On behalf of the entire staff at North Pole Veterinary Hospital, we would like to welcome you to our website. North Pole Veterinary Hospital was started by Dr. Karl Monetti in 1971 as a large and small animal practice. The hospital was operated out of his house until 1984. In 1984, Dr. Monetti built the present hospital facility on Hurst Road and it became strictly a small animal practice. Dr. Monetti and his wife Susan, a licensed veterinary technician, ran the clinic until 2006.

In August of 2006, Dr. Denali Lovely and her husband Patrick Lovely purchased the hospital facility and practice from Dr. Monetti. The practice has remained strictly small animal, however two other associates were added in 2006 and 2007 to provide the North Pole community with expanded veterinary care.







We as veterinarians attend continuing education yearly and keep current on new modalities and treatments for our patients. Some health issues may entail long term medical care and support for your pet. We feel education and communication is very important for the veterinarian/patient/client relationship. Please feel free to ask questions so that we can help you understand your pet's health so that you will feel confident in the care they receive.



Dr. Denali Lovely (Henderson) was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska.
She left Alaska after high school and obtained a Bachelor of Science
in Wildlife Biology and a minor in Botany from the University of Montana.

Montana is where she met her husband Patrick. She and her husband
worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service for a few years when Denali decided
to go to veterinary school. They both moved to Pullman, Washington where
Dr. Lovely obtained her DVM in 2001 from Washington State University.
Dr. Lovely's interests are dermatology, internal medicine and soft tissue surgery.
She and her husband reside in Fairbanks with their two daughters and two dogs.


Dr. Margaret Eastman joined North Pole Veterinary Hospital in September of 2006.
She attended the University of Wisconsin Madison and graduated from veterinary school in 1993.
She moved to Alaska after spending several years working as the head veterinarian on the
Yukon Quest (2001-2003). She lives in North Pole with her family.
She has special interests in ophthalmology, internal medicine and infectious diseases.
She is active in Search and Rescue, PAWS and agility with her yellow Labrador Chena.







Dr. Daniel Robertson joined North Pole Veterinary Hospital in February of 2010.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of British Columbia, Canada and
graduated from veterinary school in 2007 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. He has
special interests in internal medicine and pharmacology. His outside interests are rock
climbing, mountain biking and gardening.







Dr. Mika Straub graduated with a B.A. in Biology and a Minor in Chemistry from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She attended Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in June, 2011. Her special interests are emergency medicine and surgery. Her outside interests include commercial fishing with her husband, scuba diving, horseback riding, skijoring with her dogs, snow machining, hiking, and playing ice hockey. She joined our practice in July 2011.








All of our licensed technicians regularly attend continuing education so that they can remain current with veterinary medicine. We are proud of the fact that we have 5 licensed veterinary technicians at North Pole Veterinary Hospital. It is important to us to provide quality up to date care in pain management and all other aspects of veterinary medicine. We feel that communication between our staff and clients is very important. The technicians will take time to help you understand your pet's diagnostic and treatment options so that you feel confident in the care they receive.


Allison Pearmine, LVT - Alli has been a technician since 2001. She has interests in radiology, surgery, laboratory procedures and kittens.









Krystal Minkler, LVT - Krystal has been a technician since 2005. She has attended continuing education classes on dentistry and has learned current advanced dentistry techniques to provide high quality dental care for your pet.








Jill Grogan, LVT - Jill has been a technician since 2001. She has interests in nutrition, internal medicine and pharmacology. In her spare time she enjoys scuba diving and horseback riding.










Rhiannon Kerns, LVT - Rhiannon has been a technician since 2002. She graduated from The Bel Rey Institute of Animal Technical School in Colorado. She has interests in hematology and parasitology.



Patty McCall, LVT - Patty graduated from Colorado Mountain College in 2005 with a degree in Veterinary Technology. She enjoys working in the lab and assisting in surgery. Outside of work her hobbies include spending time fishing, hunting and spending time with her husband, Billy, her Boxer, Girdwood, her Bearded Dragon, Hank and her Beta fish, Bob.








Our Veterinary Assistants play an important role in ensuring that your pet receives the best care possible while visiting our hospital. They are a knowledgable part of our staff and are available to help answer any questions you may have concerning the well-being of your pet.


Carolyn Maxwell has been an assistant for 3 years. She enjoys interacting with clients about their pets' care and treatment. She lives in North Pole with her husband and 4 dogs.














Our Front Office Staff is dedicated to making your visit a pleasant one. They are an important liason between our clients and our medical team. They are available to assist in appointment scheduling, medicine refill requests and processing payments.


Kay Hubert has been a front office team member since July of 2008. She enjoys seeing all of the different breeds of cute dogs and cats on a daily basis. She has a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Pistol.










Misty Rathbun has been a front office team member since June of 2009. She was raised in North Pole and currently resides in North Pole with her family.











Patrick Lovely has a Masters degree in Education from WSU and currently teaches at Lathrop High School. He also works part time at the hospital doing business management and maintenance.