Our Team

Dr. Guerra graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. She stayed in her native Chicago suburbs to work in a busy walk-in clinic for two years, then moved across the country to Seattle to start work in emergency medicine. Since 2003, Dr. Guerra has been a Washington state resident. She has dedicated most of her career to emergency medicine, first working at Alpine Animal Hospital, then ACCES Seattle/Renton, and stayed on board during their transition to BluePearl Specialty Hospitals.

Favoring the busy walk-in model, Dr. Guerra enjoys working in the varied environment of an urgent care setting. She has three dogs of her own, and she fosters the medical needs of dogs for a local rescue organization. True to her Italian roots, Dr. Guerra loves to cook for friends and family, and she has recently learned to crochet.

Dr. Wieringa graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. She is originally from the Chicago suburbs and moved to the Seattle area after graduation to work at a busy combination general practice/ER practice for 6 years. Dr. Wieringa then transitioned to doing solely emergency medicine at Seattle Veterinary Specialists in Kirkland until 2016. She then returned to general practice at Wilderness Animal Hospital in Maple Valley, where she served as an Associate Veterinarian and then as Medical Director.

Dr. Wieringa lives in a busy household full of boys, dogs, and cats. When she is not transporting kiddos to sports and other events, she enjoys running, biking, baking, and binge-watching true crime shows.

After several months of relief work at Arrow Animal Urgent Care, Dr. Alyssa Faltin officially joined the team in July 2024. She graduated from Royal Veterinary College in 2021. Dr. Faltin was born in New York and raised in Florida before moving to London, England, for veterinary school. After graduation, she moved to the Seattle area and has been working in general practice and urgent care medicine.

Dr. Faltin has a smooth collie named Mason who has traveled with her around the world. She enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, paddle boarding, cooking, and going to concerts.

Dr. Buikema graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. He moved to Seattle after completing a small animal rotating internship at Auburn University. Before joining the team at Arrow Animal Urgent Care, Dr. Buikema spent the past 5 years as an emergency clinician at Seattle Veterinary Specialists in Kirkland.

Before becoming a veterinarian, Dr. Buikema enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served with 1^st Battalion 5^th Marines. He equally enjoys getting out and exploring the Pacific Northwest via hiking and motorcycle touring, and hanging out at home with his family and their orange tabby, Attila.

Dr. Stoka-Hanley graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. She completed a small-animal rotating internship at a busy practice in Akron, Ohio, prior to moving to the Seattle area. Dr. Stoka-Hanely worked in emergency medicine for 4 years and then for a year with animal poison control. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, and gardening.

Alison is a Veterinary Technician who has been with Arrow Animal Urgent Care since October 2022. She helps with sedation and anesthesia and works hard to ensure pets stay safe during these procedures. Alison has GP and ER experience and enjoys educating people on follow-up care for their pets and explaining their medications.

She appreciates the urgent care aspect of our clinic; it’s a happy medium and liaison between keeping pets out of the ER and still being able to help clients and pets when they cannot get into their primary care vet.

In her free time, Alison enjoys hiking and trying new restaurants. She also enjoys traveling to visit her family in California, Colorado, and Alaska. She has four furry family members; two Ragdoll mix cats, Kitty Beyonce and Marvin, and two Cockapoo puppies, Tigger and Cheetoh.

Ashlee is a Veterinary Assistant who rejoined Arrow Animal Urgent Care in May 2024. She enjoys the team/family aspect of the practice and appreciates that it is a judgment-free place. Ashlee is very much a people person and likes getting to know clients as well as their pets. Along with her partner, Justin, she has Otis and Ben, both of whom are German Shorthaired Pointers. (Otis is a retired champion show dog, and Ben competes in field trials and hunt tests.) Ashlee was raised in Shoreline by her Aunt Jenny and Aunt Vicki, who have been together for 40 years. She currently lives in the Maple Valley area, and in her free time, Ashlee enjoys taking the dogs for walks and hikes, foraging for mushrooms, snowboarding, drawing, and gardening.

In August 2022, Licensed Veterinary Technician Betty joined the Arrow Animal Urgent Care team, where Cystocentesis is one of her specialties. She is a patient and caring presence for pets and their owners at the clinic. You can count on Betty to triage your pet promptly while listening and taking in all your concerns. She appreciates the high level of quality care the clinic provides to patients. Betty was born and raised in Upstate New York and relocated to Seattle in 2012. She currently resides in Renton. Betty and her Shepard mix Elsa love going on adventures, and you can catch Elsa howling along with every ambulance and fire truck that drives by. Recently Betty has taken up roller skating, reading, Lyra, and joined a pool league. She loves to hike, swim, watch movies, like her favorite Homeward Bound, and try new restaurants!

