BluePearl Pet Hospital
Waltham, MA
Our Vets

On The Job

Dr. Molly Allen is passionate about local and regional anesthesia, balanced and multimodal techniques to minimize systemic opioid use, and anesthesia for high-risk and critical patients.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia
• Residency, Veterinary Anesthesia and Pain Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI
• Internship, Equine Surgery & Anesthesia, Ballarat Veterinary Practice, Miners Rest, Victoria, Australia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
• Bachelor of Arts, Biochemistry, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Off Duty

Dr. Allen and her husband have a son, a dog named Madison, and cats Cameron and Charlie. Favorite pastimes include running, camping and hiking.

Publications & Articles

On The Job

Dr. Johnattan Arango is trained in minimally invasive orthopedic and soft tissue procedures like TPLO, thoracic surgery, oncologic resection and more. He finds fracture repair, wound reconstruction and hemilaminectomies for thoracolumbar disk herniation gratifying to treat.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Resident, Small Animal Surgery, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Intern, Small Animal Surgery, Hollywood Animal Hospital, Hollywood, FL
• Intern, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, University of Florida, Gainesville

Off Duty

Dr. Arango enjoys all things outdoors with his wife, Kristen, and their four dogs, Siena, Luna, Mason and Eddie, while their cat, Amadeus, holds down the fort at home. He is especially looking forward to skiing more often now that he’s back in the northeast.

Publications & Articles

On The Job

Dr. Heather Chalfant is particularly interested in the emergency presentation of endocrine disorders.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine/Surgery, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Lafayette College, Easton PA

Off Duty

Dr. Chalfant and her family, which includes two daughters, love anything outdoors, but especially biking, swimming, skiing, sledding and gardening.

On The Job

Dr. Kristina DePaula’s particular clinical interests include trauma, coagulation disorders and sepsis.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Bachelor of Arts, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA

Off Duty

Dr. DePaula loves spending time outdoors with her husband and two dogs, River and Turner, and lounging on the couch with her two cats, Finn and Maki. Other favorite pastimes include travel, miniature golf, karaoke and cooking.

On The Job

Dr. Mattisen DiRubio is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is especially interested in radiology, emergency medicine, wound management, and exotic animal conservation.

Education

• Clinical Rotation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Off Duty

Dr. DiRubio has a dog named Guava who was adopted from the streets of Grenada and a cat named Binx who joined her family after he was treated for a degloving injury.

On The Job

Dr. Ariana Ferraro is passionate about delivering life-saving care to pets. She is particularly interested in treating cases of toxin ingestion, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV).

Education

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Bachelor of Science, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington

Off Duty

Dr. Ferraro enjoys skiing, hiking and spending time with her dog, Rio, and her cat, Ramona.

On The Job

Dr. Jacquelyn Foley finds trauma cases gratifying because they allow room for creativity in finding the best treatment. She also enjoys cases like immune-mediated diseases, endocrine disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and chronic respiratory conditions because of how gratifying it is to improve a patient’s quality of life after chronic illness.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Boston, MA
• Clinical Rotation, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science and Technology, University of Rhode Island, Kingstown

Off Duty

Dr. Foley enjoys going to the gym, running, and yoga. She loves snacks, sloths, painting and other art projects, and testing out new food and drink spots. Her family consists of her brother, sister, mom, dad, nana, and the newest addition, a goldendoodle named Guinness.

On The Job

Dr. Kristina Foyo’s clinical interests include trauma, shock, immune-mediated disorders and toxicity cases.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, New England Animal Medical Center, West Bridgewater MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville FL

Off Duty

Dr. Foyo and her husband enjoy hiking, rocking climbing and running Spartan races. They have three dachshunds, Fred, Ethel and Louie, and a bearded dragon.

On The Job

Dr. Nicole Freeman has over 20 years of experience in primary veterinary care. She is passionate about helping pets and their owners get excellent medical care whenever it’s needed. Her special interests include pain management and geriatric medicine, and she is certified in Fear Free practices and veterinary acupuncture.

Education

• Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, Portland, TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA South Shore Animal Hospital, Weymouth, MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
• Bachelor of Arts, English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Off Duty

Dr. Freeman has lived in the greater Boston area since 1998 and is an avid Bruins hockey fan. When not caring for pets, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, listening to live music, and all things outdoors.

On The Job

Dr. Goldstein has a special interest in emergency treatment of endocrine diseases, toxins and feline medicine.

Education

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA South Shore Animal Hospital, Weymouth MA
• Bachelor of Science, Lafayette College, Easton PA

Off Duty

Dr. Goldstein enjoys traveling, hiking, reading and spending time with her family and friends, including her four cats.

