Veterinary Support
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Robyn Townsend, CVT, with Santa, Peanut, Dooney, Kix, and Santana
Robyn Townsend with Mia
1 of 2 »Technician Supervisor
Robyn Townsend, CVT
School: Northern Essex Community College
Robyn joined our team as Technician Supervisor in 2012. She brings 17 years' experience as a technician working in emergency, opthalmology, and supervisory roles.
Robyn has a special interest in emergency medicine. She is very interested in continuing education and never wants to stop growing and learning. Among her accomplishments, she has been a Technician Case Reports Judge at the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium.
Robyn enjoys photography, as well as dog training and agility with her personal dogs, two border collie mixes and two Maltese.
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Amanda Beran, CVT, with Wyatt
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Amanda Beran, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: Mount Ida College / Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Science
School: Middlesex Community College, AS in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Amanda has a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from Mount Ida College (2010), as well as an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Middlesex Community College (2006). She's been with VCA Wakefield since April 2007, and she also works as a surgery technician at Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn.
Amanda is a trained dancer and has been dancing for 21 years. She is also a huge New England Patriots fan and loves all Boston sports. She lives with her cats Panda, Pearl, Oreo, Cecilia, Dude, and Tabby, with her budgie Popcorn, and with her puppy Wyatt. -
Tegan Cody, CVT, with Jasper and Lucas
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Tegan Cody, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: Mount Ida College / Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Science
School: UMass-Amherst and Northeastern University
Tegan has been with VCA Wakefield since 2007, and she was promoted to Exam Room Supervisor in 2012.
Tegan graduated from Mount Ida College with a Bachelor's in Veterinary Technology in 2009, and she has also worked in the Dermatology Department at Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital.
Prior to Mount Ida, Tegan attended the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for Veterinary and Animal Sciences and Northeastern University for Biology.
Tegan lives north of Boston with beagles Jasper, Lucas, and Courtney and bunnies Maggie and Valerie. -
Elaine Ferrera, CVT, with Jackson
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Elaine Ferrera, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: Mount Ida College / Associate's Degree in Veterinary Science
Elaine graduated with an Associate's Degree from Mount Ida College. She has been a technician since 1991 and is a Massachusetts State Certified Veterinary Technician. She has worked in general practice, emergency medicine, surgery, and Radio Cat iodine-131 therapy. In addition to working at VCA Wakefield, Elaine works as a surgery technician at Massachussetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn, Mass.
She is married and has two sons, a cat named Jackson, and a black Lab named Rosie. -
Pam Holmberg, CVT, with Dash
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Pamela Holmberg, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: Essex Agricultural & Technical Institute / Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology
School: Salem State College, Bachelor's degree
Pamela earned a Bachelor's Degree from Salem State College prior to earning her Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology from Essex Agricultural & Technical Institute in 1999. She's been a Certified Veterinary Technician in Massachusetts since 2000.
Pamela lives north of Boston with her daughter and their kitties Lucky and Scrappy. -
Rebecca Rosado, CVT, with Voody
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Rebecca Rosado, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: North Shore Community College Veterinary Technician Program
School: Assumption College, BA in Psychology
Rebecca has been with VCA Wakefield since 2007. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Assumption College and worked for several years in the mental health field before becoming a veterinary technician. She went on to earn an Associate's Degree in Animal Science from North Shore Community College, and she's been a certified technician since August 2008.
Rebecca enjoys taking care of and training dogs Voody, Blitzen, and Peaches, as well as sewing, baking, and spending time with family. She and her husband live north of Boston. -
Karen Smith, CVT, with Moe Hoffman
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Karen Smith, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: North Shore Community College Veterinary Technician Program
Karen joined VCA Wakefield in the spring of 2010 after already passing the technician licensing exam, and she graduated from North Shore Community College's Veterinary Technician Program in May 2011.
Prior to joining us, Karen completed an externship at VESCONE (Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center of New England), where she gained great experience in specialty medicine and surgery.Karen lives north of Boston with her fiancé and her cockatiel, Moe Hoffman.
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Katelyn Thayer, CVT, with Zeke, Gladys, and Myrtle
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Katelyn Thayer, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: Vermont Technical College / Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology
Katelyn grew up in Newport, VT. She's been in the veterinary field since 2004, and she graduated in 2007 from Vermont Technical College with an Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology. She also has a certificate in message therapy.
Katelyn moved to Massachusetts and joined VCA Wakefield in the summer of 2008, and she lives north of Boston with her two dogs, Gwen and Bruce, and two cats, Gladys and Myrtle.
Katelyn enjoys cooking, exercising, and live music. -
Kara Travers with Si-Si and Harriet
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Kara Travers, CVT
Veterinary Tech School: North Shore Community College
Kara completed an internship here in the summer of 2011, and she did such a great job that we invited her to join our staff.
