Meet the Surgery Team

Sue A. Casale DVM, DACVS

Angell Boston and MSPCA-Angell West, Waltham

Dr. Casale is a board-certified veterinary surgeon specializing in both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. She performs both the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO certified in 2002) and tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) for cranial cruciate ligament ruptures. She is certified to harvest and deliver canine and feline adult stem cells which are used in the treatment of osteoarthritis, ligament and bone injuries. She was featured in Boston Magazine’s pet issue in 2010. Her interests include minimally invasive abdominal procedures, thoracic surgery and fracture repair and she actively participates in the training of our surgical residents.

EDUCATION
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, DVM, 2000
St. Lawrence University, BS, 1989

SPECIALTY TRAINING
Tufts University and Angell Animal Medical Center-Boston, Residency in Small Animal Surgery, 2001-2004
Angell Animal Medical Center-Boston, Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, 2000-2001

CERTIFICATION
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2009

Michele Kudisch, DVM, DACVS

MSPCA-Angell West, Waltham

Dr. Kudisch is a board-certified veterinary surgeon specializing in both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery.  She was the owner and operator of a mobile veterinary surgery practice in the Boston metropolitan area for 17 years before coming to MSPCA-Angell West as the staff surgeon.  Her interests are broad ranging and include fracture repair, thoracic surgery, trauma, and reconstructive surgery.

EDUCATION
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, DVM, 1986
Long Island University, MS, 1976
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, BS, 1973

SPECIALTY TRAINING
Tufts University and Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, Boston, Residency in Small Animal Surgery, 1989-1992
Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, Boston, Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, 1986-1987

CERTIFICATION
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 1996

Deandra Owen, DVM

Dr. Owen is a 2012 graduate of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and finished her small animal rotating internship at Angell in 2013. She joins us as a resident after completing a surgery internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas.

EDUCATION
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, DVM, 2012

SPECIALTY TRAINING
Angell Animal Medical Center-Boston, Small Animal Rotating Internship, 2012-2013
Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, Surgery Internship, 2013-2014
Angell Animal Medical Center, Small Animal Surgical Residency, 2014 – Present

John Litterine-Kaufman, VMD

John Litterine-Kaufman is a 2013 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and finished his small animal rotating internship at Angell in 2014. He returned to Angell as a surgery resident after completing a surgical internship at Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists in Longmont, Colorado.

EDUCATION
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, VMD, 2013

SPECIALTY TRAINING
Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists, Longmont, Colorado, surgical internship, 2014-2015
Angell Animal Medical Center, Small Animal Rotating Internship, 2013-2014

Michael M. Pavletic DVM, DACVS, Director, Surgical Services

Dr. Pavletic is a board-certified veterinary surgeon and director of surgical services. He was a surgical instructor and professor of surgery at Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and professor and head of small animal surgery at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine before assuming the surgery directorship at Angell. He specializes in soft tissue surgery and is a leading authority in the subspecialty area of small animal plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Pavletic has developed many of the reconstructive surgery techniques currently used in small animal surgery.

Dr. Pavletic is a national and international speaker in the field of reconstructive surgery and is the author of the Atlas of Small Animal Wound Management and Reconstructive Surgery, 3rd ed. Published in 2010 by Wiley-Blackwell.

EDUCATION
University of Illinois, DVM, 1974
University of Illinois, BS, 1972

SPECIALTY TRAINING
Angell Animal Medical Center-Boston, Residency in Surgery, 1975-1977
Angell Animal Medical Center-Boston, Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, 1974-1975

CERTIFICATION
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 1981

Meghan Sullivan, DVM, DACVS

Dr. Sullivan joined Angell in 2013 from a specialty practice in Springfield, MA. Dr. Sullivan has authored several scientific publications, enjoys lecturing at continuing education events, and has received awards for excellence in teaching in addition to the ACVS Most Outstanding Resident Research Award. Dr. Sullivan performs soft tissue, and orthopedic surgery as well as many neurosurgical procedures. She has a particular interest in tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA), stem cell therapy, laparoscopy, and arthroscopy.

EDUCATION
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, DVM, 2006
(4th Year Clinical Training – University of Minnesota)

SPECIALTY TRAINING
Angell Animal Medical Center, Small Animal Rotating Internship, 2006 – 2007
VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center – Norwalk, CT, Small Animal Surgical Internship, 2007 – 2008
University of Illinois, Champaign Veterinary School, Small Animal Surgical Residency, 2008 – 2011

CERTIFICATION
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2012

Nicholas J. Trout MA, VET MB, DACVS, ECVS

Dr. Trout is a board-certified veterinary surgeon at Angell specializing in both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. His work includes tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), hip replacement and arthroscopic surgical procedures.

