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Marilyn Seals,
DVM, Veterinarian — Dr. Marilyn Seals was
raised in St. Louis, Missouri and earned her undergraduate degree
from the University of Kansas and her veterinary degree from Kansas
State University. After practicing in Dallas, Texas for eight years,
Dr. Seals and her family moved to California. She feels very fortunate
that Drs. Spengel and Ewell were seeking a veterinarian to join
them at this same time. Dr. Seals worked at La Jolla Veterinary
Hospital for 15 years and then purchased the practice from Dr. Spengel
and Dr. Ewell. Dr. Seals is involved in community services with
the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club. Dr. Seals is a proud mother of
twin boys, a step-mother and grandmother to three grand-babies (two
grandsons and one granddaughter). She shares her home with her cats,
SiSi and New York, and her dogs, Pixel and Cutter. |
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Jean Spengel,
DVM, Part-Time Veterinarian — Dr. Jean Spengel
grew up in a small town in southern Illinois and attended the University
of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation in
1977, she moved to La Jolla where she began working at La Jolla
Veterinary Hospital full time and also at the Emergency Animal Hospital
of San Diego on a part-time basis. In 1981, she and Dr. Ewell purchased
La Jolla Veterinary Hospital. In 2001, Dr. Spengel sold the practice
to Dr. Marilyn Seals who had worked for them for 15 years. Dr. Spengel
currently works at the hospital part-time. Over the years, Dr. Spengel
has been involved in various animal related organizations such as
F.O.C.A.S and Foster Friends. She is currently on the veterinary
advisory board of the San Diego Humane Society. In 2005, after Hurricane
Katrina, Dr. Spengel spent 2 weeks in New Orleans volunteering her
services assisting in animal rescue efforts. In her free time she
enjoys sporting events and golf, and participates in various competitions
and activities with her two Ridgebacks Ripley and Dazi. |
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Laurel Bowman,
DVM, Veterinarian — Dr. Laurel Bowman was
raised in St. Louis, Missouri and attended the University of Illinois
College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation she practiced in
Omaha, Nebraska until her move to California when she joined La
Jolla Veterinary Hospital. She has been enjoying the change in weather
from the Mid-West and hopes in her spare time to learn to SCUBA
dive and kayak. Laurel also enjoys various outdoor activities, baseball,
and weight-lifting. She shares her home with Jake, an exuberant
black lab mix, P.J., a nosey Schipperke, Miss Mush, a torti-cat
with an attitude, and Sandy, the scaredy-cat. |
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Ruth MacPete,
DVM, Part-Time Veterinarian —Dr. Ruth MacPete
has been practicing companion animal medicine in San Diego since
1997. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley
and received her doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University
of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. MacPete works part-time
at La Jolla Veterinary Hospital and also at the San Diego County
of Animal Services. She is a board member of Friends of County Animal
Shelters (FOCAS). Dr. MacPete has written articles for several pet
magazines, including Cat Fancy, BARK, San Diego Pets Magazine, and
Great Scots, as well as local newspapers and can be seen every other
Sunday on KNSD 7/39. As NBC’s “PetVet” she discusses
important animal-related issues. In her spare time Dr. MacPete loves
to travel and explore other lands and cultures. She has hiked the
Peruvian Andes, trekked across Thailand and Vietnam on an elephant,
whitewater rafted in Costa Rica, and backpacked Denali in Alaska.
She shares her home with her husband Henry, Cody her 14 year old
Doberman, Ling the Siamese, Indy and Maddy the Abyssinians, and
Coco an umbrella cockatoo. She is also expecting her first human
baby Siena this January. |
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Chari Wessel, DVM, Relief Veterinarian - Dr Chari Wessel was born into a career military family and grew up on Navy air stations all over the country. She graduated from Iowa State University Veterinary College in 1976 and spent six years in Iowa farm practice before the bitter cold drove her westward and into pet practice. She has practiced in San Diego since 1992, spent six great years as an associate at La Jolla Veterinary Hospital and has been a relief contractor since 2000. When she’s not working, she raises canaries and is a volunteer tall ship crewman for the San Diego Maritime Museum. |
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Valerie White Ewell, DVM, Veterinary Consultant — Dr. Valerie White Ewell grew up in a rural community in Illinois and comes from a family of veterinarians including her father and two uncles. She received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Arizona, and her Veterinary degree from the Universiry of Illinois (which is where she met Dr. Spengel!). In her early veterinary years she worked at the Emergency Animal Clinic in Mission Valley and at La Jolla veterinary Hospital. In 1981, she and Dr. Spengel took over ownership of the La Jolla Veterinary Hospital. She has a special interest in veterinary dentistry. In her spare time she enjoys working out, golf, needlepoint, and reading. Valerie is married and stepmother of two, step-grandmother of five. She is also “mother” to “Rocket” and “Dixie,” her Laborador Retrievers, and “Millie” her toy poodle. |
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Denise Miller Office Manager, Vet Technician |
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Kathy Marty Receptionist Extraordinaire |
