Dr. James Peterson
Dr. James Peterson is a general practitioner and the owner of Cedar Creek Pet Hospital. He has been caring for pets at the hospital since 2013. Dr. Peterson attended Kansas State University and received his Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science and Industry in 1993. He went on to attend Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and was awarded his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. After veterinary school, Dr. Peterson worked in a practice in New York for 2 years, before moving to Phoenix and practicing for 12 years. He then moved back to the Kansas City area to be near family and become the Chief-of-Staff at Banfield Olathe.
Dr. Peterson then built and opened Cedar Creek Pet Hospital in 2013. Dr. Peterson particularly enjoys working on challenging medicine cases, especially ears and skin. Surgery and dentistry are also among his professional interests. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the Kansas City Veterinary Medical Association and the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association. Married to Marlo, Dr. Peterson is the proud father of two exceptional children, Paige and Peyton. The family also includes 4 Border Collies and a cat. When he's not busy caring for pets at the hospital, Dr. Peterson enjoys a number of outdoor activities and spending time with his family.
Our team is committed to educating our clients in how to keep your pets healthy year round, with good nutrition and exercise. Cedar Creek Pet Hospital stays on top of the latest advances in veterinarian technology and above all, remembers that all animals and pets need to be treated with loving care in every check-up, procedure, or surgery.
Owner
Dr. Marlo Showalter
Dr. Marlo Showalter is a veterinarian at Cedar Creek Pet Hospital. She received both an Animal Science degree and doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University. She can’t remember a time when caring for animals wasn’t part of her life. Growing up on a dairy farm in northeast Kansas, she gained her appreciation of veterinary medicine through watching, learning and assisting a local veterinarian. She admired a veterinarian’s connection with people, in the community, through the partnering of animal care and healing. These observations of commonality among people, who desire to have companion animals and provide them with good care, lead her to veterinary medicine. She developed a passion to improve the human-animal bond by maintaining a healthy, happy pet to maximize the human’s enjoyment of their pet. Dr. Showalter hopes she has passed on her love of animals to her two awesome children, Paige and Peyton. Outside of work she enjoys training her dogs M and Caine. She also likes hiking and music.
Dr. Showalter is a member of AVMA, Kansas Veterinary Medical Association, and licensed in Kansas.
Alicia
Alicia joined Cedar Creek Pet Hospital in the Spring of 2021 and took on the role of Practice Manager in the Fall. She is committed to ensuring the hospital runs smoothly, guaranteeing our patients the best care. Alicia's favorite part of the job is building relationships with clients and pets through reliable and friendly service. When Alicia is not working she can be found exploring the area, checking out new shops and restaurants. Alicia especially enjoys spending her time with her two dogs: Stella and Subie and her two cats: Alfalfa and Buckwheat.
Amanda Staley
Amanda is a Receptionist, Boarding Caretaker, and Veterinary Technician Assistant here at Cedar Creek Pet Hospital. She aspires to become a veterinarian and is currently attending JCCC. Amanda has three cats: Oliver, Nala, and Bean. When she is not working, Amanda enjoys watching movies, hanging out with friends, and reading.
Jeni Reardon
Jeni, our lead Veterinary Technician, joined Cedar Creek Pet Hospital in 2018. She graduated from Brown Mackie College with an associate degree in Applied Science, specializing in Veterinary Technology. Since she was a child, Jeni loved caring for animals, propelling her into a career in Veterinary Medicine. Jeni always prioritizes the care of patients above all else. When she's not working, Jeni loves spending time with her family, reading, and watching Harry Potter. She has four cats: Gizmo, Furby, Mr. Cotton Socks, and Shadow, as well as three dogs: a Shepherd named Remy, and two Dachshunds named Will and Grace.
Brooke Estes
Brooke joined Cedar Creek Pet Hospital as a full-time Groomer in December of 2019, adding seven years of grooming experience to our team. She believes treating every dog like her own provides them the best experience. Brooke's proudest moment is discovering a malignant growth on a dog she was grooming, giving the owners a chance to get it removed before it spread. One day, Brooke hopes to start a foundation dedicated to providing free grooming to shelter dogs. When Brooke is not grooming, she likes to spend time with her three dogs: Cuda, Elanor, Saturn, and her two cats: Kit-Kat and Ichabod.
Jacob Nonoyama
Jacob joined Cedar Creek Pet Hospital in 2018. Since joining, Jacob has enjoyed learning about every dog he cares for and knows every Day Play dog by heart. Jacob's favorite part of being a Boarding Caretaker is getting to spend time with dogs. When he's not working, he likes to play video games and spend time with his own dogs: Archie and Max.
MaKayla
MaKayla became our On-Site Trainer in the Spring of 2021. She is experienced in positive reinforcement training techniques and continues to expand her knowledge in recognizing and correcting dog behavior. When MaKayla is not training, she works as the Boarding Caretaker Manager. MaKayla gets the most satisfaction from helping owners better understand their pets. Outside of work, MaKayla enjoys training her dog, Bert, and spending time with her cat, Kitty, and Naruto the bearded dragon.
Dustin
Dustin has been a Veterinary Technician Assistant at Cedar Creek Pet Hospital since the Spring of 2020. His favorite part of working with animals is knowing he improved the life of a pet. Dustin is pursuing a Veterinary Technician Degree through Penn Foster University. He loves assisting with dental procedures and plans on specializing in Dental Medicine. When he's not caring for patients, Dustin enjoys caring for his chickens and exploring with his Great Dane/Mastiff Mix, Zeus.
Luz Tapia
Luz, our lead Client-Coordinator, joined Cedar Creek Pet Hospital in March of 2019. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering in 2021. Luz is still attending the University of Kansas to complete a second bachelor's degree in Geophysics. Luz's love of her childhood cat, Pepper, inspired her to work with animals. Her favorite part of work is getting to see the bond clients have with their pets. Although she doesn't have any pets, she has a special connection to one of our frequent patients: a Boston Terrier named Ruthie Rue.
Paige
Paige has worked at Cedar Creek Pet Hospital since we opened in 2013. Although she has experience in every position, she is currently the Office Manager. Paige received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Kansas State University in 2020. She is currently studying to go into the medical field. Paige's favorite part of her job is getting to connect with clients over a shared love of their pets. Outside of work, she enjoys doing art projects and photographing her dogs. Paige has two Chihuahuas named Marcy and Morty, and a Border Collie named Xan.
Emily Murray
Emily joined Cedar Creek Pet Hospital as a Veterinary Technician in the Spring of 2021. She graduated from Brown Mackie's Veterinary Technician Program in 2016, then passed her VTNE in March of 2017 to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. Emily enjoys building relationships with clients and their pets, but her favorite part of being a Veterinary Technician is seeing patients that were especially ill get better. She also appreciates learning new treatments and methods to improve patient care and recovery. Emily has two dogs: Ajax the Husky Mix, Bota the Collie Mix, and two cats: Kitty and Mordecai. When she's not at Cedar Creek Pet Hospital, Emily spends her time reading, playing video games, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with friends.
