Medical and Surgical Canine Excellence
City Dog veterinarians have over 100 years of combined experience providing devoted care to Madison-area dogs and their owners.
"I’m thrilled to be a part of the City Dog Vet team. Being dog-only allows us to focus our skills, energy, and time on one species so we can provide the highest quality care."
- Dr. Lembcke
Get to know Dr. Anna Lembcke
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dr. Lembcke has been a leader and role model in her field, having a role as Chief of Staff Veterinarian at her prior position with a global leader in a nationwide group of veterinary hospitals.
She has mentored countless veterinarians and technical staff in all areas of veterinary medicine, surgery, and animal care. She was the Banfield Madison Doctor Rounds Coordinator in Chicago for many years, where she led discussions and case rounds for Madison based veterinarians to share discussion and knowledge between peers. She served as a liaison between her veterinary school and other graduate level health programs as a representative for the Center for Health Interprofessional Program.
Throughout her career, she has had particular interests in dentistry, dermatology, and kidney disease.
EXPERIENCE
7 Years Being a Dog Doc
EDUCATION
University of Minnesota – College of Veterinary Medicine 2009-2013 | DVM Degree
Northland College
PETS
2 Mischievous cats, Sammy and Spalding
Dr. Lembcke is currently in search of her next canine companion.
HOBBIES
Hiking at state parks • Having a good beer at a local brewery • Checking out local restaurants • Farmers market shopping • Trying new recipes • And… rooting for the Vikings
"I am so happy to be a veterinarian at a dog only veterinary clinic. My life has always been about dogs, and I can’t wait to meet you and your dog at City Dog Vet!"
- Dr. Estelle
Get to know Dr. Leslie Estelle
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dr. Estelle was awarded AAHA’s ‘Senior Student Clinical Proficiency in Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery’. She was also awarded the Royan Canin USA “Scientific Services Veterinarian of the Year” for 2017.
After almost 10 years of providing compassionate care with particular focuses in dentistry, senior care, and nutrition, Dr. Estelle accepted a position at a global leader in pet health nutrition as a Scientific Services Veterinarian. She provides continuing education seminars to veterinary professionals, case consultations for challenging medical cases, and is a leader in the “Women’s Veterinary Leadership Forum”.
Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Estelle has a strong interest in supporting women early on in their veterinary careers to gain confidence in their clinical and leadership abilities and is a promoter of diversity and inclusion in all aspects. She’s also an active member of AVMA, AAVN and Wisconsin’s VMA.
EXPERIENCE
15 Years Vet-ing
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine
ER and Surgery Internship | VCA South Shore Animal Hospital, Boston, MA
PETS
One beloved senior mixed breed dog, Birdie
HOBBIES
Traveling and experiencing new places • Trying new foods • Live music • Anything on the water • Badger sporting events • Great restaurants
Get to Know Dr. Leslie Estelle
Over the last five years, I’ve provided relief work to the Madison area due to my passion for staying connecting to clinical veterinary practice. I am so happy to be a veterinarian at a dog only veterinary clinic. This will allow veterinarians to provide laser focused, compassionate canine care to dogs in a progressive, client and patient focused clinic.
In addition, my colleagues and I collectively are able to provide a continuity of care with the shared belief that it is a privilege to care for every life stage of your dog’s life. My life has always been about dogs, and I can’t wait to meet you and your dog at City Dog Vet!”
– Dr. Estelle
"I joined the City Dog Vet team because the needs of dogs and cats differ, and the needs of urban dwelling dogs are different still. It’s amazing how far our profession has come."
- Dr. Koeppl
Get to know Dr. Mark Koeppl
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dr. Koeppl founded the first animal ER hospital in Madison which he sold and retired from in 2014. While at this hospital, he developed the first blood bank for dogs in the city. Since then, he continues to be semi-retired but enjoys continuing to practice veterinary medicine.
EXPERIENCE
36 Years Doctoring Dogs
EDUCATION
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
HOBBIES
Good craft beer • Puttering around the farm • Travel • Armchair archeology • Insects • Birds • Sampling a wide variety of video and music
PETS
Dogs: 2, Lily the Costa Rican German Shepherd, and ole Tucker, the Australian Kelpie.
Cats: 4
Dominique Chickens: a flock
Ducks: a paddling
Bison: a herd
"I’m excited to get back into general practice where I can build relationships with clients and their pets. I enjoy practicing high quality medicine with a strong group of supporting staff.”"
