BLUE SPRINGS ANIMAL HOSPITAL - Key Persons
Dr. Alana Einspahr offers veterinary care for pets in Blue Springs and surrounding Kansas City areas.
Dr. Caitlin (Ondera) Freeman grew up in Elgin, Illinois. Her love for animals began at a very young age when she decorated her bedroom with puppy wallpaper and played "veterinarian" with all her stuffed animals. She began volunteering at animal shelters as a teenager and worked as a veterinary assistant during her college years. Dr. Freeman received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Illinois in 2013. She later returned to the University of Illinois and graduated with her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2019.
Over the years, Dr. Freeman has developed a strong interest in wildlife and exotic pets - prior to veterinary school, she worked at PetSmart to learn more about exotic animal husbandry, and she spent three years volunteering at the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic during veterinary school. Dr. Freeman also has an interest in shelter medicine and has participated in spay and neuter days with several animal shelters throughout Illinois, as well as traveling to North Dakota with the Rural Area Veterinary Services to provide care to underserved animal populations.
Dr. Freeman's other veterinary interests include soft tissue surgery, emergency medicine, and internal medicine. She is excited to further develop her skills in these areas as a member of the Blue Springs veterinary team! Dr. Freeman currently resides in Independence, Missouri with her husband, Adam, their two dogs (a beagle named Lucy and a German shorthaired pointer named Archer), a bearded dragon, and a Russian tortoise. Dr. Freeman hopes to someday own a large property where she can continue to grow her animal menagerie. Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Freeman enjoys hiking with her dogs, cooking new recipes, reading, and scrapbooking.
He was drawn toward veterinary medicine after a family pet battled several health problems throughout his life. His family veterinarian was simply amazing while caring for his dog. She played such a significant role in the dog's life that she became a family friend and someone that Dr. Peyton idolized from a young age. Dr. Peyton attended Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL. He played NCAA Division III football and studied biology, chemistry, and environmental biology. He graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree and moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL for a year, where he studied marine biology and worked as a veterinary assistant.
Dr. Peyton graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. While in school, he worked in the emergency department and was also president of the Emergency and Critical Care Society. Dr. Peyton joined Blue Springs Animal Hospital shortly after graduation from veterinary school. His main interests are surgery and oncology, though he enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine. Dr. Peyton lives in Blue Springs with his son, Dylan, and two dogs, Wrigley and Holly. He is a lover of all things outdoors and in his free time, he enjoys fishing, bicycling, kayaking, hiking, and rooting for the Cubs.
Dr. Elisse Schaaf was born in Colorado Springs, CO and raised in Kansas City, MO. She always wanted to be a veterinarian and always had a love for animals. She began gaining experience in veterinary medicine while in high school by working at Blue Springs Animal Hospital in the Pet Resort. She received a Bachelor's degree in Biology from William Woods University in Fulton, MO. She then attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and completed her 4th year clinical rotations at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Upon graduating from vet school, Dr. Schaaf worked in southern Florida for 2 years before returning home to Kansas City and to Blue Springs Animal Hospital.
Dr. Schaaf's veterinary interests include dermatology and preventative medicine. In her free time, Dr. Schaaf enjoys reading, horseback riding, enjoying KC BBQ (Q39 and Joe's KC are the best in her opinion), and spending time with her three dogs- two island mixed breed dogs, Jake and Lily, and a miniature schnauzer, Watson.
Dr. Gina Bradley offers veterinary care to pets in Blue Springs and surrounding Kansas City areas.
Dr. Joe Rodier offers veterinary services, including advanced orthopedics and TPLO surgery, to patients in Blue Springs and surrounding Kansas City areas.
Dr Morehead lives part time in the Kansas City area and is available for appointments at Blue Springs Animal Hospital when she is in the area. Professional Degrees Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
Dr. Melissa Morehead was born in Columbus, OH but when she was 3 years old, her family moved to Overland Park where she grew up. Dr. Morehead had wanted to be a "doggy doctor" before she could even pronounce veterinarian. She had dogs and small pocket pets growing up and loved being surrounded by animals.