Kara also has experience working at two other animal hospitals. She earned her Associates Degree in Animal Science from North Shore Community College and passed her licensing exam in 2012. Congratulations, Kara!
Originally from upstate New York, Kara and her husband live locally with a Newfoundland named Oakley and a rabbit named Waffles.
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Amy Archer with Finney, Eli, and Fenway
Technician
Amy Archer
Veterinary Tech School: North Shore Community College Veterinary Technician Program
Amy has taken several classes at North Shore Community College's Veterinary Technician Program, and she's worked as a technician since 2006.
Amy lives in northern Massachusetts with her husband Mike, daughters Frankie and Eloise, and their menagerie, including canines Finney and Fenway and felines Echo and Eli. -
Amanda Caprigno with Charlotte and Abigail
Technician
Amanda Caprigno
School: Suffolk University, BS in Biology
Amanda has been with VCA Wakefield since 2004. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Suffolk University, and she's currently pursuing a degree in pharmacology.
Amanda lives on the North Shore with her dog (Abby), cat (Zachary Binx), and rabbit (Daphne). -
Erica Copenhaver with Pearl
Technician
Erica Copenhaver
School: UMass-Amherst (pre-vet studies)
Erica joined us in June 2011 after spending five years in Florida and returning to this area for the birth of her daughter. She brings 11 years' experience working as a technician with small and exotic animals at a variety of practices both here and in Florida.
Erica attended UMass-Amherst for pre-veterinary studies and took classes in early childhood development at Middlesex Community College, and she is also a Certified Phlebotomist (human).
Erica lives north of Boston with her husband, daughter, and a pitbull mix named Asia. -
Nadia DeFelice
Technician
Nadia DeFelice
Veterinary Tech School: Central Wyoming College/Associates Degree in Equine Studies
Nadia holds an associates degree in Equine Studies from Central Wyoming College. She joined our weekend staff in 2012, and she also continues to work full time at Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital, where she's been for 12 years. At MVRH, she works in the Internal Medicine department, and she’s also worked in Ophthalmology and Emergency/ICU.
Prior to accepting our offer, she interviewed us by bringing one of her chickens to Dr. Siperstein. In addition to her seven chickens, Nadia has three dogs, three goats, two horses, and two rats. She and her husband live north of Boston with their menagerie.
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Annette Fey with Floh
Technician
Annette Fey
Veterinary Tech School: University of Vermont pre-vet program (currently attending)
Annette completed an 11-month tech internship at VCA Wakefield in 2010, and she came back in 2011 and 2012 as a full-time technician during her summer break from the University of Vermont's pre-vet program.
Annette grew up in Switzerland, and she attended her senior year of high school in Andover. She enjoys horseback riding, baking, making music (piano, clarinet, recorder, and oboe), exploring other cultures, and dog walking.
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Melody Finnegan with Tucker
Technician
Melody Finnegan
School: University of New Hampshire
Melody joined Bluestone Veterinary Clinic as a technician in 2002, and she's been with VCA Wakefield since the Bluestone team joined us in a merger in 2003.
She studied marine biology and music at the University of New Hampshire prior to joining Bluestone.
Melody lives on the North Shore with her husband, two daughters, and a bird named Peep. -
Danielle Foster with Tiberius
Technician
Danielle Foster
Veterinary Tech School: UNH Applied Animal Science Program
Danielle Foster graduated from the University of New Hampshire’s Applied Animal Science program in December 2012. During the summer of 2011, while still in school, she completed a 10-week internship here. She did so well that we asked her to join our staff in the spring of 2012. Now that she's graduated, we're excited to have her here full time!
In addition to her training here, Danielle’s classes at UNH included animal science, clinical nursing techniques, fundamentals of animal health, anatomy and physiology of domestic animals, small animal breeds and behavior, and grooming.
Danielle is a graduate of Stoneham High School, where she was the recipient of the Joseph Viglietti Memorial Scholarship and where she participated in both the swim and gymnastic teams. She lives locally with her family.
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Shannon Lambert with Libby and Riley
Technician
Shannon Lambert
Veterinary Tech School: Essex Agricultural Institute / Associate's Degree
Shannon, our longest tenured employee, has been with this hospital since 1990. She graduated from Essex Agricultural Institute in 1991, where she majored in the Veterinary Technician Program and earned an additional certification in the Grooming Program.
Shannon enjoys summer months at her cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee with family and friends, and outdoor activities. She has a wonderful husband, son, and daughter, as well as two dogs -- Penny, a chocolate Lab, and Libby, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. -
Renee Landry with a baby bunny
Technician
Renee Landry
Veterinary Tech School: Becker College / AS in Veterinary Technology & BS in Veterinary Science (pre-vet)
School: Becker College, BS-Pre-vet
Renee is a December 2010 graduate of Becker College with a bachelor's degree in Veterinary Science, including a Pre-Veterinary concentration.
