WEST PARK ANIMAL HOSPITAL - Key Persons
Dr. Anna was born and raised in Canton, Ohio. She attended both the College of Charleston in South Carolina as well as The Ohio State University. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. Her interests include preventative medicine, soft tissue surgery, and dentistry. Currently, she resides in Ohio City with her husband and her dog named Limerick. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Pakush was born and raised in Lorain, Ohio. Being of Ukrainian descent, Dr. Pakush was raised with many special traditions and customs and speaks fairly fluent Ukrainian. He received his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his DVM in 1992, both from The Ohio State University. As a partner of West Park Animal Hospital, Dr. Pakush concentrates on the daily operations of the practice and takes pride in providing excellent service to all of his patients. Dr. Pakush and his wife, Leslie, have two children, Maksym and Natalia.
Dr. Clair e was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from The University of Dayton. Dr. Claire then attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of St Kitts, where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Her interests include rehabilitation, internal medicine, and soft tissue surgery. Outside of work she enjoys running, hiking, painting, and cheering on the Buffalo Bills with family and friends. She has two dogs named Mac and Maisy.
Dr. Allison Wise was born and raised in Westlake, Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences from The Ohio State University. She went on to earn a veterinary degree from University College Dublin (Ireland) in 2022. Her veterinary interests include emergency medicine and surgery. She enjoys spending time on the lake, cheering on Cleveland sports, and traveling in her spare time.
Dr. Beth Lorenz was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. She graduated from The University of Findlay with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2007 and from The Ohio State University with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Her interests include internal medicine, dermatology, and feline behavior issues. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children as well as hiking, visiting National Parks, gardening and reading. Their four-legged kids include one dog, one cat, two tortoises, two geckos, and four hermit crabs.
Dr. Kim Pintabona was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. She graduated from PennWest Edinboro with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 2018 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 2023. Her interests include emergency medicine, critical care and nutrition. She currently resides in Cleveland with her cat Ophelia that she rescued when she moved to Columbus for veterinary school. Outside of work she enjoys traveling, attending concerts and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Kimberly Parker was born and raised in Northeastern Ohio. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Albion College in 2000 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 2006. She joined West Park Animal Hospital as an emergency veterinarian in 2008. She relocated to beautiful Arizona for 1.5 years, but returned home in 2018 to rejoin the emergency staff. Dr. Parker is passionate about hospice and end-of-life care for companion animals. In October 2017, she became the first veterinarian in Ohio to become certified in Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (CHPV) through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). Dr. Parker resides in Wellington, Ohio with her husband James. They share their home with many critters including 6 dogs, 3 cats, 2 cockatoos, and a lizard. In her spare time, she enjoys attending live music events and traveling.
Dr. Kristen Mierzwiak grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Findlay in 2007 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University in 2011. Dr. Mierzwiak enjoys orthopedic medicine and surgery, soft tissue surgery, and caring for patients through all stages of their lives. She currently lives in Medina with her husband Aaron and three sons. They also share their home with two dogs, Max and Owen; and three cats, Mo, Toby, and Sage. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, campfires, and hiking in Northeast Ohio.
Dr. Melissa Rohrs is a 2013 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She enjoys seeing dogs, cats, and small mammals, and is especially interested in dentistry. In her free time, she enjoys various artistic endeavors, sewing clothes with mixed success, and starting (but rarely completing) home improvement projects. She shares a home with her husband, two German shepherds (Panzer and Louie), three bunnies (Ingrid and Biggest Bunny, and Humphrey), and an assortment of goldfish.
Dr. Michelle Leathem was born and raised in Huron, OH. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture in 2007 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Dr. Leathem has previously practiced in both Columbus, OH and the Sandusky, OH area. Her interests include dentistry and feline medicine. Outside of work Dr. Leathem enjoys baking, gardening, and traveling along with spending time with her husband, new baby boy, 4 cats, and 1 dog.
Dr. Santiago Bustamante was born and raised in Colombia, which allows him to provide fluent care to Spanish speaking clients. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2022. Prior to attending veterinary school, he worked as a dog trainer and then a veterinary technician, allowing him to gain insight of the diverse facets involved in pet care. Dr. Bustamante enjoys the varied challenges presented by the unpredictable nature of emergency medicine, though he has a special interest in pain/stress management and behavior modification. When not working, he enjoys going for nature hikes, playing video games and trying out new food recipes.
Dr. Sophie Cressman grew up in Ohio and went on to received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 2022. Her interests include emergency and shelter medicine with a special interest in international volunteerism. In her free time, she enjoys traveling the globe to explore different cultures (and food), spending time with loved ones, and going on outdoor adventures!
Dr. Yesenia Garcia-Vega was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science and went on to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 2022. Her veterinary interests include preventative medicine, emergency medicine, neurology, dermatology and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Garcia-Vega is excited to make the move to the Cleveland area along with her husband, their basset hound Droopy and their cat Pirata. In her spare time, she enjoys binge watching Disney movies, exploring local restaurants and hosting game nights with family and friends.
Faith was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Following the passions she discovered at an early age, she enrolled at Medina County Career Center in 2011 and graduated in 2013. Faith started pursuing emergency medicine with us in 2017 before becoming a shift lead, and later becoming the Head Emergency Vet Assistant in 2023. She currently resides in Avon with her boyfriend and two pit bulls she rescued through WPAH, Karen and Phyllis. In her free time, Faith enjoys books, art, music, and anything outdoors.
