BluePearl Pet Hospital
Queens
Forest Hills, NY
Our Vets

Dr. Peter Arena is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. His clinical interests include dermatology, diagnostic imaging and dermatopathology. 

• Clinical Rotation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies

Dr. Arena is a first-generation American as his father immigrated from Sicily, Italy. In his free time, he loves intramural sports (specifically football and volleyball), videogames (Pokémon) and hiking. He has an orange cat named Stromboli and a shih tzu named Layla. Fun fact about Dr. Arena: he collects sports jerseys and currently has over 120 jerseys across all sports. 

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA California Veterinary Specialists, Carlsbad
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Health Partners, Toronto, ON, Canada
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, ON, Canada
• Bachelor of Mathematics, University of Waterloo, ON, Canada

Dr. Philip Fico’s particular clinical interests include electrolyte derangements and treating sepsis and polytrauma cases.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group, Brooklyn NY
• Clinical Rotation, University of Georgia, Athens
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Fordham University, Bronx NY

Dr. Fico is an amateur illustrator and Muay Thai fighter. He and his wife have a cat named Ruby.

Dr. Grant Gilbert is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. His clinical interests include ophthalmology, endocrinology and exotic companion animals.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca

Dr. Gilbert is a born and raised New Yorker and has two mini Aussies that run his home. He’s a classically trained oboist and is obsessed with guinea pigs and capybaras.

Dr. Sahara Jafferally is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include soft tissue and orthopedic surgical procedures.

• Clinical Rotation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Dr. Jafferally is originally from Texas, was a figure skater and played the viola. She has two tuxedo cats named Annie and Winnie.

Dr. Valentin Janvier particularly enjoys advanced cross-sectional imaging, especially neuro-imaging.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Radiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Internship, Equine Medicine & Surgery, University of Montréal, Canada
• Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium
• Bachelor of Veterinary Science, University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Dr. Janvier loves sports, traveling, and good food. He has a talkative Siamese mixed breed cat who has lived with him in four different countries.

Dr. Amanda LaPorte enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Oradell Animal Hospital, Paramus NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus

Dr. LaPorte spends time with friends, traveling, trying new restaurants, and relaxing with Joe, her coonhound.

Dr. Mark Levy has been involved in veterinary surgery for almost 30 years. In that time, he has mentored many young doctors, worked with some amazing specialty doctors and technicians, and given many lectures on a variety of veterinary specialty surgeries. Dr. Levy is well-versed in many aspects of veterinary orthopedic and neurological surgeries, such as total hip replacement, cranial cruciate injury, complicated fracture repair, spinal disc disease, thoracic and abdominal surgeries, and spinal fractures as well as Wobblers and spinal tumor surgeries. He performs arthroscopic and laparoscopic procedures as well as complicated oncologic and reconstructive procedures. He is a firm believer in alternative and regenerative medicine and has been involved with stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma for many years.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Residency, Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Internship, Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Bachelor of Science, University of Richmond, VA

Dr. Levy’s family includes a dog, two hamsters, and two geckos.

Dr. Michaël Lora-Michiels previously worked as a family veterinarian in Bogota, Colombia. He enjoys all aspects of diagnostic imaging.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Radiology, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Master of Science, Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham NC
• Research Associate, Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Hyperthermia Clinical Trial, Duke University, Durham NC
• Fellowship, Radiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad of La Salle, Bogota, Colombia

As an emergency clinician, Dr. Jonathan Munoz’s particular interests include gastroenteropathy, endocrine diseases and unblocking cats with urethral obstructions.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY

Dr. Munoz enjoys walking his dog, traveling, bowling, going to the beach, watching movies and spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Monisha Murarka is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include surgical procedures, gastrointestinal diseases, endocrine diseases and foreign body ingestions. 

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis
• Master of Laboratory Animal Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
• Bachelor of Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Murarka enjoys traveling, being outdoors and spending time with family and friends. She has one dog named Buddy.

