Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates

Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates consists of five hospitals located throughout Middlesex and Hartford counties.
For information on locations, hours and services, click on the Our Hospitals tab.
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  • AFTER HOURS EMERGENCIES:
  • Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center in Middletown at 860-347-8387 (860-347-VETS)
  • Pieper Memorial VETS in Oakdale at 860-443-7387 (860-443-PETS)
  • Robert W. Olson

    Robert W. Olson

    Dr. Robert W Olson graduated from Purdue University with a BS degree in Biochemistry in 1977. He attended the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine and received a DVM degree in 1981. Dr. Olson considers himself fortunate to have worked side by side with the late Dr. Pieper for many years, initially as a young veterinary assistant at the age of 17, and then later as an associate veterinarian. Dr. Olson often jokes "this is the only job I ever had". Not only did Dr. Olson benefit from Dr. Pieper's vast animal experience and wisdom throughout all those years, but he also learned Dr. Pieper's strong work ethic and sense of client service.

    Dr. Olson works mainly in the Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital in Middletown. His special interests include surgery and general medicine, as well as overseeing the management of Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates and Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center. He and his wife Dr. Virginia Nunez Olson have 2 children, Ben and Tessa, and currently reside in his hometown of Portland, Ct.

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  • Dr. Virginia Nunez

    Dr. Virginia Nunez

    Dr. Virginia Nunez Olson attended the University of Connecticut as an Animal Science major in 1976, and received her DVM degree from the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine in 1981. After graduation she was employed at Ridgehill Veterinary Hospital in North Haven, and joined Dr. Pieper as an associate veterinarian in 1982. She currently works in the Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital in Middletown, where she practices general medicine with a special interest in internal medicine. She helps oversee the management of CVVA, and welcomes any questions or concerns about the practice and its services. Born and raised in Fairfield Ct, she and her husband Dr. Robert Olson have 2 children, Ben and Tessa, and currently reside in Portland, Ct.

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  • Dr. Lance McLean

    Dr. Lance McLean

    Lance B. McLean DVM
    Dr. McLean is a 1999 graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College. He completed a 1 year small animal medicine and surgery internship at the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000 and remained with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine as a Clinical Associate in Small Animal Surgery until June 2001.
    Dr. McLean joined the Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates in October 2001 as a general practitioner at the East Haddam Veterinary Clinic. Dr. McLean has a special interest in surgery, particularly orthopedics, and performs surgical procedures once weekly at the Pieper Olson Veterinary Hospital, and he is a member of the 3 doctor team that provides on call support for emergency surgery at the Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center.
    Dr. McLean is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the Hartford County Veterinary Medical Association.
    Outside of his professional life, Dr. McLean enjoys antique and classic cars, is a reasonably skilled back yard mechanic and is a loyal/avid fan of the NFL's New England Patriots.
    Dr. McLean lives in Moodus, CT with his wife Lenore, children Grace and Owen, their pug Rosie and cat Sayid.
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  • Dr. Mark Albin

    Dr. Mark Albin

    Mark Albin, DVM is a 1994 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine(War Eagle!), which he attended after receiving a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University in 1990. After completing a one year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery in Rochester, NY,  Dr. Albin came to Connecticut and has been an associate veterinarian at Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital since 1995. While he enjoys all aspects of general practice, Dr. Albin has specific interests in ultrasound, internal medicine, preventative health and small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.  He is also a member of the 3 doctor team that provides on call support for emergency surgery at the Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center.