Dr. Gwen is from Northeast Ohio. She attended Cleveland State University where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She then attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of St Kitts in the West Indies, where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Her special interests include soft tissue surgery, rehabilitation and acupuncture, and chronic pain management. In her free time, Dr. Gwen enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, free diving, kayaking, cycling, and doing Spartan races. She has a dog named Raven and a boa constrictor named Ramona.
Dr. Swedenborg was born and raised in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where she attended the University of Akron for her bachelor's degree in biology. She then attended The Ohio State University and obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. She has been a partner at West Park Animal Hospital since June 2006. She currently resides in Rocky River with her two children. In her free time, she enjoys time at the lake, volunteering for JDRF, gardening, watching hockey, and lacrosse, reading, Broadway shows, and playing piano!
Dr. Thompson grew up in northeast Ohio, received her Bachelor of Science in biology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2000 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 2006. Dr. Thompson worked at West Park Animal Hospital her first year out of veterinary school and then moved to the Kruger National Park in South Africa with her husband where she lived for thirteen years before moving back to Ohio in 2020. Dr. Thompson received her registration to practice in South Africa in 2008 and while there, practiced in mixed animal clinics and practiced wildlife medicine. Dr. Thompson is excited to be back at West Park Animal Hospital. She currently resides on the east side of Cleveland with her husband, Charles, their three children Andrew, Zoe and Kyle and two cats Poppy and Turtle. In her free time, Dr. Thompson enjoys traveling, exercising, baking and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- CSR Manager
- Team Member at WPAH
Lacey has been a team member at WPAH since 2012. She started off as a client service rep, worked her way to a shift lead and now the CSR manager. One of her favorite things while working is to take a few moments to love on the pets who are staying in the hospital away from their families. Cleveland born and raised, Lacey shares her home with her husband David and their 7 rescue fur babes. An English Bulldog and six crazy cats. During her free time, she loves being with family and friends, listening to music and enjoys the spookier side of matters.
Dr. Culler was born and raised in North Olmsted, Ohio. She attended The Ohio State University, where she received her bachelor of science degree in 1996 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in June 2000. She joined West Park Animal Hospital in June 2001 and became a partner in October 2006. Her special interests include general practice, ultrasonography and internal medicine. She currently resides in Olmsted Falls with her husband, Tom, and her daughters Claire, Caitlin, and Caroline. She also has one dog named Bodhi and two cats named Coogee and Calvin. In her free time, she enjoys camping, spending time with her family, and enjoying the outdoors.
Dr. Natalie was born and raised in Parma, Ohio. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology in 2016. She then received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. Her special interests include oncology, dentistry, and rehabilitation. Dr. Sywyj is happy to return home to northeast Ohio with her dog Sadie and her cats Delilah and Darcy. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, working out, reading, and watching Browns football in the fall.
Dr. Nicole Plantner was born and raised in North Olmsted, Ohio. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 2003 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. She was the recipient for the AAHA Student Achievement Award and the Award for Excellence in Small Animal Community Practice in 2009. Her interests include soft tissue surgery, internal medicine and preventative medicine. In her spare time, Dr. Plantner enjoys jogging, camping, hiking and cooking.
Dr. Nicole Sypert was born and raised in North Olmsted, Ohio. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences with a minor in Pharmaceutical Sciences and from Midwestern University in Arizona with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2022. Her interests include emergency and feline medicine, neurology, and anesthesiology. Currently, she resides in the Cleveland area with her husband. They have a one-eyed rescue dachshund mix named Copper as well two rescue cats named Spooky and Stout. In her spare time, Dr. Sypert enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling.
Dr. Kane Henderson was born and raised in Beloit, Ohio. He received his BS from Marietta College in 1992 and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 1996. He has been a partner of West Park Animal Hospital since 2000. His interest lies in veterinary surgery with a special interest in pet orthopedics and rehabilitation. Dr. Henderson is married with two children, Alexys and Brayden, and lives in Medina. He has a yellow lab, a chocolate lab and a cat. In his off time, he enjoys spending time with his family, doing yard work, and enjoying the outdoors.
Dr. Lazarus was born and raised in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. She Graduated from Kent State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. She then achieved her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2016 from The Ohio State University with a special interest in behavior, preventative medicine, low stress veterinary visits, and feline medicine. Before joining West Park Animal Hospital in 2019, Dr Lazarus practiced in Springfield, Ohio and South Euclid, Ohio. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her dog Truly and 3 cats Lucie, Vinnie, and Peepers. She also enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, cooking, and cheering on the Cleveland Indians in the summer.
Dr. Emerman is a Cleveland, Ohio native. She obtained both her bachelor's degree and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University, and has been practicing since 2019. Her special interests include soft tissue surgery, upper GI endoscopy, internal medicine, and small mammal and reptile medicine and surgery. During her time spent outside of the hospital, Dr. Emerman enjoys exercising, hiking and kayaking, and spending time with her husband, their son, and their cat, Eddie.
Dr. Zielinski joined West Park Animal Hospital in 2003 and became a partner in 2007. He is a native of northeast Ohio, having been born in Cleveland and raised in Copley. He received his bachelor's degree from Kent State University in 1996 and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 2003. His special interests include soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. He lives in Solon with his wife, Kathleen; son, Kelan; two daughters, Hazel and Josie; dog, Pedro; and cat, Pearl. In his free time, he enjoys boating, fishing, and golfing.