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Meet Our Team

Dr. Tom Dougherty DVM

Tom Dougherty DVM graduated from the University of Minnesota Veterinary School in 1969, served as an intern in surgery at Auburn University from 1969 to 1970 and a resident in surgery at the University of Pennsylvania from 1970 to 1971. He returned to his hometown of Duluth in 1971 and started the Dougherty Veterinary Clinic. He is a member of American Veterinary Medical Association, Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (where he has served as a board member and president) and the Arrowhead Veterinary Medical Association.

He is also a member of AOVET which is a worldwide organization dedicated to excellence in orthopedics, Veterinary Orthopedic Society , Veterinary Cancer Society and Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology. His continual education interests include attending the annual meetings of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Veterinary Cancer Society, Veterinary Orthopedic Society, as well as state and local association meetings. He continues to be a Hanson Scholar of the Minnesota Academy of Veterinary Practice by maintaining a minimum of 50 continuing education credit hours per year achieved. 

In the recent past he has taken specific courses (lecture and laboratory) in shoulder, elbow, and knee arthroscopy. Because of his interest in oncology he has also attended courses in reconstructive surgery for the canine and feline oncology patient.

Cruciate ligament disease is a huge part of his practice therefor he has attended the course given by the Slocum Group to learn an additional technique for repair of a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament known as tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) as well as the course presented for repair of the ruptured cruciate ligament with the TIghtrope technique.

He is a graduate of both the basic and advanced course for fracture repair given by the AOVET organization as well as courses devoted to the correction of limb deformities also given by AOVET. Fractures are treated with the most up to date techniques and instrumentation utilizing plates, screws, pins, and external fixators.

Other areas of interest are spinal surgery, surgery to correct laryngeal nerve paralysis of the elderly canine, surgery of the chronically infected ear canal, endoscopy of the digestive and respiratory system, allergies, and medical oncology.

He also maintains a general practice at the Dougherty Veterinary Clinic and will never ever tire of taking care of the canine or feline patient from the pediatric stage through a long life!

He and his wife Mary have been blessed with 4 children and 4 grandchildren. They were recently blessed by Miss Madison- the best looking and smartest golden retriever in the whole wide world.


Dr Lisa Jeanetta, DVM

Dr. Lisa Jeanetta is a native of Duluth. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. After practicing companion animal medicine in St. Paul for several years, she returned to Duluth and joined the Dougherty Veterinary Clinics is 1997. Her interests include feline medicine, avian/exotic/pocket pets, ophthalmology, oncology and orthopedic surgery. Dr. Jeanetta is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. She regularly attends the meetings of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society and Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Emma Licht DVM

Originally from a small town in North Dakota, Dr. Licht grew up in Duluth and attended East High School before graduating from UMD with a degree in Biology and Natural History. Throughout her undergraduate career, she worked as a veterinary assistant at Duluth Veterinary Hospital, store keeper at Toys for Keeps in Canal Park, and research technician at the Natural Resources Research Institute studying and helping to collect data on some of the Northland’s more elusive creatures before pursuing her lifelong dream of caring for her neighbors’ furry, scaly, feathered, and exoskeleton-clad friends at the UMN College of Veterinary Medicine. While in veterinary school, she was supported by a varied study group comprising her two dogs, Honey and Patsy Cline, chinchillas PJ Harvey and Bjork, iguana Clemence, mouse Thumbelina, whip scorpion Oksana, Asian forest scorpion Konstantin, giant millipede Ohmu, several colonies of isopods, and a plethora of house plants. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded during her final year of veterinary school, Dr. Licht spent an unexpected amount of time back in Duluth and completed an externship at Dougherty Vet, where she fell in love with the staff and their commitment to their patients and clients. Having grown up becoming best friends with animals from dogs to prehensile tailed skinks, she understands how strong the bonds forged between human and animal can be, and is dedicated to nurturing that relationship by providing her patients with the best care possible. Her interests within veterinary medicine include dermatology, nutrition, behavior, exotic animal medicine, dentistry, and preventative care. 

Outside of vet med, Dr. Licht spends time tending to her plants and bugs, hiking with her surprisingly athletic dogs, listening to an eclectic array of music, baking while Frasier plays in the background, and maintaining her relationships with friends and family across the country (and world).

Dr. Candice Bittner, BVetMed

Dr. Candice Bittner joined the Dougherty team in 2022 after moving to Duluth with her dog, cat, and fiancé, a Duluth native. She grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania with dogs, cats, horses, a myriad of small rodents, and lizards. She got her bachelor's degree in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University and afterwards took her studies across the pond to The Royal Veterinary College in London, UK. She spent her first 4 years as a vet practicing in Philadelphia at a small animal and exotics practice where she decided that her favorite type of patient, by far, is a guinea pig.

She enjoys internal medicine, cardiology, behavior, and is currently working through a certificate in Ophthalmology. When she isn’t wearing scrubs, she is usually hiking with her Golden Retriever, Rua, running, skiing, or enjoying lake activities (her fiancé calls this fishing but she prefers “boating”).