Specialty Vets
Dr. Natalia Soto - DVM, DACVS-SA +
Dr. Natalia Soto received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. Upon graduation, she completed a rotating internship in medicine and surgery at Garden State Veterinary Specialists and a surgical internship at Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, CT. She then completed her small animal surgical residency in 2014 at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Soto is honored to be the Chief of Surgery for TrueCare for pets. She performs both soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries, with a strong interest in minimally invasive surgery, wound management and reconstructive surgery.
When not at work, she enjoys running, hiking and spending time with her cat, Little G.
Dr. Emilie Chaplow - VMD, DACVIM +
Dr. Emilie Chaplow received her Veterinary Medical Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2001. Following graduation, she completed a one-year rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City.
Dr. Chaplow then completed a residency in small animal internal medicine at California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles in 2005, and became board-certified later that year. She is currently on the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, as an associate professor.
Dr. Chaplow is skilled in endoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, bone marrow aspirates, feeding tube placement (PEG and E-tube), joint taps, arterial blood gas, and numerous other areas of internal medicine. She has a special interest in immune-mediated disease, endocrinology, and gastroenterology, and has authored a chapter in Ettinger’s Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, on “Dysphagia and Regurgitation.”
Dr. Chaplow resides with her husband, two sons, labrador and pug. When not working, she enjoys hanging with her kids, hiking, and running
Dr. Maya Lottati - Ph.D., DACVIM +
Dr. Maya Lottati DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM graduated from the University of California Davis where she received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and subsequently completed an intensive one-year small animal rotating internship at VCA West Los Angeles. She then completed an internal medicine residency at a private practice in Woodland Hills, CA where she stayed on as an internist. Prior to veterinary school, Dr. Lottati received a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California School of Medicine researching the relationship between obesity and insulin resistance in dogs.
As a board-certified internal medicine specialist, her main interests include endocrinology, gastrointestinal conditions, immune-mediated diseases, and minimally-invasive endoscopic procedures. Dr. Lottati is trained and skilled in numerous areas of internal medicine including ultrasonography, endoscopy, and advanced imaging, as well as a number of other specialized procedures. With numerous publications in scientific journals and a love for research, Dr. Lottati continues to participate in exciting research projects aimed at advancing the field of veterinary medicine.
Dr. Lottati lives in Woodland Hills with her husband, children, chihuahua mix, and cat. When she is not spending time with her family and fur-babies, some of her favorite activities include traveling, cooking, and relaxing with a nice glass of wine. She is very excited to join the TrueCare family as an internal medicine specialist starting August 2019.
Dr. Lauren Quarterman - DVM, DACVR/Radiation Oncology +
Dr. Lauren Quarterman, DVM, DACVR/Radiation Oncology, received her degree in Animal Science with a pre-veterinary concentration from the University of Delaware in 2005. She earned her DVM at the University of Georgia in 2009 and completed a one-year small animal medical and surgical internship at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. She then completed a 2-year residency in radiation oncology at North Carolina State University and received her board certification in veterinary radiation oncology in 2012.
After graduation, Dr. Quarterman returned to VCA West Los Angeles where she was the head of the Radiation Oncology department for 7 years. In 2018, she became head of the PetCure Oncology Radiation Department in Campbell, California, and treated over 1000 patients with the first Halcyon radiation therapy system commissioned for veterinary patients.
Dr. Quarterman has extensive experience in many different radiation therapy modalities including stereotactic radiation therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy. In her role, she remains focused on the continued advancements in the field of veterinary radiation oncology with the goal to improve local tumor control, reduce treatment related side effects and ultimately improve animal welfare.
Karen Koo +
Dr. Karen Koo, DVM, MBA, DACVIM (Oncology), received her doctorate degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017. Upon graduation, she completed an intensive small animal and surgery rotating internship at the University of Missouri, followed by a three-year medical oncology residency at the University of Minnesota.
As a board-certified oncologist, Dr. Koo has special interests in primary bone tumors (osteosarcoma) and malignant melanoma, driving her research in both areas and subsequent publication in canine malignant melanoma.
