Our Staff

Dr. Jason Berg is the co-founder and staff neurologist and internist with Animal Specialty Center. His primary area of interest is advancing medical and surgical treatment options for neurological patients. He and Dr. Joseph founded ASC to provide an environment where animals and people are treated with respect, kindness and the most advanced veterinary care. The goal is keep people and pets together.

Prior to founding ASC, Dr. Berg along with Dr. Richard Joseph developed a referral hospital within County Animal Clinic. Concurrently, they established Animal MR a mobile MRI service for specialty hospitals. This has expanded into four states and provides MRI services at large veterinary referral hospitals.

In 2000, Dr. Berg completed his internship and then residency training in veterinary neurology and internal medicine at the Animal Medical Center. He received board certification in neurology in 2000 and internal medicine in 2002.

Dr. Berg received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Texas A&M University in 1996. He completed a training program in veterinary acupuncture with the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2001. Dr. Berg has published articles pertaining to veterinary neurology in various journals and has presented at conferences around the country.

Dr. Berg is associated with several professional organizations, including the New York State Veterinary Medical Associations, the Westchester Rockland Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association, to name but a few. He has chaired three committees for ACVIM.

Dr. Casey Birkel is a Resident in Neurology and Neurosurgery at Animal Specialty Center training under the supervision of ASC co-founders Dr. Richard Joseph and Dr. Jason Berg.

Dr. Birkel received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2004. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University in 2008, and completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery in 2009 at the Southern California Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Irvine, CA.

Dr. Jennifer Bonczynski, a staff surgeon with Animal Specialty Center, is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Her primary areas of interest include minimally invasive surgery and surgical oncology.

Dr. Bonczynski received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University in 1996, and subsequently spent two years in private general practice in Howard Beach, NY.

In 2002, Dr. Bonczynski completed her residency training in veterinary surgery at the Animal Medical Center. She also completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in 1999. During her time at the Animal Medical Center, she received several awards, including outstanding intern of the year, the resident clinical research award and outstanding veterinarian of the year.

Prior to joining Animal Specialty Center, Dr. Bonczynski headed a busy soft tissue surgery service at the Animal Medical Center in New York City for five years. During this time, she was very active in the resident and intern training program. In addition, she played an important role in developing the use of minimally invasive surgery at the Animal Medical Center. Many procedures that are painful and require a long recovery time have been replaced by thoracoscopy, laparoscopy and cystoscopy.

Dr. Bonczynski has also completed additional training in microvascular surgery. She has published articles pertaining to veterinary surgery in various journals and has presented at numerous veterinary conferences.

Dr. Bonczynski is associated with several professional organizations, including the American College of Veterinary Surgery, the New York City and State Veterinary Medical Associations and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Jeanne Budgin is the staff dermatologist at Animal Specialty Center. Her primary areas of interest include feline dermatology, allergic, and immune-mediated skin diseases.

Prior to joining the ASC, Dr. Budgin developed a dermatology service at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, where she frequently consulted on cruelty and abuse cases for the department of humane law enforcement, as well as improved the condition of animals awaiting adoption.

Previously, Dr. Budgin was an associate dermatologist for Long Island Veterinary Specialists and Brooklyn's Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group.

In 2005, Dr. Budgin completed her residency training in veterinary dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania and received board certification. She also served as an intern in small animal medicine and surgery and was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship in immunodermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,where she pursued research in human and animal skin cancer.

Dr. Budgin received her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1999, and subsequently spent two years in private general practice in New Jersey. She completed a training program in veterinary acupuncture with the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2001. Dr. Budgin has published articles pertaining to veterinary dermatology in various journals, and has presented at conferences throughout the country.

A member of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology, from which she also received an award of distinction, Dr. Budgin is affiliated with the New York City, Westchester/Rockland, and State Veterinary Medical Associations, as well as the American Veterinary Medical Association. She serves as treasurer for the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology and the editor of the AAVD's newsletter, Derm Dialogue.