    Dr. Albin has been on the advisory committee to the Fox Memorial Clinic of the Connecticut Humane Society and presently is on the advisory and curriculum committees for the Veterinary Assistant program at Middlesex Community College. Dr. Albin is the Middlesex county representative to the executive board of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, and is also a member of the AVMA and the Hartford County VMA. Dr. Albin is also a member of the Durham Animal Response Team. He lives in Durham with his wife, Melissa, their four kids and numerous pets.
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  • Dr. Cheryl Brienza

    Dr. Cheryl Brienza

    Dr. Cheryl Brienza received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological and Physical Sciences from Albertus Magnus College, in New Haven CT, in 1995. After working as a technician in 1995 she found her love of veterinary medicine and pursued it. She graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. Her professional interests include internal medicine and ophthalmology. She began working with Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates in June of 2004 at Pieper- Olson Veterinary Hospital. She now practices at Essex Veterinary Hospital. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association , Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, Hartford County Veterinary Medical Association, New Haven County Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners.
    In her free time she enjoys spending time with her daughter Johanna and husband Chip.

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  • Dr. Julia Chant

    Dr. Julia Chant

    Dr. Chant graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Pathobiology. She graduated from Ross University after completing a year of clinical study at Cornell University in 2003. She spent 4 years working in Middletown NY, during which time she completed coursework with the International Veterinary Acupunctue Society, before returning to her home town of Meriden CT.  Dr. Chant joined the Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates in March 2008 as a general practitioner at both Essex Veterinary Hospital and Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital. She recently started practicing Integrative Medicine at Pieper Memorial. Her special interests include Acupuncture, Nutrition and Pet Hospice Care.
    During her time off Dr. Chant enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and multiple pets. Her hobbies include running and gardening.

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  • Dr. Jean DeNapoli

    Dr. Jean DeNapoli

    General practitioner at Marlborough Animal Hospital in Marlborough.
    Bio pending.
    Specialities:
    Animal Behavior
  • Dr. Amy Fayette

    Dr. Amy Fayette

    Dr Amy Fayette attended the University of Massachusetts as an Animal Science Major, graduating in 2003. She then attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine until 2007. After graduating she started as an associate veterinarian at the Middletown office of CVVA, where she practices general and emergency medicine and has special interests in parasites and teaching. She lives in Middletown, Ct with her two cats that she acquired while living in the Carribbean. In her free time she enjoys watching movies, traveling and playing with all the latest tech gadgets.
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  • Dr. Kristen Fratamico

    Dr. Kristen Fratamico

    Dr. Fratamico is originally from Upstate NY and grew up just outside of Ithaca. Dr. Fratamico has always been interested in the veterinary profession and began her career working with a small animal veterinarian at the age of 15. She graduated from SUNY Delhi with a degree in Veterinary Technology and became licensed as a LVT. She continued her education at Cornell University for her Bachelors of Science in Animal Science. Dr. Fratamico worked as a LVT in Cornell University’s small animal ICU and also worked as a research animal technician prior to deciding to go to veterinary school.
    Dr. Fratamico was accepted to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2007.  She completed her clinical year at the University of Minnesota.  After graduation, Dr. Fratamico began teaching Anatomy and Physiology to veterinary technicians. Dr. Fratamico then spent one year as an associate veterinarian at Banfield in general practice.   She also coupled this time working for the Pet Poison Helpline in Minneapolis, MN where she received training in veterinary toxicology.
    In 2008, Dr. Fratamico relocated to Rochester, NY where she completed a 1 year small animal medicine and surgical internship prior to her current position at Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital and Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center.
    Dr. Fratamico has a wide variety of interests in veterinary medicine including emergency and critical care, internal medicine, and nutrition for the critical patient, transfusion medicine, and diagnostic imaging. Dr. Fratamico also has a strong interest in education and teaching within the veterinary profession.  
    The opportunities at Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital have allowed Dr. Fratamico to become very proficient in both general practice and emergency medicine. Dr. Fratamico has also given a CE seminar on Blood products and transfusion medicine to the Pieper-Olson/Pieper Memorial staff.
    Outside of work, Dr. Fratamico and her fiancé Nick have taken on renovating a full rehab home in CT. They also enjoy many outdoor activities (hiking, Kayaking, BBQs), traveling and spending time with family and their 3 dogs. 
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  • Dr. Michelle Godiwala