On The Job

Robyn loves the every-day-is-different aspect of emergency medicine, and the prospect of making a positive difference in a pet’s life. She is RECOVER certified in basic and advanced life support. A champion roller skater, Robyn has a full house of pets, with cats Sherlock, Dillon, Inspector Gadget and Molly; and golden retriever Tyler – all of whom hit the wilderness with her on camping trips.

On The Job

Dr. Amanda Hill is particularly interested in radiology and ultrasound testing.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Waltham, MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Off Duty

Dr. Hill likes to hike and kayak with her fiancé and her 2-year-old pug named Olive. She also enjoys white water rafting, camping and any outdoor activity.

On The Job

Dr. Kathleen Kanjer has years of experience working in emergency medicine, critical care and general practice. Her special interests include emergency procedures and critical care cases.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Physiology and Neuroscience, University of California, Davis

Off Duty

Dr. Kanjer enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, young son and terrier mix, Molly.

On The Job

Dr. Natalie Koons is passionate about developing partnerships with owners to help ensure the best surgical outcomes for their pets. She enjoys all aspects of small animal surgery, including emergency procedures, ongoing wound management, and treating cranial cruciate ligament disease.

Education

• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital, Woburn
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Ocean State Veterinary Specialists, Greenwich, RI
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, New York University

Off Duty

Dr. Koons enjoys hiking, skiing and spending time with her dogs.

On The Job

Dr. Erin McGowan’s clinical interests include coagulopathies, fluid therapy, systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Tinton Falls NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry, Colby College, Waterville ME

Off Duty

Dr. McGowan’s favorite pastimes include boxing, hiking and traveling with her husband. They share their home with pit bull mix Barnie, and cats Frank, Kyle and Ozzie.

On The Job

Dr. Melissa Murdock has extensive experience in anesthesia. Her clinical interests include critical care cases, peri-operative analgesia and local anesthetic techniques.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia
• Residency, Small & Large Animal Anesthesia, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Master of Science, Comparative Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
• Bachelor of Science, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Off Duty

Dr. Murdock enjoys good coffee, learning how to play the ukulele, various arts and crafts, K-pop music, reading science fiction and walking outdoors. She has an orange tabby named Mercutio.

Publications & Articles

On The Job

Dr. Melisa Rosenthal has a particular interest in nephrology and all manner of kidney diseases. She is excited about the advances in dialysis as well as all types of minimally invasive interventional procedures.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston TX
• Bachelor of Arts, Hispanic Studies, Rice University, Houston TX

Off Duty

Dr. Rosenthal enjoys reading and bird watching, a hobby she developed while working in ecological research in college. She and her husband, a doctor of human medicine, have three cats, Naomi, Aria and Nora.

On The Job

Dr. Leslie Schwarz’s professional interests include small animal radiology, abdominal and non-cardiac thoracic ultrasound and CT. She has a particular interest in the imaging of oncology patients.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Veterinary Radiology, Tufts University, North Grafton MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, Boston MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Master of Science, Animal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ
• Bachelor of Science, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ

Off Duty

When Dr. Schwarz is not busy attending her children’s various sports, music, or school events, she enjoys skiing, traveling with her family, and keeping her yellow lab, Chica, out of trouble.

On The Job

Dr. Bari Spielman has a strong interest in gastroenterology and GI endoscopy as well as endocrinology, hepatic and renal disease, and immune mediated disorders. In 2001, she became head of internal medicine at the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center of New England, which is now BluePearl Veterinary Partners.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
• Residency, Internal Medicine, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Internship, General Medicine & Surgery, Oradell Animal Hospital, Oradell NJ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Off Duty

Dr. Spielman is a maniacal sports fan, especially loyal to the Patriots, Bruins, Red Sox and Volunteers. She is knee deep in dirt all summer, tending to her many gardens.

On The Job

Dr. Marcia Biber Whiteley is an active lecturer on imaging topics for veterinarians and veterinary technicians throughout the Midwest and Northeast. She is especially interested in non-cardiac and abdominal ultrasound and radiology.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Veterinary Radiology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN
• Bachelor of Science, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ

Off Duty

You can find Dr. Whitely wrapped up in a good book, cooking, at the theatre, or cheering on her beloved St. Louis Cardinals.

On The Job

Some or Dr. Alexis Zallas’ favorites include internal medicine cases like diabetes or Addison’s disease, oncologic emergencies such as hemangiosarcoma, and surgical emergencies like gastric dilatation volvulus and laceration repairs. She also enjoys treating clotting disorders and pericardial effusion.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Shoreline & VCA Norwalk Veterinary Referral and Emergency Centers, CT
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Regis College, Weston MA

Off Duty

Passionate about her Greek heritage, Dr. Zallas has been to Greece multiple times. She actively participates in Greek events in the Boston community and loves cooking with her mother while listening to Greek music. She also participates in 18th century historical interpretation.