Meet our Emergency Doctors

Albuquerque

Joanna Dombeck, DVM

Dr. Joanna Dombeck joined our group July 26, 2010 as our day-time emergency veterinarian.  Dr. Dombeck comes to us from MedVet Memphis Veterinary Specialists, Cordova, TN, where she successfully completed an internship in small animal internal medicine.   She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin in 2008 followed by an internship in small animal at Veterinary Specialists of South Florida, Cooper City, FL.

Jenn Lepp, DVM

Dr. Jenn Lepp joined Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center of New Mexico in July of 2009 as one of our emergency doctors.  Prior to making her home New Mexico, she lived in Massachusetts and devoted herself to the Cape Animal Referral & Emergency Center.  Dr. Lepp earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 2001 from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin and in 2006, she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts.  She also completed an emergency and critical care internship at the New England Animal Medical Center in 2007.   Dr. Lepp has worked in wildlife rehabilitation and hopes to one day be able to divide her time between emergency medicine and wildlife rehab.  She currently lives with her husband, two cats, and a dog she adopted after moving to Albuquerque.

Emily Hoots, DVM

Dr. Emily Hoots, a native of Manhattan, Kansas, graduated from the Kansas State University

College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008.  She then completed a rotating internship in internal medicine and surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.  During her internship training, Dr. Hoots developed a passion for emergency medicine and critical care.  She enjoys many aspects of emergency medicine and has special interests in cardiology and soft tissue surgery.  She worked in private practice in Oregon prior to joining AAEC in 2010 and is excited to provide outstanding care to her patients here in New Mexico.  During her spare time, Dr. Hoots enjoys spending time with her husband who is a veterinary surgeon, vegetable gardening, cooking, reading, and traveling.  Dr. Hoots’ and her husband’s pets include a whippet named Breezy, a miniature dachshund named Ruby, and two mischievous cats named Oscar and Rebel.

Brent Megarry, DVM
Dr. Megarry is a native of Minnesota.  He attended the University of Arizona and the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1987.  He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991.  He practiced small animal, equine, surgery, and production medicine until the year 2000 when he dedicated himself exclusively to small animal emergency medicine and surgery.  In 2002, Dr. Megarry joined Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Centers in Albuquerque as an emergency veterinarian. When not practicing veterinary medicine, Dr. Megarry can be found riding his horses, traveling, or skiing.

Colleen Nault, DVM
Dr. Nault earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine degree from Louisiana State University in 1995.  Since then she has practiced in North Dakota, Vermont, Minnesota, and Oregon before eventually settling in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She has been one of our emergency veterinarians at the Albuquerque Animal Emergency Clinic location since 2008. Dr. Nault is an outdoors enthusiast. While not practicing medicine, she can be found either mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, or involved in whatever sport intrigues her at the moment. She also enjoys spending time with her two dogs, her parrot, and her cat. 

Stacey Sonnenshein, DVM

Dr. Sonnenshein joined our group July 2010 after completing an Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Ohio State University.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 2000 from Cornell University followed by her Master of Science in Anatomy, Physiology, and Neurobiology in 2005 from Colorado State Univeristy.  Dr. Sonnenshein received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 from Colorado State University. 

 

Santa Fe

Anita Dalimata, DVM
Dr. Dalimata graduated from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 1996.  She initially joined a mixed animal practice in Kadoka, SD and then spent 15 months at a 24-hour emergency and critical care facility and day practice in North Andover, MA.  Dr. Dalimata moved to Santa Fe in 1998 and immediately joined the staff as an emergency veterinarian at the original Santa Fe Animal Emergency Clinic. After five years, she left emergency medicine to join the Santa Fe Animal Hospital where she devoted another five years as a day practice veterinarian.  Dr. Dalimata joined the Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center of Santa Fe in March 2009 as an emergency veterinarian and is glad to be back practicing emergency medicine.  When not devoting herself to work, Dr. Dalimata enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, reading, and cooking.

Lauren Richman, DVM
Dr. Richman grew up in the western suburbs of Denver, CO, and earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Denver. She earned her DVM from St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine in Grenada, West Indies (in the southern Caribbean) where she lived and studied for three years, completing her fourth, clinical year of school at North Carolina State University CVM in Raleigh, NC.  She did a one year small animal rotating internship (Medicine, Surgery, General Practice, and Emergency) at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, CO, which is where she discovered her love of emergency medicine.  She joined the team at SFAEC in July of 2009.  Dr. Richman has particular interests in diagnostic imaging and soft tissue surgery. When not at work, Dr. Richman is an avid skier and outdoorswoman, which makes Santa Fe a perfect place for her to ski, hike, backpack, and play with her two adorable dogs Ozzy and Fennel. 

Sara Thompson, DVM

Dr. Sara Thompson completed a bachelor’s degree from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee followed by a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University.  After veterinary school, she returned to her hometown of Dallas, TX to practice medicine at a general practice.  While moonlighting at an emergency practice in Dallas, she found that her true calling was emergency medicine and critical care.  Sara joined the team at SFAEC as an emergency veterinarian when she and her husband moved to Santa Fe in November of 2008.  Her professional interests include soft tissue surgery and challenging internal medicine cases.  When she is not hard at work, Sara enjoys spending time with her husband and baby boy.  They share their house with a Great Dane named Hamlet, a shepherd mix named Eudora, and a feisty feline named Audrey.

Heather Poncelow, DVM

Dr. Heather Poncelow is a New Mexico native who graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She obtained her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2009 from Colorado State University, followed by an internship with focus on critical care at the Emergency Animal Clinic, PLC in Phoenix, AZ. After this she moved to Portland, Oregon and worked at Dove Lewis Animal ER and ICU prior to returning to her home state. Dr. Poncelow is certified in veterinary medical acupuncture, and has special interests in pain management, nutrition in the critically ill patient, and transfusion medicine. She resides in Santa Fe with her husband, 2 dogs and 1 cat. She refers to her pets collectively and lovingly as “the geriatric ward”.  

 

Kristen Jensen, DVM, DAVBP

Dr. Kristen Jensen graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1995 from the University of South Florida with a Bachelors in Anthropology.  She earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 2003. Dr. Jensen was an associate veterinariian of All Animal Clinic in Key West, Florida until joining the staff of SFAEC. In 2010, she was boarded in Canine and Feline practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. 

Dr. Jensen joined SFAEC July of 2011 and is happy to be back in New Mexico, having completed her pre-veterinary curriculum and graduate anthropology classes at UNM.  In her free time, Dr. Jensen enjoys perusing the farmer’s market for things to cook, hiking, and camping.  She volunteers time internationally with the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association Field Services, a group that teaches surgical and anesthetic protocols to veterinary students in developing nations, focusing on spaying and neutering.