Veterinary Assistant Brielle joined the team in January 2022. Outpatient work has always been Brielle’s favorite, which is why urgent care is ideal for her. Plus, she enjoys working with a “zesty” team and two “super awesome” bosses (Drs. Guerra and Wieringa), none of whom ever complain about her exuberant dance moves. Brielle has a small zoo at home, including Guinea Hen (aka, Pig, an Old English Sheepdog mix), Jezabelle (a Domestic Mediumhair Tortoiseshell), Foiegra (a grey domestic shorthair), and Josephine (a corn snake). When not working, Brielle loves to cook, paddle board, rollerblade, hike, camp, watch movies, and play with Pig.

Eli is a Customer Service Representative at Arrow Animal Urgent Care. He joined our team in March 2023. Eli specializes in supporting clients during difficult situations and delivering reliable solutions with a friendly and warm attitude. 

Originally from Northern Nevada, Eli resides in Renton with his two short-haired cats, Jay and Lu. In his spare time, he loves picnics with his partner, exploring downtown Renton, reading books, and writing fiction stories. Eli’s love for animals was inspired by watching The Crocodile Hunter and other shows on Animal Planet as a kid; Steve Erwin’s passion for all animals and his drive to maintain populations of all animal species solidified Eli’s desire to work with animals.

In March 2022, Veterinary Assistant Emily started with Arrow Animal Urgent Care, where emergency triage is one of her specialties. She very much enjoys being able to help animals and working with a great team. Originally from Maine, Emily lives in Seattle with Pepper (a German Shepherd mix), Kirby (a Pitbull), and Princess Zelda and Princess Peach (two cats). In her free time, Emily enjoys watching movies while tending to her 100+ house plants and seven fish tanks.

Joining Arrow Animal Urgent Care in June 2024, Marissa brings her bubbly personality and genuine love and care for all animals to our Client Service Representatives team! Marissa shows professionalism and kindness to every client and strives for excellence while supporting their unique needs. She’s grateful to work with such a great team and to be helping animals. In her free time, Marissa enjoys hiking, listening to music, spending time with family and her partner — all while caring for her 4 dogs: Bubba, a Black Lab/Pit mix; Zuzu, a Dalmatian; Amara, a Cattle dog mix; and Tequila, a Terrier/Chihuahua mix; 2 cats: Batman and Whiskey; 2 crested geckos (and geckos eggs); and snake.

In January 2022, Licensed Veterinary Technician Michelle started working at Arrow Animal Urgent Care, where she is known for her optimistic attitude, being a connoisseur of cat wrangling and pilling, and for replenishing the candy drawer. It is important to Michelle to make sure clients know that their concerns are heard and their pets are cared for in a compassionate, loving way. Originally from Western New York, she lives in Seattle with a small menagerie of critters: Reggie (a Pug), Cornelius (a Selkirk Rex kitty), Archie (a Sphynx cat), and her three guinea pigs (Mango, Goose, and Rooster). When not at work, Michelle keeps busy watching anything and everything Marvel as well as enjoying the Pacific Northwest with her boyfriend and son.

Pam is a Client Service Representative who joined the team in January 2022. She strives to convey respect and empathy for every client who walks through the door. Pam enjoys working with the rest of the clinic staff to ensure that pets get the help they need. At home, she has a cat named Jay and a Shih Tzu named Lola. Originally from Southern California, Pam lives in Renton and enjoys watching true crime, ghost shows, and HGTV.

Samantha joined our team in September 2022 as a Licensed Veterinary Technician. She is a midwest native who relocated to Seattle many years ago and has served numerous roles in the veterinary community. Her background with The Cat Doctor honed her skills as a “cat whisperer,” and more recently, she has been a core employee at BluePearl Specialty Hospital in Renton. In addition to being an amazing veterinary technician, Samantha is a talented artist and often creates drawings or crafts for friends and family. In fact, she designed the logo for Arrow Animal Urgent Care! In her spare time, Samantha enjoys working out at the gym, spoiling her cats, and visiting thrift stores for creative inspiration.

In January 2022, Licensed Veterinary Technician Taryn joined Arrow Animal Urgent Care, where she specializes in anesthesia. She enjoys working at this walk-in clinic and feeling like she’s actually helping pets at the end of the day, especially as regular veterinary offices and emergency clinics are inundated with critical patients. Originally from Vermont, Taryn lives in Tukwila with her two cats: long-haired Munchkin and short-haired Banshee. In her free time, she likes drawing, photography, collecting rare plants, hiking, and spending time with her husband and kitties.