About Us
AZPetVet Surprise Animal Hospital & Grooming has been a part of the community since 2005.
Over the years, our experienced and compassionate team has provided tender, loving veterinary care to thousands of pet patients – many for the duration of their lives. As caring providers of quality preventive, medical and surgical veterinary care, our goal is to help you keep your beloved pets healthier and happier at every stage of their lives. It’s our privilege, and our promise, to always do our best for you and your pet.
The doctors and staff at AZPetVet Surprise Animal Hospital & Grooming want to be your trusted partners in caring for your pet and keeping them in good health. We strive to build long term, family-like relationships with our clients and their pets. We also pride ourselves on offering a broad range of services from routine wellness to advanced veterinary treatments and services for those treasured members of your family.
Watch this video to learn more about the AZPetVet family.
WOW Promise
We’re animal lovers and pet parents, and just like you, we want the very best for our furry (and sometimes not so furry) family members. That’s how the WOW Promise became the foundation of everything we do. Whether it’s routine wellness exams, medical, surgical or dental services, payment plans, grooming or other services, our goal is to WOW you and your pet, every step of the way.
Only The Best
Our Family of Hospitals
For more than 35 years, our AZPetVet family of animal hospitals have been caring for your furry friends. Our reputation has been built upon outstanding service and nurturing our relationships with pet parents, like you.
Our Doctors
Dr. Vivian Splett
After growing up in Brazil, I moved with my family to sunny Arizona. I later moved to Virginia, where I finished my undergraduate studies and spent time volunteering in shelters, and gained experience working for a veterinary clinic. I moved back to Arizona, where I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Midwestern University. While I am still narrowing down my passions, I have great interest in many areas of the field including preventative care and surgery. But nothing is quite as rewarding as fostering the client/patient relationship and seeing the human and animal bond grow.
Outside of the office I enjoy going on motorcycle rides with my husband and spending time with family & friends. My family includes my husband, 2 dogs, and 1 cat. Maha, a 10 year old, female Shepherd mix, Whiskey a 2.5 year old, male border collie, and Winky a 7 year old female Siamese mix.
I am looking forward to getting to know you and your pets!
Dr. Nicole Feng
I grew up right down the road from Surprise Animal Hospital in Peoria, Arizona. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2018 from Arizona State University and went on to attend veterinary school at Oregon State University, graduating in 2022. Prior to veterinary school I volunteered and interned at local animal shelters.
My professional interests include preventative care, low-stress handling, and feline medicine. My goal as a veterinarian is to help strengthen the bond between people and their beloved pets by providing compassionate, high-quality medical care.
Outside of work I enjoy painting, drawing, and learning Mandarin Chinese in my free time. I also love to travel and hike with my husband.
Dr. Laural Casler
I am originally from upstate New York, but have moved around a lot with my schooling. I first moved to Arizona in 1996 for graduate school, where I studied anthropology and primate behavior. I returned to the Phoenix area after veterinary school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and have found my professional home as part of the White Tanks Animal Hospital team.
I understand that your pets are important members of your family, and I will always treat them like my own. My goal is to keep them happy and healthy. When unplanned situations arise, I will work with you to strive to make them well. While I love all areas of veterinary medicine, I have strong interests in dentistry and internal medicine. I look forward to creating strong bonds with both you and your pets.
In my free time, I enjoy sharing my life with my own furry family - my three dogs, George, Gracie, and Rona, and two cats, Tinker and Petie. I love spending time with friends, hiking, traveling, and gardening.
Dr. Nichole Westerweel
I am originally from Las Vegas, NV, and moved to the Phoenix area after graduating from veterinary school in 2009. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University, I went on to graduate from Kansas State University’s (Go Wildcats!) College of Veterinary Medicine. Before entering general medicine, I completed a one-year rotating small animal internship with VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center in Mesa, AZ.
While I love all aspects of veterinary medicine, my interests lie in internal medicine, surgery, and nutrition. I strongly believe that the bond between you and your pet is special, and is something to be treasured for a lifetime. My pets are like my babies, and I treat each patient as though they were my own furry family member.
In my free time, I love to be outdoors, hiking, swimming, and camping with my boxer mix “Tater”, and snuggling my kitty “Finnegan”. I also have three human kiddos that keep me on my toes. I very much look forward to meeting you and your pets!
Dr. Johanna DeKing
I am originally from the Midwest and spent time growing up in Illinois and Wisconsin before moving to Arizona with my family. I attended Arizona State University, graduating summa cum laude in 2005. I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University in 2009 and graduated as a member of the Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society. Following graduation, I completed a one-year internship at Washington State University to further expand my knowledge in areas of emergency and critical care, oncology, internal medicine, and surgery.
I share my home with my fiance, Chris, two stepchildren, Hayden and Carter, and our seven rescued dogs, Baxter, an Australian cattle dog cross, Jack, a rottweiler mix, Sawyer, Emmett and Brewster, all large mixed breed dogs and two lovable pitbulls, Gus and Lea. I’m an avid Chicago Cubs fan and also enjoy hiking, cooking, reading, and spending as much time outdoors with my dogs as possible.
Dr. Kelsey Newman
I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, and my post-graduate studies at Colorado State University, graduating in 2017. As a part of the AZPetVet family, my special interests include low-stress handling, cardiology and soft tissue surgery. My goal is to treat every pet as if it were my own.
Life at home includes my cat Niya, and a rambunctious terrier mix named Flash. My hobbies include photography, reading sci-fi and fantasy novels, and the ultimate air-conditioned sport – Just Dance! I hope to meet you and your pets very soon.
Dr. Emily Hein
I was born and raised in beautiful Prescott, AZ. I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in 2013, followed by working full time as a veterinary assistant for one year. Then, I headed off to Colorado State University, where I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2018.
I recognize that animals are an integral part of the family, and I enjoy providing quality care throughout a pet's lifespan. My special interests in veterinary medicine include ophthalmology, internal medicine, and preventative care. In my free time, I enjoy hiking new trails with my chihuahua named Twixie.
Dr. Chelsey Blue
I grew up in Lodi, CA where I learned to love animals by owning a variety of small animals and pocket pets while growing up. In 2012, I earned my associates of science degree from North Idaho College before transferring to the University of Idaho for my Bachelor of Science degree. I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Midwestern University right here in Glendale, AZ. Prior to veterinary school, I worked in many positions in the field including kennel technician, veterinary assistant, and receptionist in an array of different practices (small animal, mixed animal, emergency). All these positions helped me to learn the veterinary field from multiple perspectives. During veterinary school, I gained a love for shelter medicine while being a member and President of the shelter medicine club and a mobile clinic coordinator. I loved being able to provide services (spay/neuter, vaccines) to communities that do not have access to veterinary care. Professionally, I am interested in dermatology, surgery, and emergency medicine.
In 2017, I moved to Arizona with my two miniature schnauzers – Cleopatra and Snickers, three reptiles – Skittles, a panther chameleon; and Cheez-it and Warhead, both Mali Uromastyx (part of the lizard family), and my motorcycle! That same year I became a member of the Phoenix Chapter of Bikers for Christ where I met my now husband, David. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we added two guinea pigs – Harry Potter and Ron Weasley – to our family, as well as a pair of kittens – Princess Dot and Flik!