In her teens, Dr. Morehead's family got their first horse, an Arabian named Braveheart, which sparked her passion for riding horses. She first started showing English pleasure locally in her early teens, which progressed to showing her half-Arabian, Fritz, in English Pleasure and Arabian Native Costume at a National level. She received a few national top ten titles throughout her showing career on Fritz in both the United States and Canada.
Dr. Morehead went to Olathe East High School, where she met her husband, Jake, in their senior English class. She went on to the University of Missouri for her entire college career and received her bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences before continuing on to veterinary school at Mizzou. Dr. Morehead graduated from veterinary school at the University of Missouri in 2015, and started her career at a mixed animal practice in Stilwell, KS. She discovered at that first job that her veterinary passion was with dogs and cats.
Dr. Morehead loves working with small animals and is especially passionate about preventative medicine, cardiology, surgery, and dentistry. She loves meeting new clients and helping them achieve their health goals for their beloved pets. Dr. Morehead enjoys reading books, playing video games, doing DIY projects, and refurbishing antique furniture.
Dr. Michael Groh offers veterinary dermatology services to patients in Blue Springs and surrounding Kansas City areas.
Dr. Groh is a past president of the Academy of Veterinary Allergy and Clinical Immunology and is a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology. Dr. Groh re-joined Blue Springs Animal Hospital and Pet Resort in June of 2010 as a dermatology consultant (and it feels like coming home). Dr. Groh is a lifelong area resident and presently resides in Raymore, MO with his wife, Shari, and their three pugs-Meat(head), Ivy, and Vince. He has three grown children-Sam, Joe, and Becki-all living in the area, and three gorgeous grandchildren-Joe, Lochlyn, and Hunter. He enjoys golf and a little invention known as the zero-turn radius lawn tractor. Now I ask you, does life get any better?
Dr. Rebekah Spainhour was born and raised in Derby, Kansas. For as long as she can remember, Dr. Spainhour has always had a love for all animals, and a unique passion for science and medicine.
Dr. Samantha Nye offers medical care including comprehensive dog breeding and reproduction services for the Kansas City metro area.
Dr. Samantha Nye was born and raised in Southern California. She always felt it was her calling in life to be a veterinarian, and could not imagine doing any other career-in fact, there is a video of her at two years of age gently feeding an orphaned baby mouse some milk. Dr. Nye's interest in showing and breeding dogs began at the age of fifteen when she got her first Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and many more Corgis followed after that. Dr. Nye attended the University of California - Davis, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a minor in Agriculture Education. She developed an interest in large animals while at UC Davis, living and working at both the swine and goat barns, and working on a project that ran goats on a treadmill for exercise physiology research for the Army.
Dr. Samantha Nye then attended veterinary school at Kansas State University, where her interest shifted from large animals to instead focus on small animal practice. While in veterinary school, she worked as an Ambassador giving tours to prospective students, and as a laboratory animal technician. Dr. Nye moved to Florida after graduation and worked for three years as an associate veterinarian in a practice that focused on dog breeding and reproduction. Dr. Samantha Nye has continued her interest in purebred dogs by training, exhibiting, and breeding Cardigan Welsh Corgis. You may find her showing her dogs in agility, obedience, and conformation in Kansas City and the surrounding areas!
As a dog breeder herself, Dr. Nye brings a unique experience and insight by understanding the challenges of breeding and raising dogs and cats. In addition to dog breeding and reproduction, Dr. Nye has an interest in preventative medicine and wellness care, dermatology, and dentistry. She is passionate about building long-lasting relationships with clients and their pets and hopes that teaching owners about preventative care can help their companions live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
In her spare time, Dr. Samantha Nye enjoys exploring the Kansas City area, attending concerts and theater productions, and going on long walks with her dogs.
Job Titles:
- Medical Director
- Veterinarian
- Director at Blue Springs Animal Hospital & Pet Resort
Dr Ryder offers veterinary care including cancer chemotherapy for pets in Blue Springs and surrounding Kansas City areas. As the Medial Director at Blue Springs Animal Hospital & Pet Resort, Dr. Ryder provides leadership for the doctor team and mentors new associate doctors.