Dr. Budgin's hobbies include photography, gardening, cooking, and spending time outdoors. She lives in Manhattan with her cats, Bellamy and Bridgette.

Dr. Daniel Cahn is a staff emergency doctor at Animal Specialty Center. Dr. Cahn graduated from St. George's University in Grenada in 2008 after finishing his clinical year at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He then completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists in Manhattan in 2009. He has developed a particular interest in emergency medicine, critical care, respiratory diseases, and shock.

Dr. Sarah Charney is a staff medical and radiation oncologist at Animal Specialty Center.

Dr. Charney received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois in 1998. She completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Missouri and a residency in medical oncology at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, where she received the Connie E. Leifer Memorial Award for outstanding resident research. Dr. Charney is board certified in medical oncology. She joined the faculty of the University of Illinois in 2001 where she conducted clinical trials to evaluate chemotherapeutic agents and novel therapies for canine and feline cancer. She also conducted research on a novel epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor called gefitnib, which may have applications in treating many types of cancer. Dr. Charney joined Southwest Veterinary Oncology in January 2005 as a staff medical oncologist and completed a residency in radiation oncology. She became board certified in radiation oncology in 2007 and is thrilled to work in the first veterinary facility in the United States to use a CyberKnife for radio surgery.

Dr. Chavkin is a staff internal medicine specialist at Animal Specialty Center.

She attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. Dr. Chavkin continued her studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her veterinary degree (VMD) in 2003, graduating summa cum laude. She completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, followed by a two-year residency in small animal internal medicine at the Animal Medical Center. Following completion of her residency in 2006, Dr. Chavkin joined Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists, where she served as an internal medicine specialist, until joining the Animal Specialty Center in April 2010.

Dr. Chavkin is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine). She is skilled in ultrasonography, gastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, rhinoscopy, bronchoscopy, and nasopharyngoscopy. Her areas of special interest include gastroenterology, immunology, nephrology, endoscopy, and ultrasonography. She has lectured on a variety of Internal Medicine topics, and her most recent paper “Balloon dilation and intralesional steroid for benign rectal stricture management in a cat: a case report” is due for publication in 2010.

Dr. Chavkin is a native New Yorker, and currently lives in Manhattan. She is associated with several professional organizations, including the New York State Veterinary Medical Associations, the New York City Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Susan Ettinger is a staff medical oncologist at Animal Specialty Center.

She attended Tufts University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1994, and then graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. Dr. Ettinger then completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery, and a comprehensive two-year residency in medical oncology at the Animal Medical Center in New York City in 2003. During her residency, she was awarded the Connie E. Leifer Memorial Award for her outstanding research project and presentation on vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats. She also conducted research in soft tissue sarcomas in dogs. Following her residency, Dr. Ettinger served as a staff oncologist in private practice at South Bay Veterinary Associates in San Jose, CA, and was also affiliated with the Veterinary Tumor Institute, a radiation oncology facility in Santa Cruz, CA. Most recently, Dr. Ettinger relocated back to her home state of New York and was the staff oncologist at Long Island Veterinary Specialists.

Prior to her residency, Dr. Ettinger was a research associate in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Due University Medical Center in Durham, NC. She was an investigator in a five-year NIH program project grant, investigating the use of hyperthermia as an adjuvant to radiotherapy in dogs with spontaneous soft tissue sarcomas. This was a joint study with patients at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She gained experience with state-of-the-art imaging, including MRI, spectroscopy, positron emission tomography, and was involved in pilot studies with thermosensitive lipsomes in dogs and heat-induced gene therapy in cats. In addition, she served as an instructor in the Department of Molecular Medicine as an oncology associate with the Comparative Cancer Program at Cornell University.

Dr. Ettinger is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology). Her clinical interests are lymphoma, mast cell tumors, leukemias, and sarcomas in dogs and cats. She is also interested in palliative care and providing compassionate and comprehensive management of pets with cancer. She strives to ensure that her patients lead active, normal lives while undergoing treatment.

