Meet Our Team
Oceanside Veterinary Hospital Team
Our veterinarians and staff are a group of highly trained, experienced animal lovers who are devoted to giving our patients the best care possible. We are pleased to provide exceptional veterinary care for your pets.
Meet the Veterinarians of Oceanside Veterinary Hospital
Kelly M. Spall, DVM
Dr. Kelly (Freese) Spall graduated from Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2015. Born and raised on the Long Beach Peninsula, it was always her dream to come back and work at Oceanside Animal Clinic. She graduated from Ilwaco High School and earned a BS in Zoology at WSU prior to starting veterinary school.
Dr. Kelly started working at Oceanside Animal Clinic in June 2015 and took over ownership from Drs Ed Ketel and Catherine Lindblad in 2017. Since becoming a veterinarian, Dr. Kelly has developed a strong interest in soft tissue surgery and dentistry, radiology, and working up complex internal medicine cases. She enjoys the continual variety of challenges that veterinary medicine in a small town provides on a daily basis.
Dr. Kelly and her husband, Dr. Ben Spall, hope to be here for many years to serve this community and all the beloved pets on the Peninsula. When not at the clinic, she enjoys spending time with her husband and the abundant family she has in the area, watching football, and spoiling her pets.
Benjamin F. Spall, DVM, MS (Surgery)
Dr. Benjamin Spall graduated from Oklahoma State University with his DVM in 2010 and completed a small animal rotating internship at Washington State University in 2011. He then moved to Miami, Florida for a one-year surgical internship and returned to Washington State University the following year for his surgical residency and Master’s degree. After completing his residency and earning a Master’s degree, he started work at BluePearl Oklahoma City in 2015.
Dr. Spall attributes his career choice to two things: growing up with two Newfoundland dogs in Michigan and his interest in science as an undergrad. He loves being a part of the progression of surgical cases that start with fractures or lameness and end with a pain-free pet. His clinical interests include orthopedic and neurologic procedures, especially fracture repair, arthroscopy, and IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) treatment.
He has given lectures at multiple national conferences, including being a recipient of the Mark Bloomberg Research Award at the Veterinary Orthopedic Society conference in 2015. He has also published a recent research paper on supraspinatus tendinopathy in the Journal of Veterinary Surgery.
Dr. Spall moved back to the Pacific Northwest in the spring of 2017 where his wife Dr. Kelly (Freese) Spall grew up on the Long Beach Peninsula. He practiced at Cascade Veterinary Referral Center in Tigard, OR and Columbia River Veterinary Specialists in Vancouver, WA, before moving his referral surgery practice to Oceanside Veterinary Hospital full time in 2023.
Dr. Spall’s lifestyle is active and includes boating, skiing, biking, and both playing and watching sports. He also enjoys listening to music and spending time with his family and retrievers.
Ruth Sheppard, DVM
Dr. Ruth graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Born and raised in Northern California, she is thrilled to be back on the West Coast where she belongs. Some of her professional interests include internal medicine, ophthalmology, and working with non-traditional species. When she’s not in the clinic, you can probably find her hiking or enjoying the beach with her mutt (Ham), or watching football (Go Raiders!).
Christina Negretti, DVM
Dr. Christina Negretti graduated from Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2023. She was born and raised in Eastern Washington and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from Oregon State University. She enjoys working with large and small animals and is excited to call the Peninsula her home. When not in the clinic she enjoys baking, hiking, and teaching her dog new tricks.