EDUCATION
University of Cambridge, England, 1990
University of Cambridge, England, Vet MB, 1989

SPECIALTY TRAINING
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and Angell Animal Medical Center-Boston, Residency in Small Animal Surgery, 1991-1994
University of Liverpool, England, House Officer, 1989-1991

CERTIFICATION
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 1995
Diplomate, European College of Veterinary Surgeons, 1995
Member, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 1989

Emily Ulfelder, BVetMed

Dr. Ulfelder received her veterinary degree from The Royal Veterinary College in London, England before completing a small animal rotating internship at Angell Animal Medical Center. After graduating, she completed a one-year surgical internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, TX before returning to Angell as a surgical resident.

EDUCATION
The Royal Veterinary College, England, BVetMed, 2014
SPECIALTY TRAINING
Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, Surgical Internship, 2015-2016
Angell Animal Medical Center, Rotating Internship, 2014-2015

Amanda Burdick, Surgery Assistant

Amanda joined Angell in 2016 from a marine biology background working for the New England Aquarium. She graduated from the university of Vermont in 2012 and has spent the past few years studying and travelling all over the world from Australia to Europe and most recently spending a year on St. Croix in the Caribbean working with the nesting sea turtles. Now home, she is very excited to take her career in a new direction. Outside of work she likes to hike and go for runs with her little island rescue “Coconut retriever” named Mowgli, she also likes to curl up with a good book or movie with her boyfriend and her cat Artemis.

Nate Cabana, Surgery Assistant

Nathan was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, where he currently resides. He has spent his whole life there except from 2009-2010 where he lived in Florida. Nathan graduated from the New England Institute of Technology in 2014 with an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology. He started his animal career at Angell working as an overnight attendant in CCU; then went to Clinic for a few months. He started working in surgery in the spring of 2014. Nathan says that his late dog Mia was the reason he chose this profession. When he is not at Angell he spends his time going to concerts, eating and watching/playing sports. His favorite holiday is Christmas.

Jena Daly, CVT, Surgery and Anesthesia Department Supervisor

Jena worked in the music/television industry for a few years after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree from Emerson College in 2006. She then switched gears and returned to Mt. Ida College, earning an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology in May 2012 and becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) in August of the same year. Jena joined the anesthesia department at Angell Boston in March of 2014 after working in general practice for a year and a half. In her spare time, Jena enjoys rowing, horror movies, and spending time with her two cats, Smalls and Selene, and her rescue beagle from Mt. Ida, Remington.

Erica Fiorentino, Surgery Assistant

Erica went to the University of Rhode Island and graduated in 2007 with a degree in Animal and Veterinary Science and Technology. She has known she has wanted to work with animals since she was 5 years old. Once she graduated from URI, she worked in a General Practice Animal Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts for two years. After finding a true passion for surgery she started working in Angell’s Surgery Department in 2009 as a Surgery Technician. Once she saw her first orthopedic procedure, she found her true calling. Erica took the BioMedTrix Total Hip Course at Tufts University in 2013 and is the only technician certified in this course.

Adam Fontaine, Adam Fontaine, CVT, Surgery and Anesthesia Department Supervisor

Adam graduated from Merrimack College with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2012. After graduating he began working at Angell in the CCU department before transferring to surgery.  Since moving to the surgery department, and becoming certified in 2014, he has had the opportunity to work first as a surgery technician, then as a anesthesia technician, prior to becoming the anesthesia and surgery department supervisor. When he’s not at work, he enjoys camping, travelling, football, baseball, and most sports-related activities. He also enjoys hanging out at home with family and his two pets, dog Keeley and cat Toby.

Rose Henle, CVT, Lead Surgery Technician

At over 45 years Rose is the longest running employee employed by the MSPCA. She started when Angell was situated at Longwood and worked there in the shelter, clinic, pharmacy, and surgery departments. Rose graduated from vocational school with JobCore which was affiliated with Angell at the time. As a lead surgery technician, one of Rose’s main tasks is to order, troubleshoot and repair equipment and instruments for various departments. Rose is an invaluable source of knowledge. When she is not working at Angell Rose loves to cook and share newly made recipes with the staff. She also loves gardening and crafts. She has a black Pomeranian named Pearl.

