Founded by Dr. James E. Boyd, the Bellevue Animal Hospital was established in 1963. Originally located on Mission Street in Old Towne Bellevue, the “Mission Animal Clinic” eventually became a satellite clinic as the practice expanded in 1984 to a new building constructed at 25th Street & Cornhusker Highway. At that time, the hospital employed four veterinarians. In September of 2003, Dr. Boyd sold the practice to his colleagues Karen L. Campbell, Linda Rock-Paul, Tammy Pfeiffer and Aaron Truax. We grew to a six veterinarian team with a support staff of 20, including our practice manager, six veterinary technicians, several veterinary assistants, and a full complement of client services representatives.
In December 2016, Dr. Campbell retired after a fulfilling 36 years in practice. Dr. Rock-Paul, Dr. Pfeiffer, and Dr. Truax remained as joint partners, with associates Dr. Amy Grant, Dr. Virginia Miller, and Dr. Kathryn Maltry completing the medical team. In September 2019, Dr. Michael Cover joined our practice. In November 2020, Dr. Grant retired. Dr. Maltry moved to Minnesota in early 2021 to be closer to family, and Dr. Cover returned to his hometown of Lincoln later that year.
In January 2022, we debuted our new outpatient urgent care services on Fridays and Saturdays. Dr. Miller moved on to a new adventure in April 2022. From June 2022 to April 2026, Dr. Jemma Pipkin worked for us as a part-time associate, and saw many of our urgent care patients. Dr. Douglas Suntrup came aboard as a part-time associate veterinarian in October 2024. We welcomed Dr. Celene Oglesbee, a Feline Friendly Certified Practitioner, in January 2025, and Dr. Cary Wolter in May 2026. Sadly, Dr. Rock-Paul passed away unexpectedly in September 2026, and our entire team is still navigating through this tremendous loss. Currently, our team consists of five veterinarians, our practice manager, and an outstanding support staff of licensed veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, and client services representatives.
The first fully accredited American Animal Hospital Association hospital in Nebraska, the Bellevue Animal Hospital was inducted into the AAHA accreditation program in 1973. In order to become an AAHA-accredited practice, a hospital must voluntarily meet over 900 stringent quality standards that encompass all aspects of pet care and client services, ranging from patient care and pain management to team training and medical record-keeping. Today, only about 12% of veterinary practices in North America hold the “AAHA-accredited” designation. Accredited practices are currently re-evaluated every three years, keeping them up-to-date on changes in the veterinary industry and standards of animal care. In April 2025, we successfully completed re-evaluation again; thus for over 50 years, we have proudly served as a member hospital of AAHA, champions of excellent care for our patients and clients.
Our mission at the Bellevue Animal Hospital has always been to provide the highest quality medicine and surgery that will benefit our patients, clients, and staff. Our clients are our friends as well as customers, and we strive to maintain your continued trust and goodwill. Understanding that your pets are family members, we treat those beloved pets as if they were our own. Our AAHA accreditation is more than simply a designation, it’s a promise: a promise to see every one of your pets as an individual and provide compassionate, high-quality care.