Dr. Scott Ganus is a staff emergency doctor at Animal Specialty Center. Previously, he practiced at a private primary care veterinary facility in New York City.

Dr. Ganus received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London in 2006. He went on to complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center - Western New England. Subsequently, he undertook a specialty internship in cardiology at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey.

His professional interests include cardiology and management of acute congestive heart failure. Dr. Ganus is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Seth Glasser is a third-year Medical Oncology Resident at Animal Specialty Center.

Dr. Glasser received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, MA, in 2007. He completed a one-year rotating internship in 2008 at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medicine Center in St. Paul, which led to his decision to pursue medical oncology as a specialty. That same year, Dr. Glasser started his residency at Animal Medical Center in New York City.

As an undergraduate he attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, where he double-majored in biology and chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry, graduating in 2002.

Raised in New York City, Dr. Glasser currently lives in Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County, NY, with his Golden Retriever, T.C. Together they enjoy the outdoors along the trails of the Hudson River.

Dr. Kendra Hearon is a Surgery Resident at Animal Specialty Center. Prior to her residency, she was a staff emergency doctor at Animal Specialty Center. Dr. Hearon received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. She completed an internship in small animal internal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City the following year. Dr. Hearon worked in general practice for a year before relocating to Dallas, Texas in 2004 for a surgical internship. She worked exclusively with nine board certified surgeons and two board certified neurologists that year and then elected to relocate back to the northeast. Dr. Hearon was one of the staff emergency doctors for two years at Animal Emergency and Referral Associates before joining Animal Specialty Center.

Dr. Jennifer Hess is a board certified veterinary anesthesiologist. Her advanced training in anesthesia administration and case monitoring is an important addition to ASC’s comprehensive roster of highly skilled veterinary services. She will help save pets’ lives, especially in critical and complicated surgical cases or when a patient has had previous problems under anesthesia.

The involvement of an anesthesiologist in surgical cases helps to ensure the best possible care as well as the ability to respond quickly to problems that may arise. Anesthesia is required more often for pets than for people because animals can’t always cooperate when treatment is needed. As a consultant, her services will be available to ASC on an as-needed basis.

Dr. Hess received her degree in veterinary medicine from the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 1999. She received a master’s degree in Veterinary Clinical Medicine from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 2005. She then began her anesthesia residency there, which she completed at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Dr. Hess graduated cum laude from Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences with a major in biology in 1992.

She previously worked in the fields of wild bird health and zoological medicine. Notably, she was recently involved in a project to monitor gorillas in captivity for heart problems at the Toronto Zoo. Her research interests include anesthesia with an emphasis on cardiac output and pulmonary function.

Dr. Heuter is a staff internal medicine specialist at Animal Specialty Center.

He attended Boston University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. Dr. Heuter then graduated from the Ohio State University where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and was acknowledged with the Dr. J. Salisbury Foundation Veterinary Medical Scholarship and Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society awards. He completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Following his internship, Dr. Heuter completed a two-year residency in small animal medicine at the Animal Medical Center.

He is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine). Dr. Heuter served as a staff veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center and has special training in dialysis. In addition, Dr. Heuter served as a staff veterinarian and intern advisor at Bay Area Veterinary Specialists in San Leandro, CA.

Dr. Heuter is proficient in gastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, rhinoscopy, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, ultrasound and many other procedures. Special research and clinical interest areas include nephrology, urology, endoscopy and teaching. Dr. Heuter has published many scientific articles and has lectured extensively on a variety of Internal Medicine topics.

Dr. Heuter has received many awards, but none more important to him than an award for outstanding teacher during his time on staff at the Animal Medical Center. He finds the large private practice the perfect environment for not only helping as many animals as possible, but also still having the opportunity to teach interns and residents.

Dr. Joseph is a staff neurologist and veterinary acupuncturist at Animal Specialty Center. He is also a cofounder of Animal Specialty Center.