    Dr. Michelle Godiwala

    Michelle Godiwala graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1999 with a BA in Psychology.  After working for a number of years in Human Resources, including a two year international assignment in Paris, France, she returned to school at Tufts University for a Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical degree. She completed her first year of veterinary school at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine and then moved with her husband, a New Orleans native, to Louisiana where she completed her Veterinary degree at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. Michelle then completed a rotating Small Animal Medicine and Surgery internship at Southeast Veterinary Specialists in New Orleans.  Michelle and her husband currently live in New Haven where her husband is completing his Pediatric residency at Yale.   Michelle’s special interests include Dermatology and Internal Medicine. She spends most of her time as a General Practitioner at Pieper Olson Veterinary Hospital but also works occasionally at Essex Veterinary Hospital. When not working, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and their son Cooper and their dog, George and cat, Cher. 
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  • Dr. Christine Gustavson

    Dr. Christine Gustavson

    Dr. Christine Gustavson grew up in Arizona and graduated from Northern Arizona University with a BS degree in Zoology in 1998. She then graduated from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine with her DVM in 2002. After graduation, she headed farther east to Connecticut and started practicing.  Dr. Gustavson joined the CVVA group in 2004. She was full time at the Portland office until she and her husband, Dr. Jonathan Gustavson, started having children. She cut back on her hours to raise a family. Her home office is still the Portland Veterinary Hospital, but she also does surgery at the Marlborough Animal Hospital and is one of three doctors providing on-call surgical support for the Pieper-Memorial Veterinary Center.  The Gustavsons have 3 children within two years of each other (a daughter and then twins), a dog, cat, and bird, which keep them busy.   Christine is an active member at her church and enjoys the outdoors, photography, and spending time with family.

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  • Dr. Jonathan Gustavson

    Dr. Jonathan Gustavson

    Dr. Jonathan Gustavson lives in Cobalt, CT with his wife, Dr. Christine Gustavson, and their 3 children.  He practices at the Portland Veterinary Hospital where he enjoys all aspects of being a small town veterinarian. He joined Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates in 2002 after graduating from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine with his DVM.  He grew up in rural New Hampshire and received his BS degree in Animal Science from Cornell University in 1997.  Outside of veterinary medicine, in addition to raising his kids, Jon is an active member in his church, and tries to stay physically active with biking and running -- either while pushing the triple stroller or running a marathon.
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  • Dr. Grace Jefferies

    Dr. Grace Jefferies

    Surgeon at Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital in Middletown.
    Bio pending.
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  • Dr. Patricia Kearl

    Dr. Patricia Kearl

    After earning a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from Cornell University in 1976, Dr. Kearl worked at the New York State Diagnostic Laboratory concentrating on veterinary parasite diagnostics and assisting in research projects.
    After marrying Kenneth Kearl the following year, she moved to Louisiana. She worked in a small animal practice and also completed additional science courses at McNeese State University before entering veterinary school in 1979. She obtained a D.V.M. degree from LSU in 1983.
    Returning to Ithaca, New York , Dr. Kearl worked in a private veterinary practice for several years before moving to CT.
    She has been an associate veterinarian at Pieper-Olson since January of 1988 , practicing general medicine.
    My special interests are parasitology and preventative medicine. 
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  • Dr. Michelle Merza

    Dr. Michelle Merza

    Dr. Merza graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a degree in biochemistry.  She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.  After graduation she moved to New York where she completed a one-year rotating internship at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in General Medicine and Surgery.  Wanting to hone her surgical skills, she went on to complete an Internship in Surgery at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
    Dr. Merza practiced small animal medicine and surgery at Tri-State Veterinary Medical Group and Cheshire Veterinary Hospital before joining Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates in 2006. Having a special interest in surgery, both soft tissue and orthopedics, she currently performs surgery four days a week at Pieper-Olson in Middletown.   Dr. Merza also performs referral surgery and consultations for Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center.
    Dr. Merza lives in Wolcott with her husband, Steve, two children, Erik and Sarah, two dogs, Nani and Tsugi, and a cat, Sisco.    
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  • Dr. Kristel Pawlowski