- Dr. Wirth
Get to know Dr. Dave Wirth
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dr. Wirth’s veterinary career took him from his first job in Las Vegas, to Janesville WI, and then to Massachusetts where he joined Bulger Animal Hospital in North Andover. There he practiced mixed specialty practice including general practice, ER, surgery, and ophthalmology.
He trained specifically in soft tissue, orthopedic, and ophthalmic surgery before he decided to focus his career solely on ER medicine. In 1997, he moved back to Wisconsin where he worked for multiple ER practices and began his own traveling surgery service.
In 1999, while still practicing ER medicine, Dr.Wirth founded Midwest Pet Insurance which underwrote pet insurance for cats and dogs in south central Wisconsin. Two decades of experience culminated to create Veterinary Emergency Service in 2003, where he continued to work as an ER doctor and also managed the practice with locations in Middleton, Madison and Janesville.
The practice, which included specialists in surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, critical care, oncology and anesthesia was sold in 2018. Since then, Dr.With has enjoyed his well-earned free time but also has returned to general practice with periodic shifts in ER medicine. He has particular interests in ultrasound, endoscopy, and surgery.
EXPERIENCE
27 Years Doctoring Dogs
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin Madison – Major in Microbiology
DVM from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine
PETS
Cats: 2, Jem a 5 year old grey tabby and Radley a 1 year old orange crazy cat.
HOBBIES
Enjoys outdoor activities including golf, biking, swimming, running, skiing and snowboarding and getting away to his place in Colorado.
"I have many reasons for opening City Dog Vet, with the two most important being specialized care for dogs and exceptional service for their people. I’m honored to have an incredible team of long-time colleagues and friends as doctors and staff in the City Dog Vet project."
- Dr. Luther, Founder of City Dog Vet
Get to know Dr. Katarina Luther
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Founder and owner of City Dog Vet, Dr. Katarina Luther, has been a Madison-area veterinarian for nearly 20 years. She completed her college studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then worked for Nestle-Purina in their pet food division. After two years in the industry, she decided to follow her long time calling to be a veterinarian. Dr. Luther returned to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.
Following graduation, Dr. Luther’s areas of interest in practice were soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries, critical care and internal medicine, and tailored preventative wellness. From early on, she was passionate about client service, staff collaboration, and practice management.
After practicing five years in a local companion animal hospital, she formed an independent business to serve multiple practices in the Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago areas. She provided relief veterinary medical, surgery, and ER care, as well as staff management roles at several hospitals.
Throughout her years of contract work, Dr. Luther attended courses at Marquette Graduate School of Business to further improve her business management skills. With her veterinary clinic and community connections, she helped connect veterinarians and practice owners for acquisitions over the following decade.
In 2015, Dr. Luther purchased her own veterinary practice, Cat Care Clinic, on Madison’s west side. The practice has grown substantially since its founding in 1987. In 2018, she expanded to include a second location downtown on East Washington Avenue. Cat Care Clinic employs over 25 staff members and was honored with a Best of Madison 2020 award.
In 2017, Dr. Luther founded a non-profit organization, Guardian Whiskers, whose mission is to form and support community programs that foster wellness and literacy by utilizing the power of the human-animal bond. She is passionate about providing experiences with pets and mentorship to those (particularly children) not able to have a pet of their own. In early 2020, while still seeing her beloved cat patients on a part-time basis and managing the Cat Care Clinics, Dr. Luther decided to bring canines the benefits she’s seen from her experience with focused feline care all these years and open a brand new clinic, “City Dog Vet”.
EXPERIENCE
18 Years Animal Doctoring
A Lifetime of Animal Loving
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Wisconsin Madison – BS Animal Sciences
PETS
One classic tabby cat, Regis
Proud grandma to her daughter’s Frenchie, Luna
HOBBIES
Getting outside for a walk on a path • Spending time on the water • Hanging out at great streeteries in town • Design and decorating both at home and in her clinics • Watching her three teens learn and experience life
I’ve learned a lot over the years through my diverse veterinary experiences and especially as a clinic owner. Cat Care Clinic is a special place, with doting, expert staff and great clients. Unless you experience the ins and outs of how a feline-only clinic flows to give cats and their people the best experience possible, you won’t quite understand what makes this model so effective.
– Dr. Luther