, Pullman
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Oregon State University, Corvallis
• Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honors), University of Melbourne, Australia
• Bachelor of Science (Honors), Animal Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Married with two children, Dr. Choy’s favorite pastimes include nature and wildlife photography, RV and international travel, vegetable gardening, cooking, tennis and cycling. The family has three cats, Kiwi, Smokey and Bobo, as well as a large assortment of fish, shrimp, snails and aquatic life in their aquariums.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Nicholas Crawfis’ professional interests include pain management, feline medicine, sepsis and polytrauma.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Akron, OH

Dr. Crawfis loves reading, cooking, hiking, gardening, traveling and spending time with his partner and their two cats.

Dr. Mark Engen has been a practicing surgeon for many years and owned his own surgery practice for almost forty years. Skilled in all aspects of surgery, his particular interests include orthopedics, sports medicine, total hip replacement, regenerative medicine and minimally invasive surgery.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Residency, Surgery, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Rowley Memorial Animal Hospital, MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• Bachelor, University of Minnesota, St. Paul

Dr. Engen enjoys outdoor activities, especially fishing and skiing. He is married with two adult children. The family pets include a German short-haired pointed, Shiba Inu and two ragdoll cats.

Dr. Meghan Feeney is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include emergency and critical care, immune-mediated diseases, laceration repair and trauma cases.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman
• Bachelor of Science, Biology-Physiology, University of Florida, Gainesville

In her free time, Dr. Feeney enjoys reading, rock climbing, working out and baking cookies. She has a tuxedo cat named Alfred, after the butler from Batman.

Dr. Hall is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is interested in specializing in dentistry and oral surgery and has a clinical interest in internal medicine, emergency medicine and wildlife conservation.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

In her free time, you can find Dr. Hall baking, traveling, attending concerts, enjoying reality television and learning to play guitar. She enjoys in-home entertainment from two rambunctious cats, Howl (aka Howie) and Aoife.

Dr. Alice Huang taught students and conducted research in hematology as a visiting assistant professor of small animal internal medicine at Purdue University. Her special interests include platelet disorders, immune-mediated disorders and endocrine disorders. She enjoys using minimally invasive techniques to diagnose disease, especially arthrocentesis, cystoscopy and bronchoscopy.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Master of Science, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Internship, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Animal Specialty Group, Los Angeles, CA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Garden State Veterinary Specialists, Tinton Falls, NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Biology and Anthropology-Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Dr. Huang loves throwing pottery (on a potter’s wheel, of course.) Other favorite pastimes include cooking, being outdoors and spending time with her husband. Clementine Pennyfeather is the family’s Siamese mix who experienced head trauma prior to adoption and now has a left leg that doesn’t quite do what she wants it to.

Dr. Frances Hurrell enjoys all types of procedures, especially arthrocentesis and endoscopy. Her favorite conditions to treat include immune disease, gastrointestinal disease (including esophageal disorders), and renal disease (especially acute renal failure management).

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Small Animal internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Massey University, New Zealand

Originally from New Zealand, Dr. Hurrell loves traveling back to visit, and to other places around the world. She also enjoys reading, watching movies, playing tennis and snow skiing.

Dr. Brooke Johnson’s clinical interests include neurology, emergency medicine, wildlife rehabilitation, ultrasound and minimally invasive imaging and surgical techniques.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Kirkland, WA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, AR

Dr. Johnson enjoys backpacking, reading and traveling. She and her fiancé (who is also a small animal vet) share two dogs named Clover and Maverick. Eventually, Dr. Johnson hopes to have a hobby farm and a large garden.

Dr. Kento Kameyama is particularly interested in respiratory cases and finds great satisfaction in sending patients home safely after they’ve recovered.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Animal Specialty Group, San Diego, CA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of California, Irvine

Dr. Kameyama has two pets: Koda, a German shepherd/Bernese mountain dog mix, and Jack, a domestic shorthair cat. His hobbies include hiking into mountains (which he doesn’t recommend), cycling (he can’t decide between road or gravel), finding new musical artists to enjoy, downing iced coffee, and day napping with his pets.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Master of Science, Public Health, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Bachelor of Arts, George Washington University, Washington, DC

Dr. Peter Laminette is a resident in our surgery service. His clinical interests include emergency and trauma surgeries, total hip replacements and surgical oncology.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Kirkland, WA
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston, MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
• Mast of Science, Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA

In his free time, Dr. Laminette enjoys traveling, playing soccer and guitar, hiking and skiing.

Dr. Kierstyn Payne’s professional interests include emergency surgery, sepsis and endocrine emergencies.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center, Waukesha
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Dr. Payne enjoys spending her free time traveling, reading and cooking/baking. Originally from Wisconsin, she enjoys watching football and cheering on the Green Bay Packers. Dr. Payne has two pets – a sassy, long-haired calico cat and a German shorthaired pointer.

• Residency, Radiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Internship, Radiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, CO
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Master of Science, Cellular & Systems Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego
• Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, Seattle University, WA

Dr. Nisha Sidhu is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She has a strong interest in surgery and radiology, with the intention of completing surgical residency. Her clinical areas of focus include minimally invasive procedures (arthroscopy, laparoscopy, etc.) and soft tissue surgery.

Originally from sun-kissed Arizona, Dr. Sidhu embarked on an extraordinary journey to veterinary school in India. There, she spent six transformative years immersed in her Sikh heritage and vibrant culture while working with an incredible array of exotic animals, like elephants, cheetahs and monkeys. She’s thrilled to bring her global perspective and passion for animal care to the Pacific Northwest – a dream destination she’s always longed to call home.

• Bachelor of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

In her free time, Dr. Sidhu enjoys practicing yoga, getting lost in the pages of a romantic fantasy book and exploring the great outdoors. Summer 2025 will include the introduction of two Bengal kittens to her life!

Dr. Danielle Sigua is a resident in our surgery service. She is particularly interested in critical care surgery, soft tissue surgery, and minimally invasive procedures.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Kirkland, WA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Ironhorse VetCare Emergency & Specialty Center, Dublin, CA
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, University of Glasgow, Scotland
• Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley
• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Sigua enjoys traveling, hiking, dancing and musical theater.

Dr. Kent Vince joined our team after spending 12 years of service as a Veterinary Corps Officer in the United States Army. His clinical interests include orthopedic surgery and treating traumatic injuries in dogs. He has presented at numerous national and international veterinary meetings and won research awards from both the Veterinary Orthopedic Society and American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons (Small Animal)
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Master of Specialized Veterinary Medicine, Small Animal Surgery, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Internship, Equine Ambulatory Medicine, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington KY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing

An avid world traveler, food lover, mountain biker and skier, Dr. Vince enjoys time with his wife, daughter and three dogs. The family enjoys the Pacific Northwest and all of the cultural and outdoor activities it has to offer.