Renee graduated with honors from Wells High School in Maine, where she competed at varsity level as a three-season athlete. She continued her athletic pursuits at Becker, where she played NCAA III Lacrosse and Soccer from 2006 to 2009. She received her coach's award for dedication and commitment in soccer (having played 70 out of 73 career games), and she was captain of her senior year lacrosse team.
Renee lives north of Boston with her cat, Autumn, and she has two more cats and two dogs that live with her family in Maine. -
Linnea Morley with Wednesday
Technician
Linnea Morley
School: University of Rhode Island, BS in Zoology
Linnea left us for vet school at Ross University in January 2011, but we hope to see her during school breaks!
Linnea started cleaning cages at VCA Wakefield in 1995. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island, and she worked full time as a senior technician at Tufts University before leaving for vet school.
When Linnea graduates, she hopes to return to attending as many Red Sox and BU basketball games as possible. -
Heather Pert and Harriet celebrate Halloween 2012
Technician
Heather Pert
School: Salem State College, BLS in Applied Ethics, Minor in Spanish
Heather joined our technician team in 2012. She comes to us with great experience from other veterinary hospitals, including a cat specialty practice. She also has some experience working with birds, turtles, ferrets, rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and iguanas.
Heather graduated cum laude from Salem State College in 2008. She studied abroad in Spain and is fluent in Spanish.
Heather has worked as an elementary school teacher's aide, and she's also worked as a Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Park Ranger.
Heather lives north of Boston. She has three cats at the moment, and she previously had rats and a horse.
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Nadiya Rutman
Technician
Nadiya Rutman
School: National Agrarian University, Ukraine, DVM
Nadiya earned a degree in Veterinary Medicine from National Agrarian University in the Ukraine in 2001, and she was a small animal technician and veterinarian in Kiev from 1996-2002. She has been working as a technician in the United States while she completes the requirements to practice medicine here.
Nadiya lives north of Boston with her husband and daughter. -
Amanda Stanton with Sydney
Technician
Amanda Stanton
Veterinary Tech School: North Shore Community College Class of 2013
Amanda is currently enrolled in the Veterinary Technology Program at North Shore Community College. She joined us for a seven-week externship in the summer of 2012, and she did such a great job that we hired her.
Amanda has also taken Animal Sciences courses at the University of Vermont, and she volunteered for two years at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Amanda lives north of Boston with her family and a yellow Lab named Dudley.
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Candice Tenney with Sydney
Candice Tenney
1 of 2 »Technician
Candice Tenney
Veterinary Tech School: North Shore Community College Veterinary Technician Program
Candice joined us in May 2011 as a technician intern, and she was soon welcomed to our staff. She is a full-time student in the Veterinary Technician Program at North Shore Community College, where she expects to graduate in May 2013.
Candice lives north of Boston with her human and animal families, including dogs Sydney and Wilson, cats Mittens and Jake, and ball python Buddha. -
Dr. Wrubel with Phoenix, Norton, Jake, and Miles (the crested gecko)
Behavior Consultant
Kathryn Wrubel, Ph.D.
School: Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, Postdoc Fellowships, Tufts School of Vet Med & Tufts Med School
Dr. Wrubel is a Ph.D. animal behavior specialist with extensive training helping dogs, cats, and their owners with challenging behavior issues. She received her B.S. in Behavioral Psychology from Eastern Michigan University and her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine in the Animal Behavior Clinic and the Tufts Medical School in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
Prior to joining us, Dr. Wrubel provided behavior services for Angell Animal Medical Center and several IVG Hospitals, including the Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital. In January of 2013, Dr. Wrubel started a mobile animal behavior service in Boston called Changing Behavior, Changing Lives (www.changingbehaviorchanginglives.com).
Dr. Wrubel is a pet psychologist, and her expertise extends beyond pet training methods. She specializes in aggression and anxiety issues, animal learning and memory, and psychopharmacology. Dr. Wrubel uses positive-based behavior modification methods. She can work with your veterinarian to ensure that your pet has a team to set them up for success.
Originally from Michigan, Dr. Wrubel lives north of Boston with her daughter Eve, three dogs, pet geckos, pair of zebra finches, and fish (including a bashful green spotted puffer named Mr. Lemon Drop). On her days off, she enjoys live music, collecting antiques from the 50’s and 60’s and watching independent and foreign films.
Dr. Wrubel is happy to accept referrals from other animal hospitals, and she sees clients both at VCA Wakefield Animal Hospital and in their homes. Behavior appointments should be scheduled directly through Dr. Wrubel at info@changingbehaviorchanginglives.com or 781-552-1422.