Publications and articles

Dr. Candice Phipps served as a government veterinarian for the country of Jamaica for over 13 years before she moved to the U.S. to become an emergency clinician for BluePearl in 2015.

Her passion is surgery with particular interest in wound healing and repair as it can involve surgical reconstruction and challenging wound repair procedures. Dr. Phipps takes pride in her diagnostic skills, including abdominal fast scans, and her commitment to the human animal bond.

• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Sierra Veterinary Specialists, Reno, NV
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Tuskegee University, AL
• Fellowship, Small Animal Surgery, Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago

Dr. Phipps loves performing 5 and 10 km medium-distance running, going to the beach, experiencing new cultures and cuisines and hanging out with friends, family and her adorable shih tzu mix, Daisy.

Dr. Stephanie Reabel finds anesthesia for emergent procedures and for patients with cardiovascular diseases the most gratifying to perform.

• Board Certified in Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia
• Residency, Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital, Hollywood, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
• Master of Science, Veterinary Parasitology, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, ON, Canada

Dr. Reabel enjoys traveling, swimming, playing hockey, snowboarding and spending time with her dog, Bella, and two cats, Tila and Nacho.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Judy Seltzer enjoys the challenge of managing long-term diseases and building a strong relationship with her clients and patients, many of whom she has seen for years. Her clinical interests include allergic skin disease and immune-mediated skin diseases. She enjoys performing intradermal skin tests, which are still considered to be the gold standard.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology
• Residency, Dermatology, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Internship, Dermatology & Allergy, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Tinton Falls, NJ
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Center for Specialized Veterinary Care, Westbury, NY
• Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, England
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Dr. Seltzer’s favorite pastimes include dining out, cooking, skiing and traveling. She has four cats: Katt, Kabuki, Huxley, named after a layer of the hair follicle, and Allie, rescued from a NYC alley.

Dr. Carly Sullivan is interested in all aspects of surgery but is particularly passionate about soft tissue and orthopedic procedures. Her favorite soft tissue surgeries include emergent gastrointestinal procedures as well as reconstructive procedures. She also thoroughly enjoys fracture management and treating cranial cruciate ligament disease with a TPLO procedure on animals of any size.

• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Central Texas Veterinary Specialty Hospital, Austin
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Master of Public Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

Dr. Sullivan enjoys working out, trying new recipes, and exploring New York with her husband and their dog, Eli.

Dr. Eric Taite is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. He is particularly interested in emergency medicine.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Zoology, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt, Arcata, CA

Dr. Taite has a rescue beagle/foxhound mix named Jaxon. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend who is a pediatrician, staying active and finishing down the day in the gym. He is certified in the Human-Animal Bond by the North American Veterinary Community.

Dr. Lauren Wiley finds it gratifying to treat all forms of cardiomyopathies and to help guide pet owners through the stress of treating congestive heart failure. Her greatest joys are treating feline patients and performing interventional procedures.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
• Residency, Cardiology, Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Internship, Cardiology, Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Biochemistry, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Away from the hospital, Dr. Wiley enjoys swimming, yoga and horseback riding with Jordan, her Arabian Morgan mare. She admits to really loving cats, and even crotchets sweaters for her three: Billie Jean and Beanface are both Devon rex, and Oksana Baiul is a Cornish rex. Genny is her Portuguese water dog who goes everywhere with her.

In addition to being an emergency clinician, Dr. David Wohlstadter is a certified canine rehabilitation therapist. This therapy has been shown to improve dogs’ mobility and strength, particularly for geriatric dogs suffering from arthritic conditions and other musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions. Rehab is also particularly helpful after surgery for all ages to help dogs regain muscle mass and coordination.

• Certification in Canine Rehabilitation, Canine Rehabilitation Institute, Wellington, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Science, St Louis University, MO
• Bachelor of Arts, St Louis University, MO

Dr. Wohlstadter is married to a veterinarian and enjoys spending time with his large family, which includes many people, many dogs and many cats.