Doctors

Angie Gearhart, DVM, Medical Director, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr Angie Gearhart graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. She practiced small animal medicine in a primary care practice in Arkansas for 8 years. Dr Gearhart and her family moved to Des Moines in 2007. From 2007 to 2016 Dr Gearhart worked as an emergency veterinarian at Iowa Veterinary Specialties. Dr Gearhart joined an integrative veterinary practice in 2016 and became a certified veterinary acupuncturist in 2017.

In April 2019 Dr Gearhart rejoined Iowa Veterinary Specialities as Medical Director as well as the head of the Hospice Palliative Care Department and oversees the Blood Bank at Iowa Veterinary Specialties.  Dr Gearhart works closely with the medical team and nursing staff at Iowa to continue to grow our mission of serving pets, families and veterinarians in the Greater Des Moines area.

Dr Gearhart is a member of:

• The American Veterinary Medical Association
• Iowa Veterinary Medical Association
• Animal Hospice and Palliative Care Association
• Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society

During her free time Dr Gearhart enjoys spending time with her family which includes 2 sons, her husband and her sweet kitten Georgie. She is passionate about veterinary medicine and shares her passion with high school students at Waukee High School through their APEX program. This program provides students interested in Animal Science careers with exposure and experience in the practice of small animal medicine. In 2018 she was recognized by the Apex program for her contributions.

Kevin Pottorff, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Pottorff graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. He joined Iowa Veterinary Specialties as a staff veterinarian in April 2011. He practiced in Oelwein, Iowa, for four years before moving to Corning, Iowa, where he was a founding partner of Southern Hills Veterinary Services. Dr. Pottorff is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association.

Shelby Mangus, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Mangus graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. After working in general practice, Dr. Mangus discovered a strong passion for emergency medicine. She has a special interest in internal medicine, feline medicine, and soft tissue surgery. During her free time she enjoys gardening, canoeing, and spending time with her husband, Devin, as well as their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Ava and Meadow, and two cats Pharaoh and Iris. Dr. Mangus is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

Abbey Rupiper, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Abbey Rupiper is originally from St. Louis Park, MN but moved to Iowa in 2009 to attend Drake University in Des Moines where she graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Dr. Rupiper then went on to attend Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2019. Dr. Rupiper founded the exotics department at Iowa Veterinary Specialties and has a special interest in small mammals and reptiles. When not at work Dr. Rupiper enjoys spending time outside with her husband, three kids, and her two dogs (Wicket the Newfoundland and Sally the mixed breed, ) and 2 cats.

Courtney Blake, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr.Courtney Blake is a 2012 graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Before joining IVS in 2020, she practiced large and small animal medicine at a mixed animal practice in Western Iowa for 7 years. Dr. Blake enjoys the variety of cases associated with emergency medicine.

Shannon McMurray, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Heather Quinn, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Heather Quinn is originally from Green Bay, WI area and graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2018. She has a strong interest in abdominal ultrasound, internal medicine and wound management. When not working, she enjoys time with her two Labradors (Wally and Leidner) and anything outdoors especially traveling, hiking and water sports.

Julie Riha, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Brittany Hoyt, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Brittany Hoyt graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. She moved to Iowa and joined IVS in 2022. Before Iowa, she worked at mixed animal practices caring for both small and large animals in Southwest Kansas and Central Minnesota. Dr. Hoyt enjoys the challenge and variety that emergency medicine can bring. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association.

Joseph Nitcher, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Nitcher graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. After graduation, he completed a rotating internship in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area in emergency/critical care and specialty medicine. He is excited to return to Iowa following this internship and continue practicing in the emergency setting. Dr. Nitcher has a special interest in fluid therapy, point-of-care ultrasound, and coagulative disorders. During his free time, Dr. Nitcher enjoys watching soccer, consuming popular culture and spending time with his two cats.

Allison Kenzig, DVM, DACVS-SA

Dr. Kenzig attended The Ohio State University for both her undergraduate education and veterinary school and received her DVM in 2013. She then completed a rotating internship at University of Missouri in 2014 and a small animal surgical residency at Mississippi State University in 2017. After residency, she spent four years as a private practice surgeon in Ohio. She is board-certified in small animal surgery as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Kenzig is well-versed in soft tissue, orthopedic, and neurosurgical procedures. She is particularly interested in minimally invasive procedures (laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, and arthroscopy) and is experienced in performing TPLOs for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament disease in all sizes of dogs. In her spare time, Dr. Kenzig spends time with her husband, fellow ISU/IVS surgeon Dr. Andy Law, their two dogs, cat, and chinchilla.

Andy Law, BVetMed, DACVS-SA

Dr. Law received his veterinary degree from National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan. He then completed a clinical year at Colorado State University, an internship in orthopedics and neurosurgery with Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick (from television shows Bionic Vet and Supervet), and both a rotating internship and small animal surgical residency at Mississippi State University. Dr. Law became board certified in February 2017 while teaching orthopedics as faculty at Purdue University. He then spent four years in specialty private practice in Ohio before joining the Iowa State University and IVS teams. Dr. Law has an interest in all things surgical, with an emphasis on advanced orthopedic procedures and minimally-invasive procedures. When not working, he spends time with his wife, fellow ISU/IVS surgeon Dr. Allison Kenzig, and their pets Peanut, Rosie, Rajah, and Lolita.

Lena Ribbey, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Lena Ribbey graduated from Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the Class of 2019. She started in general practice in the Greater Des Moines area before transitioning to Iowa Veterinary Specialties full time in July 2021. She has had an interest in exotic pets since first starting in veterinary medicine in 2012. When not working, Dr. Ribbey is at home with her husband, two dogs, and four cats.

Dr. Matt Lundquist, DVM, Emergency Veterinarian

Dr. Matt Lundquist is from central Iowa. He grew up an ISU fan and attended school there graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. Dr. Lundquist then went on to attend Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2018. When not at work Dr. Lundquist enjoys spending time outside with his wife Katie, who is also a veterinarian, and two kids. His hobbies include as much golf as possible and taking his dogs pheasant hunting.  Dr. Lundquist has two dogs (Kaia the chocolate lab and Rip the golden retriever) and a cat (Nala).