About Us
Serving Our Community Since 1987
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 Bell Ridge 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.
Dr. Jennifer Starkel
I'm from a small town in Connecticut. I received my Bachelor of Animal Science from the University of New Hampshire in 2001, then my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri in 2005.
I enjoy spending free time with my husband and our two energetic sons, as well as our four-legged furry babies. We also like to visit family and friends in the Midwest and New England when we can. When I can find some alone time, I love to read and run (aside from chasing around those energetic boys).
Dr. Greta Heinemann
I was born and raised in Elmhurst, Illinois. I have worked for AZPetVet for over 22 years. This organization has been my home since graduating from the University of Illinois - College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. Over the years, I have enjoyed working with and mentoring many talented and caring AZPetVet doctors and team members throughout our family of hospitals. I appreciate the need for compassionate veterinary care and strive to meet all pet and client needs with flexible health care options. I understand that each case is unique and I personally strive to provide quality, individualized medical, dental, and surgical care for all patients.
I have been married for 22 years, and we are blessed with 2 amazing, energetic daughters. We also love our spoiled, long-haired, tabby cat named, “Griffin”. He is the epitome of the mythological creature: part eagle/part lion. We actually think he may actually be a dog posing in a cat’s body.
My free-time is spent with family: cooking, hiking throughout Arizona while appreciating nature, reading, sewing, painting, and making the most out of each and every day.
Thank you for allowing us to care for your beloved furry family members at Bell Ridge Animal Hospital and Grooming!
Dr. Nicole Johnson
I grew up in Simi Valley, California, and studied at California Lutheran University, receiving my undergraduate degree in 2015. I continued my education at Midwestern University and graduated with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. Before attending veterinary school, I was a veterinary assistant and technician for 4 years at a clinic in California. My clinical interests include preventative medicine and dentistry - with plans on getting certified in acupuncture in the future!
I live with my husband, and we recently welcomed our first baby boy! When outside of work, you can catch me watching football (Go Saints!), riding horses, and spending quality time with my family and our 2 dogs and 3 cats!
Dr. Duke Cole
I grew up in the Southern California resort town of Palm Springs, CA. Early in my adult life, I decided to pursue a long-standing interest in horseback riding. My admiration for the spirit and athleticism of the horse soon developed into a passion for veterinary medicine. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, CA in 2016, and in 2021, I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Midwestern University here in Glendale, AZ. The area of veterinary medicine that I find the most fulfilling is working with clients to diagnose their beloved pet’s ailment and determine an effective therapy, particularly in the areas of Internal Medicine and Dentistry.
Personally, I am a calm and steady person who values routine. I appreciate the riches of life that come through visiting the wonderful zoo animals of Arizona, playing music that catches my ear on my piano, the outdoor sports that Arizona offers, riding my thoroughbred/quarter-horse, No Name, and my well-trained feline, Confidential.
Dr. Matthew Hay-Roe
I was born in Canton, Ohio, and my family moved to Phoenix in 1998. I attended the University of Arizona in Tucson and graduated with my Veterinary Science bachelor’s degree in 2011, and followed with vet school at Colorado State, which I completed in 2016. During both undergraduate and veterinary school, I performed in bands on some weekends and continue do so. I have worked at several veterinary practices in the Phoenix area, and am excited to get to know the people in north Phoenix. I currently live in Phoenix with my wife, two sassy cats and a very sweet dog.