    Dr. Kristel Pawlowski

    Dr. Kristel Pawlowski grew up in Guilderland, NY and received her B.S. in biology in 2003 from SUNY Albany. She attended veterinary school at The University of Minnesota and received a DVM degree in 2007. Looking to move back to the east coast after graduation Dr Pawlowski ended up in Connecticut, working at a different small animal hospital for a short while before finding her place with Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates in 2009. Dr. Pawlowski splits her time between the Marlborough and East Haddam offices enjoying the variety of cases she sees between the two locations. Dr. Pawlowski and her husband-to-be live in Manchester, CT with their dog Ellie-May and two cats – Simon and Millie.

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  • Dr. Thomas Reagan

    Dr. Thomas Reagan

    Dr. Thomas Reagan graduated from Fairfield University with a BS in Biology in 1988. Following graduation, he began a PhD program at the University of Connecticut in Cell Biology before being accepted to veterinary school at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. He graduated in 1993 and immediately accepted his first job at Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital. He has, at different times, worked at all of the Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates offices, but now is primarily at the Pieper-Olson office in Middletown, and occasionally at the East Haddam and Essex offices. He is very excited to see all of the progress that has occurred as the years have gone on. He has special interests in internal medicine, ultrasound, and exotic animals, especially ferrets, rabbits, small rodents, and certain reptiles. He lives in Middletown with his wife and three children.
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  • Dr. Lynne Robbins

    Dr. Lynne Robbins

    Dr. Lynne Robbins graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Biology in 1994. She traveled and worked for the Smithsonian Institution at the National Zoo before earning an MS from Utah State University in Wildlife in 2000. She then turned her attention to veterinary medicine and received a VMD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. After completing a one year rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, CT, she worked in small animal practices with a focus on exotics (birds, reptiles, small mammals). In 2007, she joined Connecticut Valley Veterinary Associates as an associate veterinarian at Pieper Olson Veterinary Hospital in Middletown and has been happily learning and growing here ever since. She has a special interest in dental medicine and oral care, and she will always work with the little mammalian critters. She is a member of the national groups AVMA, AAV, and AEMV, and the local groups CVMA, NHVMA, and HVMA. Outside the office, Dr. Robbins enjoys spending time with friends, traveling, good food, knitting, and has just started training in Kung Fu. Dr. Robbins and her cat, Lillah, are planning to add a bird to their lives when the right one comes along. 
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  • Dr. Devon Spencer

    Dr. Devon Spencer

    Dr. Devon Spencer is a transplant to the New England area. She graduated in 2007 from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine with her DVM. She spent 2 years in mixed animal practice in Illinois treating everything from cats and dogs to cattle and horses. She has also used her veterinary skills in Uganda, India, and Nicaragua through Christian Veterinary Mission. Using her experience in large animal and equine lameness she has transformed her skills into small animal through physical therapy. Dr. Spencer enjoys the challenge of developing training programs for both preventing injuries and getting patients back in shape after surgery. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Certification program for Canine Rehabilitation program. In her spare time she enjoys spending time doing Scottish highland dancing, playing the bagpipes and working on her hobby farm with her husband Josh, their two cats Toby and Malachi, their two dogs Josiah (yellow lab) and Melchizedek (border collie) and their four Scottish black faced sheep Daniel, Rack, Shack and Benny. 
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  • Dr. Catherine Zeveney

    Dr. Catherine Zeveney

    Dr. Catherine Zeveney received her undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania in 1987. She is a 1991 graduate of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Dr. Zeveney has been a member of the veterinary staff of CVVA since 1991 and practices in both our Middletown and Marlborough locations. Her special interests include internal medicine and allergic skin disease. She lives in East Hampton, CT with her husband, 2 daughters, Australian Shepard and 2 cats.
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