His primary interests include episodic disorders, including epilepsy, neuroimaging (MRI), neurooncology and electrodiagnostics for neuromuscular diseases. Dr. Joseph also has performed acupuncture for over 20 years, primarily on patients with pain-related disorders, including arthritis, intervertebral disc disease and epilepsy.

Dr. Joseph received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1984. From 1979 to 1981, he was enrolled in veterinary school at La Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, before transferring back to University of Tennessee. He developed his skills in speaking Spanish as a second language, as classes were taught in Spanish. He was coeditor of a veterinary school publication to enhance the education of Dominican students by summarizing English journal articles in Spanish.

In 1985, Dr. Joseph completed an internship in medicine and surgery. In 1989, he completed a combined residency in internal medicine and neurology at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. He became board certified in neurology in 1989. He was awarded Teacher Of The Year by the intern class of 1990. During his residency, he completed a post-doctoral training program in veterinary acupuncture and became certified by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS).

Prior to opening Animal Specialty Center, Dr. Joseph was chief neurologist and head of a medical service at the Animal Medical Center in New York City from 1989 to 2000. He was the only practicing neurologist in New York City during that period. He managed a very busy clinical caseload, including outpatient consultations, neurodiagnostic testing and hospitalized patients. His responsibilities also included training interns, residents, externs, visiting foreign veterinarians during daily ward rounds, and formal weekly lectures. His motivation and desire to teach extended to providing neurology phone consultations through Antech Diagnostic Labs to veterinarians nationally, and to providing online neurology services and course instruction for the Veterinary Information Network.

His previous experience over the past 20 years as neurologist for Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, NJ, Veterinary Referral Center in Norwalk, CT, Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in New Providence, RI and at Westside Veterinary Center in New York City and as cofounder of Animal MR, a mobile veterinary MRI service, has enabled him to be visionary in the development of Animal Specialty Center.

Over the years, Dr. Joseph has published numerous journal articles and has lectured nationally and internationally at local veterinary meetings, universities and national society conferences. He has been featured in a variety of articles including NY Magazine’s Best Vets and for acupuncture in the NY Post and Fortune Magazine. CNN also promoted his acupuncture skills in a video segment.

A member of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, he has served on the Credential Committee for the College of Neurology. He is also a member of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and New York City and State Veterinary Medical Associations.

Dr. Joseph is passionate about the success of Animal Specialty Center and on the impact the center has on our community. He is extremely focused on seeing that all hospital employees provide quality service with unparalleled sensitivity to every animal and their family that comes into contact with us.

Dr. Ellen Lindell is a veterinary behaviorist and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Her main area of interest is the treatment of behavior problems in companion animals. Dr. Lindell is also available for behavioral wellness evaluations and pre-adoption counseling.

Dr. Lindell received her Veterinary Medical Degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1983. After 10 years in small animal practice, she began a residency in veterinary behavior at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Lindell has been treating behavior patients on a referral basis since 1994. She presently owns Veterinary Behavior Consultations, PC, a behavioral specialty practice.

Though most of her days are spent practicing behavioral medicine, Dr. Lindell also enjoys lecturing to veterinarians and dog affiliated organizations on a local and national basis. She continues to write on the subject of veterinary behavior. Her articles have been published in several veterinary textbooks and journals. She is the author of a monthly column on feline behavior in CatWatch magazine.

Dr. Lindell maintains her membership in a number of regional and international professional organizations including the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, the International Society of Applied Ethology, and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

Dr. Lindell spends her spare time training her own dogs. She hopes to spend the next few years participating in both obedience and agility competitions.

Linda McMahon is the Director of Rehabilitation at Animal Specialty Center. She is a licensed physical therapist for humans and a licensed veterinary technician. She has over 10 years of experience rehabilitating animals with all types of conditions, including neurologic, surgical post operative care, arthritis and age-related conditions, recovery from athletic injury, as well as overall fitness and obesity.

Ms. McMahon received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in chemistry from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 1983. She obtained a second bachelor degree in physical therapy from Russell Sage College in 1991. She became a licensed veterinary technician from Mercy College in 2001. As new advances help improve the rehabilitation of animals, Linda has continued her training and earned her certification in canine rehabilitation therapy from the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in 2009.

