BluePearl Pet Hospital
Monterey
Del Rey Oaks, CA
Our Vets

Dr. Michael Dearmin is board certified in small animal surgery.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-SA
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, University of Georgia, Athens
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Texas A&M, College Station
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
• Master of Arts, Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Bachelor of Arts, Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Dr. Dearmin is married with two boys. He has three dogs, two horses, five chickens and a cat. He enjoys spending time outdoors, visiting the beach, attending sporting events with his kids, playing games and relaxing at home with his family.

Dr. Michael Howland has a special interest in emergency and critical care medicine. His clinical interests also include gastrointestinal diseases (e.g., GDV, acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome), foreign body surgery, brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and other airway diseases, epidemiology, reproductive emergencies (e.g., dystocia, pyometra), and septicemia.

• Clinical Rotation, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA

Dr. Howland lives with his partner of ten years and their two dogs: a French bulldog and a mixed breed.

After earning his veterinary degree in India, Dr. Deepak Kumar relocated to the United States and earned his Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE®) certificate from Oklahoma State University. His interests in the field of small animal veterinary medicine include small animal surgery, internal medicine and ultrasound.

• Master of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Biochemistry, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, India
• Bachelor of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, India

Dr. Michael Lesser’s special interests include non-invasive techniques like echocardiography, color flow doppler ultrasound, electrocardiography, and blood pressure monitoring. He finds cases involving pacemaker implantation, balloon valvuloplasty, angiography, and transcatheter occlusion for patent ductus arteriosus particularly gratifying.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
• Residency, Cardiology, The Animal Medical Center, New York City, NY
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Animal Medical Center, New York City, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Medford, MA
• Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy of Science, State University of New York, Binghamton

In his free time, Dr. Lesser enjoys working on his family’s ranch which includes dogs, cats, donkeys, alpacas and tortoises.

Dr. Gregory Marsolais is an experienced, board-certified veterinary surgeon.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons–Small Animal
• Residency, Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Internship, Small Animal Rotating Medicine & Surgery, Affiliated Veterinary Specialists, Maitland FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Master of Science, Veterinary Clinical Science, Iowa State University, Ames
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo

In his spare time, Dr. Marsolais enjoys traveling, fishing and making his own fishing lures to catch marlin and tuna. If he hadn’t pursued veterinary medicine, he would have loved to become a deck hand on a fishing boat in Kona, Hawaii.

Dr. Stephanie Paclot’s wide-ranging experience treating multiple species gives her a broader approach to diagnosing and treating her patients. She practices medicine with an open mind and focus on her patients’ quality of life. Her special interests include toxicities, emergency surgery, and critical care for hospitalized patients.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Loomis Basin, CA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, University of Montreal, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris, France

Outside of work, Dr. Paclot enjoys hiking with her husband and Siberian husky, taking long walks on the beautiful beach, traveling the world and discovering new cultures, practicing yoga and ballroom dancing, sewing, cooking, and surfing.

Dr. Kathryn Paskoff is a resident in our surgery service. She is most interested in surgical oncology, wound management, cardiothoracic surgery, fracture management and minimally invasive procedures.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Tampa, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Pet Specialists of Monterey, CA
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Mission Vet Specialty & Emergency, San Antonio, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Advanced Veterinary Care, Fishers, IN
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Dr. Paskoff enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, Finnegan. Family favorite pastimes include beach walks, travel, hiking, gourmet dining and relaxing at home together.

Dr. Debra Rackear has been in practice in all aspects of internal medicine for over 36 years, including treating blood disorders, endocrine abnormalities and renal and hepatic dysfunctions. She finds it gratifying to work with clients to see the big picture of all the patient’s medical issues and how she can proceed treatment for that individual. Dr. Rackear believes every patient and client creates a unique situation that requires an individualized approach.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (SAIM)
• Residency, Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City, NY
• Bachelor of Science, University of Florida, Gainesville

Dr. Rackear spends her free time with her German shepherds and her husband. She enjoys singing, growing orchids, champagne tastings and photographing nature during her hikes.

As a veterinary critical care specialist and interventional radiology fellow, Dr. Jonathan Schaefer’s clinical interests include ultrasound, sepsis, shock resuscitation, emergency procedures, critical care anesthesia, mechanical ventilation and clinical teaching.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia
• Master of Science, Comparative Pathology, University of California, Davis
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Santa Barbara, CA

Dr. Schaefer’s hobbies include mountain biking, hiking/backpacking, reminiscing about playing rugby and attempting to find his ball on the golf course. He has one small chihuahua mix from the streets of Philly that is both a great dog and a terrible dog.

Dr. Heather Spain leads the radiology department at BluePearl Pet Hospital in Monterey. Her special interests include feline hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal disease, as well as exotics medicine.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Diagnostic Imaging, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
• Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience & Behavior, Columbia University, New York NY

Dr. Spain enjoys traveling, wine tasting, baking, playing racquetball and practicing hot yoga. She has an adopted cat named Bellevedere.

Dr. Bill Sullenberger thrives on the variability of emergency cases, including trauma, toxicities, soft tissue surgeries, and the management of acute and chronic illnesses. He has a special interest for avian and exotic animals.

Dr. Sullenberger is the son of an emergency veterinarian and husband to a veterinary rehabilitation therapist. He is a dedicated emergency clinician who helped open and build our BluePearl Pet Hospital in Monterey.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona CA
• Bachelor of Science, Evolution and Ecology Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Outside of work, Dr. Sullenberger is an avid board sports enthusiast. He spends his free time with his two children, two dogs, three cats, and bird.

Dr. Leslie Takesaka finds emergency cases the most gratifying to treat.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Friendship Hospital for Animals, Washington D.C.
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
• Bachelor of Science, Biopsychology, Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA

Dr. Takesaka enjoys hiking, cooking, reading and spending time with her family.

Dr. Jenny Tan finds emergency surgeries the most gratifying to practice.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital, Akron, OH
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists, Longmont, CO
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cell Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Dr. Tan enjoys rock climbing, tennis, reading and eating. She has a rabbit named Pancake.