BluePearl Pet Hospital
North Seattle, WA

Dr. Laura Ahlgrim loves emergency and critical care medicine and is especially interested in anesthesia.

Dr. Ahlgrim lives with her two cats, Pizza and Yeti, and a brindle pit bull named Ginger. She enjoys hiking, backpacking and yoga, and volunteers with the Seattle Youth Garden Works.

Dr. Heather Ashcraft was drawn to cancer treatment and radiation therapy because of the diversity of treatment options. She particularly enjoys treating brain and nasal tumors and is trained in half-body irradiation as a treatment option for canine lymphoma.

Dr. Ashcraft has a variety of favorite pastimes, including rock climbing, hiking, swimming, running, biking, painting, journaling, arts and crafts, and sometimes just sitting down to a good book with a warm drink. She has two cats, an orange tabby and a grey tabby, who are good travel buddies.

Dr. Melissa Chow particularly enjoys treating ophthalmology cases.

Dr. Chow’s furry family members include a dog and two cats.

Dr. Fiddler is an experienced clinician and started his veterinary journey as a volunteer doing wildlife rehabilitation. In veterinary school, he worked at a busy 24-hour specialty and emergency hospital, fell in love with emergency medicine, and was even featured in several episodes of the Animal Planet television show “Emergency Vets.”

In their spare time, Dr. Fiddler and his wife lead ski mountaineering trips to Iran and mountaineer, ski and run all over the world while also volunteering their skills (veterinarian and epidemiologist).

Dr. Danielle Hagen has extensive experience in internal medicine. She enjoys problem-solving complex cases and building collaborative relationships with her clients and their pets.

In her spare time, Dr. Hagen enjoys traveling, reading, running, hiking, live music and trying new restaurants. She shares her home with her partner (a veterinary pathologist) and their cats.

Dr. Claire Johnston’s particular clinical interests include endoscopic procedures and treating endocrine, gastrointestinal and airway disorders.

An outdoor enthusiast, Dr. Johnston likes hiking, paddle boarding and climbing. She has two cats, Tortellini and Alfredo.

Dr. Amanda Karch particularly enjoys treating surgical emergencies, sepsis and immune-mediated diseases.

Dr. Karch has three rescue dogs and enjoys hiking, mountaineering and rock climbing, along with crafting.

Experienced in both general practice and emergency medicine, Dr. Misty McNeil's clinical interests include surgical emergencies, metabolic disturbances and ocular diseases.

Dr. McNeil enjoys hiking, camping, rock climbing and taking road trips with her husband, baby and three furry children: border collie Blaze, Cairn terrier mix Axel, and Shrimp, a very sassy cat.

Dr. Nidhi Menon has worked on poultry, dairy and sheep farms in India and Scotland, and in general and emergency practices in the U.S. She particularly enjoys surgical procedures and treating trauma, diabetic ketoacidosis, and Addisonian crisis.

Dr. Menon's favorite pastimes include hiking, diving, reading fiction and finding new music to listen to. She also admits to spending time worrying about whether or not her adopted dog Asha, a rescued Plott hound mix, has a good life.

Dr. Duane Robinson was an assistant professor at both the University of California, Davis and Louisiana State University. His research focus has been on complications associated with veterinary orthopedic implant infections and implant properties to reduce infection. His focus within the surgery specialty is orthopedic procedures, and he is especially interested in new methods and instruments that allow for a less invasive approach to treating fractures. Soft tissue procedures he enjoys include intestinal foreign bodies, gastric dilatation with volvulus and splenectomies.

Dr. Robinson’s hobbies include travel, trying new foods and restaurants, and beer/wine tastings. His pets include lab mix Elsa, yellow lab Gryphon, and Trakehner horse Ebony.

Interested in oncologic research, Dr. Katherine Robinson likes the challenge of a comparative medicine approach, allowing for cutting edge research to be translated into novel treatments for both people and animals; she earned an award in the field during her residency. One thing on the horizon that excites Dr. Robinson is the development of immunotherapies for use in conjunction with conventional treatment options.

Dr. Robinson enjoys basketball, golf, kayaking, hiking and cycling. She also likes to travel and go to movies and concerts. Boots is her tuxedo cat and Sampson her Norwegian forest cat.

Dr. Laura Smith Lee was a high school teacher for two years before entering the veterinary field. She particularly enjoys surgery and pain management.

Dr. Lee enjoys a variety of outdoor activities and spending time with her husband. Their furry family members include a pit bull mix named Senta, and a cat named Tinton.

Dr. Waldrop’s interests are varied and include hypoadrenal disorders, pediatrics, and metabolic emergencies. She enjoys teaching and lectures at national conferences.

Dr. Waldrop’s household includes her husband, two children, rescued terrier/cattle dog mix Leo, two guinea pigs, and senior cat Moe. She is an avid sports fan and runner and enjoys outdoor adventures.

Dr. Wassink enjoys the daily challenges of emergency medicine and has a special interest in pain management.

Dr. Akiko Westerhout’s special areas of interest within emergency medicine include cardiology and internal medicine.