For more information visit www.animalrehab.com.

Dr. Joseph Palamara is a Surgery Resident at Animal Specialty Center. Prior to his residency, he was a staff emergency doctor at Animal Specialty Center. His primary interests are emergency medicine, surgery, critical care and soft tissue surgery.

Dr. Palamara received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree with High Honors from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2003, completing his clinical year at the University of Minnesota-St. Paul. In his senior year, he received the Hills Veterinary Scholarship for excellence in medicine and surgery. He completed an internship in small animal internal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City in 2004. He has volunteered time with the MTA and Orange County Sheriff’s Department canine handlers alongside Paul McNamara, DVM, ACVS.

After his internship, Dr. Palamara spent four years as a staff emergency doctor for the Animal Emergency Clinic of the Hudson Valley. He also found time for relief work for a dozen general veterinary practices and emergency facilities in Orange, Ulster, Dutchess and Putnam counties.

On his off days, he is working with the Dutchess County SCPA spay/neuter program.

Critical Care Resident

Dr. Petrie is a clinical cardiologist practicing in the lower Hudson Valley of New York. He is part of ASC’s cardiology team. His mobile cardiology service has built up a large client base in the counties of Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Dutchess. Prior to this current position, Dr. Petrie was a staff cardiologist in the Department of Medicine at The Animal Medical Center in New York where he was employed for almost 11 years.

Dr. Petrie completed his DVM degree at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada in 1994. Following veterinary school, he completed his internship at Michigan Veterinary Specialists, Southfield, Michigan. Prior to completing his residency he completed a post-doctoral fellowship in cardiac physiology and interventional cardiology at the Robarts Research Institute, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Petrie then traveled to New York to complete his residency in veterinary cardiology at The Animal Medical Center in 1996. He was awarded Diplomate status by the American College of Veterinary Medicine in Cardiology in 1999.

Dr. Petrie has a specific interest in echocardiography and feline cardiomyopathies. He continues to lecture both nationally and internationally. Dr. Petrie continues to be actively involved in clinical research projects and has published several articles and book chapters.

Dr. Alexandre Rousseau supervises the Emergency and the Critical Services at Animal Specialty Center. Dr. Rousseau is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care since 2006.

Dr. Rousseau graduated from the Université de Montréal, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Québec, Canada in 2000. After an internship at the After Hours Small Animal Emergency Clinic and North Carolina State University in 2000-2001, he completed a residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City in 2005. He was honored the same year with the Animal Medical Center Teacher of the Year Award.

Prior to joining Animal Specialty Center, Dr. Rousseau directed the Emergency & Critical Care Department at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego. His areas of interest are respiratory disease, shock and sepsis, and toxicology.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Seaman is a board certified staff surgeon at Animal Specialty Center. His areas of special interest include orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery and neurosurgery.

Dr. Seaman received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, in 1999. The following year he went on to complete a rotating internship in medicine and surgery at Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey. After completing the internship he was hired as an associate veterinarian at Oradell, where he practiced general medicine as well as emergency and general surgery for four years.

In 2008 he completed a residency in small animal surgery at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus in St. Paul. That same year he received the Mark S. Bloomberg Resident Research Award. Dr. Seaman received board certification in 2010.

Before joining ASC, Dr. Seaman practiced surgery at New York City Veterinary Specialists in Manhattan. Prior to that position, he was an assistant research scientist at the University of Minnesota. Earlier in his career he practiced general medicine at The Cat Hospital in Williston Park, NY.

Dr. Seaman has conducted original research on bone grafts and tibial fractures and has authored several articles that have been published in the professional veterinary medical literature. He is currently a member of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and its New York City and New York State chapters.

Dr. Timothy Stell is a staff emergency doctor at Animal Specialty Center. Dr. Stell received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 2008. He then completed a one-year rotating small animal internship at the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, CT.