Before embarking on her journey in veterinary medicine, Dr. Koo accumulated extensive experience in finance, IT, and business management. She received her BBA (Hon.) and MBA degrees from the University of Wisconsin. Born and raised in Hong Kong and having resided in Shanghai for about 2 years, Dr. Koo is also fluent in Cantonese and proficient in Mandarin (Putonghua).
In her down time, Dr. Koo enjoys watching movies (she double majored in business and film in her undergraduate years), cooking, and training George, her terrier-cross who was excited to move with her from Minnesota to Southern California.
Amanda Tallant +
Emergency Room & Urgent Care +
Emergency Vets
Dr. Morgan Cavanaugh - VMD +
A native Californian, Dr. Morgan Cavanaugh graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1993 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. He was accepted into the Ivy League Veterinary program at University of Pennsylvania and graduated cum laude in 1998. After graduation he returned to California to complete a one year Surgery internship at California Animal Hospital with emphasis on Emergency Medicine and Critical Care.
In 1999, Dr. Cavanaugh began working as a full-time associate with the Animal Emergency Centre in Los Angeles. After falling in love with the patients and veterinary practice, he became an owner of the rapidly growing emergency hospital in 2001. Under his leadership the Animal Emergency Centre has continued to expand and grow. In 2005 the emergency veterinary hospital was relocated to a brand new modern facility which offers the latest in cutting edge technology for emergency and critical care.
In addition to being a veterinarian, His hobbies include surfing, scuba diving and traveling.
Dr. Juli White - DVM +
Dr. Juli White earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1992. She graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis in 1997. After graduation she completed a one year formal internship at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, Colorado. This internship included additional training in Internal Medicine, Surgery and Radiology with a special emphasis on Emergency Veterinary Medicine and Critical Care.
For two years after her internship, Dr. White practiced Emergency Medicine full time at Veterinary Specialists of Kansas City in Overland Park, Kansas. These two years of practice allowed her to continue her training in an informal setting by working side by side with board-certified specialists in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Dermatology, Opthalmology, and Radiology.
Since July of 2000, Dr. White has been a full time associate with the Animal Emergency Centre in Los Angeles. In 2004 she expanded her involvement in the practice by becoming Staff Manager. She loves the excitement of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine and the pets and people that she gets to interact with on a nightly basis.
Dr. McGee Leonard - DVM, DACVECC +
Dr. Angel Wu - DVM +
Dr. Elena Hernandez-Merino - DVM +
Dr. Trish Ogle - DVM +
Dr. Priya Thakkar - DVM +
Dr. Priya Thakkar graduated from Michigan State University in 2011 after completing her undergraduate degrees in Animal Science with a minor in Chemistry from CalPoly Pomona. Upon her graduation from Michigan State University, she participated in a one-year rotating internship at the Animal Specialty group. Since 2012, she’s worked exclusively in the ER, and specializes in emergency medicine.
Dr. Priya Thakkar lives with her husband, 3-year-old daughter, and her two rescue pups, a Husky and a Min Pin Mix. When not at work, she enjoys traveling, yoga, hiking, and spending time with her family.
The Hospital
TrueCare for Pets is a Los Angeles pet emergency room offering emergency veterinary care, surgery, and internal medicine services to local pets. Located in the Studio City area of Los Angeles, our emergency veterinary clinic is fully accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association as a state-of-the-art animal emergency center.
Formally known as the Animal Emergency Centre we were established in 1980. We have now transitioned to provide 24 hour emergency services under our new banner TrueCare for Pets. Our primary goal is to work with your pet’s regular veterinarian to provide the absolute finest pet emergency room care in Los Angeles. We are now open 24 hours every day of the year.
In 2005 we moved to our new location at 11730 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 (map). It is one of the preeminent custom-designed veterinary hospitals and is optimal for providing emergency and critical pet care. Our veterinary hospital serves as the Blood and Anti-Venom Bank for the San Fernando Valley and the greater Los Angeles area. Because of this, we are able to handle snake bite and severe trauma emergency situations.