Our Owners

Shep Thorp, VMD

Dr. Thorp moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1992 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he came to the South Puget Sound region with his wife and first of three children looking for adventure and Veterinary Medicine at the Spanaway Veterinary Clinic. While working in daytime practice, Dr. Thorp developed his interest in emergency medicine by working relief at The Animal Emergency Clinic. In 1995 Dr. Thorp became a full time emergency Vet and now finds interest in therapy for shock/cardiovascular collapse, respiratory distress, and pain control. In his spare time, Dr. Thorp enjoys spending time with his family, playing board games, jogging, bird watching, sailing and fishing.

Denise Petryk, DVM

Denise Petryk has been practicing Veterinary Medicine since 1991. She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. After an internship at Purdue University, she spent two years in general practice and has since been exclusively practicing emergency medicine and critical care. She arrived in Tacoma in 1998 and has enjoyed the challenges of practicing high quality medicine and being a business owner. She takes pride in providing high quality care and customizing the care for the pet and the whole family - - - every pet and associated peoples are unique in some way!

During time away from the clinic, Dr. Petryk enjoys gardening, golf, cooking, ice hockey, travel. She is the proud Mommy of a mixed Terrier mutt named Foster and three cats, Jack, Chip and Katjka.

Kobi Johnson, DVM

Kobi Johnson, originally from Maryland, graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College of the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1995. He practiced veterinary medicine in Maryland with his father who is also a veterinarian. He relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1998. Realizing his interest in emergency medicine, Dr. Johnson purchased the Puget Sound Veterinary Referral Center (Animal Emergency Clinic) with Drs. Petryk and Thorp in 1999. In 2003 Dr. Johnson opened Tacoma Veterinary Imaging Center (TVIC), providing MR imaging services to animals in the Puget Sound area. Outside of work, Dr. Johnson enjoys fishing in the Pacific Northwest and spending time with his dog, Winnie. Dr. Johnson spends each winter as a trail veterinarian for the Iditarod, assessing and caring for the racing dogs.

Surgery

Andrew Hofeling, DVM Dipl. ACVS

Andrew Hofeling recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest from Michigan where he completed his surgical residency at Michigan Veterinary Specialists. Assisting in more than 400 surgeries during his residency, Dr. Hofeling is particularly interested in emergency surgery, wound reconstruction, tissue preservation and orthopedics.

Originally from Nebraska, Dr. Hofeling received his degree in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University. Dr. Hofeling enjoys an active lifestyle and spends time backpacking and hiking with his border collie, "Hannah", and relaxes at home with his two cats.

Emergency & Critical Care

Kirsten Lawson, DVM Dipl. ACVECC

Dr. Lawson received her BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Washington in 1995 and her Veterinary Medicine degree in 2000 from Washington State University. Dr. Lawson completed an internship and started her residency at the Animal Emergency Clinic in Glendale, WI under Dr. Rebecca Kirby. Her residency was completed in 2005 at Advanced Critical Care and Internal Medicine in Tustin, CA under Dr. Ravi Seshadri.

Dr. Lawson's interests include diabetic ketoacidosis, sepsis, pancreatitis, ultrasound and surgery. Outside of work, Dr. Lawson enjoys skiing, quilting and spending time with her husband Tony, children Kaitlyn and Matt, labrador Hamish, and cats Bob, Gigabyte, Kitten, and H.B..

Neurology

Jerry Demuth, DVM Dipl. ACVIM (Neurology)

Dr. Demuth graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1994 and received his degree in veterinary medicine in 1996 from Iowa State University. Dr. Demuth also completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship with Michigan Veterinary Specialists in 2004. In early 2008, Dr. Demuth relocated to the Pacific Northwest from Florida where he completed his neurology residency at Florida State University in Gainesville. Areas of special interest include traumatic brain and spinal cord injury.

Veterinary Technicians

Veterinary Technicians have many of the same responsibilities as a nurse in a human hospital. The technicians at The Animal Emergency Clinic facilitate most patient procedures including treatments, radiographs and lab work. Technicians also play a key role in surgeries by inducing and monitoring anesthesia, as well as monitoring patient vitals and assisting the doctor as needed.

The Animal Emergency Clinic employs technicians with superior skills. Our Veterinary Technicians are motivated to further their knowledge in the field of emergency and critical care. Each year many of our technicians attend the highly acclaimed VECCS conference. VECCS, or Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society, provides symposiums aimed at raising the level of patient care for seriously ill or injured animals. VECCS also provides a certification program for technicians wishing to specialize in the field of emergency and critical care.

Veterinary Assistants

Veterinary Assistants take on a very heavy workload in our hospital. Ensuring a high level of patient care is the key responsibility of our assistants. This includes maintaining clean linens in patient cages as well as walking, feeding and cleaning patients as necessary. Assistants also provide patient restraint, when needed, during treatments and procedures. Our assistants ensure that surgery suites, exam rooms and treatment areas are well-stocked and ready for use at all times.

Client Coordinators

Client Coordinators maintain the flow front office operations. When a patient arrives, a Client Coordinator will immediately call for a triage and collect patient information. Client Coordinators are also responsible for answering phones, discharging patients, and facilitating communication between the clients, doctors, and support staff.

Administration

Our administration team consists of five departments: Management, Purchasing/Receiving, Human Resources, Information Services, and Facility Services.