Dr. Stell received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Le Moyne College in 2003. Prior to veterinary school, he spent a year in pharmaceutical research with Bristol-Myers Squibb in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Surgeon was born and raised in the Caribbean. He attended the Jamaica School of Agriculture from which he obtained a Diploma in Agriculture.
Dr. Surgeon attended Cornell University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Agriculture. He also obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Surgeon became a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and later was Board Certified as a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College.

Dr. Surgeon’s special area of interest in the field of veterinary dentistry is orthodontics. He is the author of the only successful orthodontic extrusion procedure in veterinary dentistry and recently authored the chapter on Fundamentals of Small Animal Orthodontics in the Veterinary Clinics of North America. He is presently engaged in developing a new orthodontic device for correcting the base narrow condition that occurs in dogs.
He is the owner of the ANC Veterinary Center in New Rochelle, New York and a Consultant at the Hudson Highlands Specialty Group.

Dr. Surgeon has lectured in dentistry at the University of Georgia, the University of Minnesota and numerous state and local veterinary organizations and as an invited presenter and at the Vermont VMA and Western States Veterinary Conference. He has chaired the Brief Clinical Report section, made presentations in orthodontics and laser usage and instructed laboratories in restorations , endodontics and prostodontics at the Annual Dental Forum.

He is the host and lecturer of the Tri-State Veterinary Dental Study group, which meets monthly. Dr. Surgeon currently mentors two candidates pursuing certification in the College of Veterinary Dentistry and served on the Training and Support Committee of the College. He served on the Board of Directors of the American Veterinary Dental Society and is a Board member of the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry and Chairman of the Education Committee of the Foundation.

Bernadette Vinci is Hospital Director of Animal Specialty Center. As project director for three years prior to the hospital’s opening in January 2008, she played a central role in the conception and development of the facility, culminating in what is now a thriving 16,000 square foot, 24-hour veterinary emergency and comprehensive specialty practice with over 100 employees. Administering overall daily operations, she is responsible for staff oversight, budget planning and implementation, strategic planning, client relations, among many other duties.

Prior to joining Animal Specialty Center, Ms. Vinci launched and operated BRV and Associates, a successful entrepreneurial venture in the insurance and financial services industry that provided benefit solutions to veterinary groups and individuals.

Before founding BRV and Associates, Ms. Vinci was Global Account Manager with AT&T. Supervising a team of 22 staff members, she implemented global business and networking solutions for Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies involved in the human and animal healthcare industry in the U.S. and abroad.

Ms. Vinci has considerable training in business and management. She received her Masters of Science degree in Management from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business from Pace University.

A high priority among her personal interests, Ms. Vinci is an advocate for funding and research to find a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). She actively fundraises for this cause and delivers testimony annually before Congress to increase awareness of the disease and its impact on its victims and their families. Her personal commitment to the ALS cause developed as a result of her role as primary caregiver for her dad, who passed away after a long battle with this debilitating disease. Ms. Vinci is also active on the state level as New York State Representative for the National Caregiver Society.

Ms. Vinci has also been active in the not-for-profit performing arts community, serving as Director of Finance of Westco Productions, a theater and entertainment organization that provides theatrical and musical presentations, workshops and outreach to hospitalized children and to families in Westchester County. She is responsible for program coordination, public relations, budget analysis/preparation and financial reporting.

In an effort to assist pet owners who cannot afford veterinary care in the event of a medical crisis, Ms. Vinci co-founded and is Executive Director of HEAL (Humans Enriching Animals Lives), a nonprofit organization that helps financially-troubled families cope with veterinary emergency medical care expenses.

A passionate animal lover, Ms. Vinci is guardian to Molly, Benny and R.J., three rescued American Eskimo dogs with whom she shares her home and her life.

Dr. Joyce Wagner is a staff emergency doctor at Animal Specialty Center. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in Massachusetts in 2008. Dr. Wagner then completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at New York City Veterinary Specialists in 2009. She received her undergraduate degree in physics from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1998. Her professional interests include emergency and critical care medicine.