Derek Paul received his Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. After serving six years as a Naval Officer, he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois. He was accepted into a small animal medical and surgical internship in the Denver area and has been working in emergency medicine in the denver area ever since then. He is trained in veterinary acupuncture and has special interest in complementary and alternative modalities and wildlife and conservation medicine. He and his wife, JoAnn, have two children, Ella and Gavin, as well as several furry and feathered kids: mutts Captain, Lefty, and Pancho, kitty Misty, and three finches.

scott hafeman dvm Scott Hafeman, DVM

Dr. Hafeman is originally from Nebraska. He completed a B.S. degree in biological sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln prior to veterinary school. He completed veterinary school at Colorado State University where he graduated magna cum laude. After vet school, he completed a small animal internship at North Carolina State University. While there he focused in medical oncology and small animal internal medicine. After completion of the internship Dr. Hafeman returned to Colorado and started work on a PhD in cancer biology at Colorado State. He started working part time at Animal ER in 2007 and started full time in 2010. Dr. Hafeman recently completed his PhD in early 2011. The focus of his research was development of drugs to help the immune system combat cancer. This research led to the development of a novel treatment for disseminated histiocytic sarcoma which is a highly aggressive cancer in dogs. His main professional interests are oncology, immunology, and infectious disease. He also continues to do cancer research. When not working Scott enjoys spending time with his wife Erica, his dogs Sundance, Lilly and Bella, his turtle Moytle, rabbit Charlie and horses Sage and Nora. He and his family (sans rabbit and turtle) are avid outdoor enthusiasts and he and his wife are hooked on fly fishing.

Other Relief Doctors

Kate Long Veterinarian emergency vet Kate Long, DVM

Kate received a Bachelor of Science in Physics/Biophysics from Haverford College in PA, and her veterinary degree at the University of California at Davis. After a small animal rotating internship at the Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center in San Diego CA, she spent several years as an emergency clinician before completing a residency in emergency and critical care at the Animal Emergency Center in Glendale, Wisconsin. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2008. She is currently a student of Five Element Acupuncture at the Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture in Louisville, CO. Her professional interests include a combination of integrative and preventative medicine, cardiovascular pathophysiology, critical care and intensive nutritional support. In her free time, Kate practices Tai Chi and enjoys reading, swimming, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. She currently lives in Colorado Springs with her two adorable cats, Rabbit and Sparrow.

Dr Livia Wierenga Livia Wierenga, DVM

Dr. Livia Wieringa is originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She went to Veterinary School at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. After completing veterinary school she did a year long internship with a concentration in Emergency and Critical Care in Fort Collins, CO. After completing the internship she worked in Northern Colorado as an Emergency Veterinarian for 5 and 1/2 years before moving to Denver and joining the Animal ER team. Her passions are emergency care, trauma and pain management.
She is currently obtaining her certification in Canine Physical Rehabilitation and hopes to be seeing rehabilitation and pain cases by early to mid 2012 after completing this course. Her personal interests include taking her Mini Dachshund swimming, traveling and skydiving (she is an indoor skydive instructor and has been skydiving outdoors for 4 years).