Kristen Hopkins, CVT, Surgery Technician

Kristen first came to Angell as an extern in the spring of 2012. After graduating with an A.S. in veterinary technology from the University of Maine at Augusta in May of 2012, she joined Angell’s surgery team full-time. She became a Certified Veterinary Technician in August 2012, and plans to pursue a specialty certification in surgery. Prior to working at Angell, Kristen worked part-time at two different small practices in Maine. She also holds a B.A. in journalism and worked as a writer for several years before making the switch to veterinary medicine. In her spare time, Kristen enjoys cooking, drawing, painting and spending time with her dog, Chico.

Valerie King, Surgery Assistant

Valerie graduated from the University of Maine in 2012 with a BA in Biology. During her undergraduate studies, she spent a semester studying Zoology and Ecology at the University College Cork, Ireland. In her time there she was able to travel to ten countries in 30 days. In August 2014, Valerie accepted a critical care attendant position at Angell. In July 2016 she moved to the surgery department. Before coming to Angell, Valerie was a zookeeper at a small zoo near Wichita, Kansas where she worked with zebra, gazelle, and giraffes. She also worked with multiple lemur species while volunteering at the Sedgwick county zoo. Valerie currently lives in JP with her wonderful cat Ace, miniature Australian shepherd Ravi, and Heath Hedger, her hedgehog.

Jez Magarinos, RVN, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia/Analgesia), Anesthesia, Surgery, and Dentistry Department Manager

Jez has worked in the veterinary field since leaving higher education in England. There, he held the role of head nurse, managing a small animal practice and then as a veterinary standards and training officer, travelling the country auditing and training technicians and doctors. He came to Boston in 2001 and has worked for Angell- Boston since 2002 in a variety of roles from supervisor to lead anesthesia technician and now as the manager of the surgery, anesthesia and dentistry departments. He is a registered veterinary nurse (RVN) in England and has achieved his veterinary technician specialist (VTS) in anesthesia/analgesia. When not at work, Jez runs a B&B, volunteers in and around Boston, likes to travel and spend time with friends and family. Winston, his cat, is very affectionate.

Darnell McMillan, Surgery Scheduling Coordinator

Darnell started working at Angell in 1985 just out of high school. She worked in the wards as an attendant for 8 months before becoming a nurse in the wards / CCU unit. Darnell worked there for 5 years before moving to the surgery department where she currently works as the Surgery Scheduling Coordinator.  When she is not working she likes to spend time with her daughter, 2 cats and dog, traveling, and going to the beach.

Barbara Nee, Surgery Technician

Barbara is entering her 19^th year at Angell. Prior to coming to the MSPCA she worked for 12 years at the Jobst institute, measuring and fitting burn patients for burn scar garments. She was also employed by the urology department at Brigham and Woman’s hospital. Barbra earned a degree from the New England Institute of anatomy sanitary science and funeral services.

Emily Neish, Surgery Client Care Coordinator

After graduating with an Anthropology degree from York University in Toronto, Canada, Emily relocated to Los Angeles. She appeared as a contestant on Hollywood Squares where she earned enough money to return to school to pursue an animal nursing degree. After obtaining her animal nursing degree from Brampton College in 2004, she headed to Boston where she joined the Angell team as a Clinic Attendant. Since then she has sought out as much knowledge as she could. She has held positions as a Critical Care Unit Nurse, Cross-Trainer and Anesthesia Technician before supervising the surgery department for 3 years. She has been a Certified Veterinary Technician since 2009. She has now transitioned to a client-centered role that allows her to use her extensive knowledge of surgery and anesthesia to educate, assist, and help calm the nerves our loving pet parents.

In Emily’s spare time she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with Amber (pictured), her 13 year old Chihuahua mix who was rescued from a puppy mill, and her 2 year old feline brothers, Peyton & Eli, who were rescued from Mexico.

Kimberly Swank, Surgery Secretary

Started working at Angell in July 1991 after a patron at a local restaurant here in J.P. suggested that she apply for a position. She started out part time at the front desk and took a full time position shortly after. She worked her way from the front desk to the emergency and appointment desk, and also occasionally filled in as the cashier and  switchboard operator when needed. She became the surgery unit secretary back in Feb. 2005.

Kimberly lives in Bristol County with her husband and two cats, Monkey and Mitzy,  and enjoys taking the cats out for  leash walks and taking long drives to their cabin in Maine.